Motherboards Made Simple: What They Are and Why They Matter
You’ve probably heard the word “motherboard” thrown around—but what does it actually do? Is it just a fancy piece of green plastic? (Spoiler: it’s a lot more important than that.) The motherboard is a central “hub” or something like the nervous system of a computer. It connects the various components of the system and allows them all to talk to each other. Some can talk directly to each other, while others have to go through the “operator,” the motherboard’s chipset. I’ll take you through the functions of the motherboard, its key components, some misconceptions, and how to keep your motherboard healthy
The Essential Functions of a Motherboard
Connecting major hardware components
Every digital device has several separate components, though some functions may be combined on a single chip. The separate components like the CPU (I’ve got a good piece on that right here), RAM, storage, graphics, etc., can’t just float around inside the device. They need a stable base—and a way to talk to each other. The best way to make that happen is to build the communications channels into that stable thing we connect them to. Some of the connection points provide communication connections as well, but some require a separate communications channel attached to the board.
Managing power distribution
The different things attached to the motherboard all require power, but they don’t all need the same amount, and they don’t all get it in the same way. Some components, like the CPU, RAM, and the chipset can get their power directly through the circuits on the motherboard. Fans, hard disk drives, and solid state drives get their power through a cable connected to the power supply itself. Expansion cards like graphics cards can get some of their power from the motherboard, but they need extra power from the power supply.
Facilitating data communication between components
Built into the board itself are copper lines that carry data and electrical signals. They’re called buses and traces, and they let the different components exchange data and receive power.
Providing input/output ports
Along the outer edges of the motherboard that line up with the edges of the case it’s going into, you’ll find places to plug things in. You can see the video ports, USB ports, audio jack, ethernet port, maybe a few others. Those ports are connected to those buses and traces, and that enables the devices plugged into those ports to communicate with other stuff in your computer.
Key Components of a Motherboard
All motherboards contain certain components: the CPU socket, RAM slots, expansion slots, storage connections, the chipset (the traffic cop of the motherboard), power connectors (where we’d plug in the main connector from the power supply) and the typical I/O ports I mentioned above. A laptop’s motherboard would also contain Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules, but some higher-end motherboards may contain extra USB ports, RGB lighting controllers for photo and video production, or built-in graphics outputs.
Choosing a Motherboard
You may never need to choose the motherboard that goes into your computer. If you decide to undertake the process of building your own computer, though, you’ll need to make some decisions. You’ll need to know which CPU you want, starting with the manufacturer. You can’t put an AMD processor in a motherboard made for Intel, and vice-versa. You’ll also need to know which chipset each board has, because different chipsets coordinate stuff differently. The motherboard you choose will also determine the type and amount of RAM you will use.
There’s also something called “form factor” to consider. The form factor describes the size of the motherboard, but also the position of the ports. Your motherboard needs to fit in the case, and the ports need to line up with the openings in the case for them. You’ll want to decide how much stuff you want to plug into your device, because that’s a consideration as well.
Finally, you’ll want to figure out your price point, and that’s going to depend mostly on how you want to use the final product. A standard-use computer for basic office-type activities, you can look for one that doesn’t offer any “extras.” But do you need Wi-Fi and Bluetooth? Or would that just be a “nice-to-have”? Will you be gaming or editing videos? You’re going to want faster storage support, more expansion slots, and better voltage regulators.
Even if you don’t plan on building your own computer, having this information can be beneficial. When you’re shopping for one at a store, or when you’re considering a custom-built system, you’ll know what the salesman is trying to get you to pay extra for.
Common Motherboard Misconceptions
Money always buys a faster computer. No, not necessarily. It may, but the extra cost of a motherboard could be in components that don’t contribute to data transfer speed.
You need the latest motherboard for every upgrade. Again, nope. You might need a newer motherboard if you want to upgrade your processor, but it’s also possible that your motherboard will support a newer processor, and the only way to know is to check the specifications. You can find them at the manufacturer’s website.
Bigger is always better. Uh — no. Bigger may have a bunch of space with nothing in it. You need the size that fits the case and the components you want to use. You do want to consider the proximity of heat-generating components, though. Small boards need to provide special consideration for ventilation and cooling, but they can provide plenty of performance.
Maintaining and Troubleshooting a Motherboard
The Internet is going to be your friend when troubleshooting your computer, and this is going to be especially true with the problem is the motherboard. This blog is not the place to go deep into the process, but you can prevent a lot of problems by keeping it clean. “Keeping it clean” means providing an environment that doesn’t generate excessive dust. Dust is inevitable in a normal environment, but keeping it off the floor and away from dust-collecting and dust-generating stuff helps.
Make sure your device has good ventilation and that airflow vents stay clear. That’s true whether you’re using a laptop or desktop. If you have to use a laptop on a cushioned surface, you should put it on a hard surface first, preferably a cooling mat. You can use a gentle vacuuming process – GENTLE!!!! — to remove dust collecting on the airflow vents. They make special vacuums for that. From time to time, the interior may need a clean-up, and it’s worth the price of a professional cleaning to make sure you don’t damage some of the more sensitive parts inside.
The motherboard has a Basic Input Output System (BIOS) chip, and there may be times when that needs an update. I recommend upgrading or updating the BIOS only when a troubleshooting step says to, and before you do it, make a backup of your critical data. Most of the time, it turns out fine, but the BIOS is such a crucial part of the system that I don’t take chances.
Your Turn
Was this helpful? I hope so. It’s been a while since I did any PC support, so I had to do a bit of a refresher to write this, and it was kind of fun! If there’s anything you’d like to know about motherboards that I didn’t address, drop a comment and let me know, and I’ll see if I can get you an answer. Scroll down past the “Related Posts” section to get to the comments.
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