MOTHERBOARD

Inpersonal computers, amotherboardis the centralprinted

circuit board(PCB) in many moderncomputersand holds many of
the crucial components of the system, providing connectors for
other peripherals.
Parts of the motherboard
How is the motherboard?
A motherboard, like abackplane, provides the electrical
connections by which the other components of the
system communicate, but unlike a backplane, it also
connects the central processing unit and hosts other
subsystems and devices. A typicaldesktop computerhas
itsmicroprocessor,main memory, and other essential
components connected to the motherboard. Other
components such asexternal storage, controllers
forvideodisplay andsound, andperipheraldevices may
be attached to the motherboard as plug-in cards or via
cables, although in modern computers it is increasingly
common to integrate some of these peripherals into the
motherboard itself.
How is the motherboard? II
Modern motherboards include, at a minimum:
sockets(or slots) in which one or moremicroprocessorsmay be
installed
slots into which the system's main memory is to be installed (typically
in the form ofDIMMmodules containingDRAMchips)
achipsetwhich forms an interface between the CPU'sfront-side bus,
main memory, and peripheralbuses
non-volatile memorychips (usuallyFlash ROMin modern
motherboards) containing the system'sfirmwareorBIOS
aclock generatorwhich produces the systemclock signalto
synchronize the various components
slots for expansion cards (these interface to the system via the buses
supported by the chipset)
power connectors, which receive electrical power from thecomputer
power supplyand distribute it to the CPU, chipset, main memory, and
expansion cards.
 Temperature and reliability

Motherboards are generallyair cooledwithheat sinksoften mounted

on larger chips, such as theNorthbridge, in modern motherboards.
Insufficient or improper cooling can cause damage to the internal
components of the computer and cause it tocrash.Passive cooling,
or a single fan mounted on thepower supply, was sufficient for many
desktop computer CPUs until the late 1990s; since then, most have
required CPU fansmounted on theirheat sinks, due to rising clock
speeds and power consumption. Most motherboards have
connectors for additional case fansas well. Newer motherboards
have integrated temperature sensors to detect motherboard and
CPU temperatures, and controllable fan connectors which
theBIOSoroperating systemcan use to regulate fan speed. Some
computers (which typically have high-performance microprocessors,
large amounts ofRAM, and high-performancevideo cards) use
awater-coolingsystem instead of many fans.
Motherboards history
Prior to the advent of themicroprocessor, a computer was
usually built in a card-cage case ormainframewith
components connected by abackplane consisting of a set of
slots themselves connected with wires. TheCentral
Processing Unit, memory and peripheralswere housed on
individual printed circuit boards which plugged into the
backplate. In the late 1980s, motherboards began to
include single ICs (calledSuper I/Ochips) capable of
supporting a set of low-speed
peripherals:keyboard,mouse,floppy disk drive, serial ports,
and parallel ports. As of the late 1990s, many personal
computer motherboards supported a full range of audio,
video, storage, and networking functions without the need
for anyexpansion cardsat all; higher-end systems for3D