This is a picture of a common PentiumII compatible motherboard.
Other common names associated with the motherboard
are system board and planar board.
The core of the information machine. It is a requirement to function.
It is not an add-on. It is or contains the "computer" itself. What
is it? The motherboard. Yes, I know the title gave it away, but it is important
that you understand the necessity of this hardware.
The motherboard contains a variety of elements, which range in material
from silicon to copper. Each piece has its own important function. In this
section, it is my goal to educate you in the primary components that are
important for you an educated person to know.
Shown hereis a diagram of the important components of the motherboard.
A list of the most important components on
a motherboard:
As we discussed earlier, the basic process of a computer is to receive
input, calculate accordingly, and then produce an output. This process
involves the motherboard entirely.
Here is our example, the user types in a string of words into a program
using the keyboard. The computer immediately responds by flashing a message
on the screen.
Now, lets figure out the motherboards function in this example. When
the user types on the keyboard, the keyboard sends an "electronic message"
through its cables to its port in the back of the computer. The connector
in the back of the computer is connected directly to the motherboard. The
motherboard immediately sends the input to the central processing unit
(CPU). Then, the central processing unit requests information from the
RAM about the currently loaded program. The central processing unit decides
what the currently loaded program says to do when the user inputs information.
Next, according to the program’s command, the CPU computes the next step.
Then, the CPU sends a message/signal to the video card, which is located
in the PCI or AGP slot telling it what to display. The End. What a story!
The process I just described is simple compared to what really happens.
Down in the "guts" of the computer, millions of things are occurring every
second. In addition, extra components are involved in the overall scheme.
If you are interested in these things, I recommend a computer engineering
degree J. Now that you understand the process that the motherboard undergoes
on a constant basis, lets discuss the two major types of motherboards.
There are two major types of motherboards: integrated and nonintegrated.
Nonintegrated motherboards are the basic design used in almost every computer
today. Nonintegrated motherboards use the basic circuitry of the motherboard
to connect a variety of expansion cards and other components. An integrated
motherboard is different in the fact that the components that are installed
as expansion cards in the nonintegrated motherboard are integrated directly
into the circuitry. The main advantage of an integrated motherboard is
that it is less expensive. However, the integrated motherboard has a multitude
of drawbacks. When part of an integrated motherboard breaks, you have to
replace the whole thing, rather than just that component. In addition,
it is impossible to upgrade the individual components of an integrated
motherboard, which has become a primary hobby of computer enthusiasts today.
Thank you for exploring the wonderful world of motherboards today. If
you would like to continue with your journey, you may do so by entering
into the topic of CPU's.
