Parts of the Motherboard Processor RAM slots (may be SIMM or
DIMM) Cache memory BIOS chip CMOS battery Expansion slots Ports and
Connections Serial Parallel Video and Audio USB Firewire Network
Interface Card (NIC)
Slide 3
Motherboard Breakdown
Slide 4
Processor One of the easiest items to find on the motherboard
Located below the main cooling fan on most motherboards Remove
cooling fan and processor is glued to the heat sync with special
tech glue that is almost impossible to remove. Most common port for
a processor is the ZIF port or zero insertion force port Older
processors used the SEC port or single edge contact port which
somewhat resembled the RAM ports
Slide 5
ZIF Port
Slide 6
RAM Ports (SIMM,DIMM) Two types of RAM ports SIMM- Single
inline memory module DIMM- dual inline memory module 72 pin SIMM
and 168 pin DIMM are the most common SIMM and DIMM RAM must be
installed in pairs in order to fill a memory bank Ex: If you
install a 72 pin SIMM(32 bits) in a 64 bit machine then you must
add another 72 pin SIMM in order to match the processors bit
path.
Slide 7
SIMM and DIMM
Slide 8
Cache Memory Cache memory- increases performance by storing
frequently used programs codes or data that can be later accessed
by the processor at a faster speed. Cache memory comes in layers.
The first being L1 cache and is integrated with the processor. L2
cache, as well as L3 cache, is located outside of the CPU and is
installed on the motherboard Most computers today have at least two
levels of cache memory the first level being smaller than the
others
Slide 9
BIOS Chip (ROM) BIOS- Basic Input-Output System- is the low
level program code that allows all the system devices to
communicate with one another Stored on the motherboard in a BIOS
chip In todays machines the ROM BIOS is no longer only read only
memory. Todays BIOS chips run as EEPROM (electronically erasable
programmable ROM) which means you can get special programs from the
BIOS manufacturer that allows you to write to the ROM chip Only IT
professionals should write to the ROM chip Usually the biggest chip
found on the motherboard.
Slide 10
BIOS Chip
Slide 11
CMOS and its Battery CMOS- Complementary Metal-Oxide
Semiconductor- holds the computer inventory. CMOSs purpose is to
hold the computers inventory of all system components and all of
the components properties. The system inventory is stored in what
is called CMOS RAM. Any type of RAM loses its contents upon
shutdown, therefore we need a battery to keep CMOS with a charge so
that it does not lose its inventory contents. The battery that
powers the CMOS is located on the motherboard and needs changed
every couple years.
Slide 12
CMOS Battery
Slide 13
Expansion Slots Expansion slots are ports located on the
motherboard for the purpose of expanding the functionality of your
computer There are three types of common expansion slots PCI-
peripheral component interconnect- one of the newer expansion
slots, most commonly used expansion slot today, popular for their
Plug and Play architecture AGP- Advanced Graphics Port- appeared in
1997, has twice the speed of PCI ports, most commonly used for
graphics/video cards ISA- industry standard architecture- first
major expansion slot, not commonly used today
Slide 14
Expansion Slots
Slide 15
External Ports and Connectors Serial Ports- also known as
communication (COM) ports. Serial ports send series of data, or one
bit at a time in single file until the transfer of data is complete
Serial ports are labeled COM1, COM2, COM3, etc Two types of serial
ports: DB9 male- 9 pin serial DB25 male- 25 pin serial Parallel
Ports- also known as the printer port, not used any more (most
printers use USB) Video Adapter- also known as the video card port
Responsible for converting digital data transmitted from the CPU to
analog data that can be displayed on the monitor. Contains 15 pins
and is usually shown with a blue sticker and/or monitor icon
Slide 16
Ports
Slide 17
External Ports or Connectors Cont. PS/2- the old style mouse
and keyboard ports, rarely used today Contains six pins and mouse
is usually green and keyboard is usually purple Sound- there are
three sound ports Line-in: usually blue, allows many different
types of audio connections Line-out: usually green, allows the
connection of speakers MIC-in: Microphone port, usually red, allows
connections of a microphone for recording NIC ports- Network
Interphase card- most are built in today, used for connection of a
RJ45 jack connection on Ethernet cable
Slide 18
PS/2, Sound, and NIC
Slide 19
External Ports or Connections Cont. USB- Universal Serial Bus-
high speed serial technology with two common types USB1- 12Mbps
USB2- 480Mbps USB ports support daisy chaining which means you can
plug multiple devices into a USB splitter Fire wire- faster
connection than USB, two standards IEEE1394- 400Mbps IEEE1394b-
800Mbps
Slide 20
Power Connections Everything on the computer needs power from
somewhere to run. Everything is supplied power by the power supply.
(except itself) Power from the power supply is supplied through
many ports that are all numbered P1-P9 Power from the power supply
is given in 3.3, 5, or 12 volts Power connection labeled P1 is the
main power for the motherboard called the ATX power connector
(connects to a ATX motherboard)
Slide 21
Power Supply Connectors P1 = ATX Power Connector
Slide 22
Drive Connections There are two types of drive connectors for
hard drive and CD (floppy uses only IDE) IDE- Integrated Drive
Electronics- appeared in 1980s In 40 pin or 80 pin IDE ribbon
cables (floppy uses 34 pin connection) SATA- Serial Advanced
Technology Attachment- average transfer rate of 150Mbps, up to
600Mbps Replaced IDE cables and connections SCSI- Small Computer
System Interface- used in servers, 50 pin cable/connection, faster
than IDE
Slide 23
IDE, SATA, and SCSI
Slide 24
Jumpers and DIP switches A Jumper is a set of pins that have a
plastic cap over them to create an electrical connection. The cap
contains a piece of metal that creates an electrical jump. A DIP
switch or Dual Inline Package Switch is a set of switches that can
be turned on or off to enable/disable functionality on the
motherboard. Do not mess with the configuration of the switch
without consulting your motherboards documentation.
Slide 25
Jumper and DIP Switch
Slide 26
Types of Motherboards Two common types of motherboards are ATX
and MicroATX boards shown below.