The motherboard of a typical desktop consists of a large
PCB. It holds electronic components and interconnects, as well as physical connectors (sockets, slots, and headers) into which other computer components may be inserted or attached.
Most motherboards include,
at a minimum:
- sockets (or slots) in which one or more microprocessors (CPUs) are installed
- slots into which the system's main
memory is installed (typically in the form of DIMM modules containing DRAM chips) - a chipset which forms an interface between the CPU's front-side bus, main memory, and peripheral buses
- non-volatile memory chips (usually Flash ROM in modern motherboards) containing the system's firmware or BIOS
- a clock generator which produces the system clock signal to synchronize the various components
- slots for expansion cards (these interface to the system via the buses supported by the chipset)
- power connectors and circuits, which receive electrical power from the computer power supply and distribute it to the CPU, chipset, main memory, and expansion cards.
(Wikipedia, Motherboard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motherboard, 1/03/08)
You will be able to...
- Explain how motherboards work
- Identify the types of motherboards
- Master chipset arcana
- Upgrade and install motherboards
- Troubleshoot motherboard problems
Motherboards Lesson Plan/Outline (doc)
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