General Overview Of Motherboards
Chris Hall
Everyone hears the term motherboard and wonders exactly what it
is? This term is so loosely defined that it gets confusing very
quickly to the average computer user. A motherboard is the
information transfer hub of your computer system. It could be
called the chassis of your computer.
The motherboard will contain connection points for your CPU
(Central Processing Unit), Hard drive, RAM (Random Access
Memory), Video Card, and Power Supply as a general rule of
thumb. Motherboards come from a variety of Manufacturers such
as ABIT, ASUS, Foxconn, Asrock, MSI, Intel, and Tyan. Each of
these suppliers provides a slightly tweaked board for your
computer use.
Without these boards you would have nothing but components and
a non-functioning computer. The motherboard is to the computer
what the frame is to your car. It is the main infrastructure
that makes your computer function.
So the question is asked why are there so many suppliers for
such a simple concept as a motherboard. Board manufacturers
offer different designs and functionality for your boards.
Foxconn motherboards may offer a better price, ASUS can offer
you better performance, Asrock will offer you a middle of the
range board, and then MSI motherboards may offer you something
different again. It is all about looking at each manufacturers
motherboards and comparing the functionality that each of their
motherboards have, and then deciding which one suits your needs
best.
Each motherboard is specific to its uses. Companies offer
motherboards that are designed for continuous use and that are
relatively impervious to heat generation. Other companies
design motherboards that are geared for the computer gamers to
use. These motherboards will be equipped with liquid cooling
and designed to keep the CPU from overheating. The motherboards
operate at a high rate of data transfer but sacrifice longevity
of life to achieve this performance.
Motherboards are designed for specific CPU chip-sets. The AMD
chipset requires a different motherboard mounting than the
Intel chipset. While Intel builds motherboards they do not
build motherboards for competing CPU manufacturers.
With all of these design concerns and options available where
does the consumer go? You want a computer with a properly
designed chassis but what is that design to be. Good research
into the different manufacturers will shed light onto your
dilemma.
Considerations that you make when purchasing a motherboard are
many. However many of the motherboard manufacturers help you
with the decisions that you need to make by pre-mounting your
board with Video and Sound Cards. These cards may or may not be
adequate for your specific application. They are also typically
not top of the line components, but components from secondary
manufacturers. If you can live with the specifications of the
pre-mounted cards then this will save you money in purchasing
your motherboard.
However if you have a custom application that requires a
certain type of Video or Sound card, you will need to avoid the
pre-mounted motherboards. The pre-mounted devices will only take
up valuable motherboard space. The main considerations with the
non-pre-mounted motherboards are whether or not they are
capable of handling the Video and Sound cards that you are
choosing. To find out simply log onto the motherboard
manufacturers site and check for the specifications of the
boards. The site will list compatible devices so make sure that
your Video and Sound cards are listed prior to purchasing the
board.
Also be aware of the speed of the processing unit you plan on
placing on your motherboard. If the CPU you want is a top end
model, be sure that the motherboard you are purchasing is rated
for the CPU unit you are planning on running. Don't purchase an
AMD CPU and expect it to snap into an Intel motherboard, also
don't purchase a motherboard designed for an AMD chip and
expect your Intel CPU to function properly.
About The Author: Chris Hall has been in the IT industry for
many years, and is the owner of Australian-based StoneBridge
Computing (http://www.stonebridgecomputing.com.au), which
specialises in the sale of Computers, Laptops, Hardware and
Software Australia-wide. Visit his website here:
http://www.stonebridgecomputing.com.au
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