AF_IC04_ The motherboard. Components and configuration.

AF Unit 2 Connectors for modern-day motherboards.

The main goal of this unit is to get to know the ways in which the motherboard has to
communicate, both internally and externally. In order to do this you will need to know about
the chipset and all the connectors laid on a motherboard layout and also about the
connectors that can be found in externally in a CPU when it is assembled and running.

2.1 The motherboard chipset.

The chipset (consisting of a set of integrated circuits) has traditionally been composed of two
main chips (the northbridge and the southbridge) although there are several other
combinations, such as a single chip or more depending on the system.

The chipset is responsible, amongst other things, for the frequency of transmission between
the motherboard and other components, like the processor, the memory or the storage
devices.

THE CHIPSET
The chipset is one the most important parts in a motherboard, as it largely manages
operation and communication of the board and of all the system by extent.

The northbridge is usually located in the “north” part to the motherboard (the upper side) in
the ATX standard. It deals with the communication of the processor with the cache memory
and the central memory, and communicates with the southbridge as well. The southbridge,
located and the “south” part of the motherboard in the ATX standard is the one to manage
the ports, devices, storages units, expansion cards, etc.

Review this webpage that contains a list of the leading manufacturers of chipsets and try and
check if the one controlling your computer is in the list. You may have to open the case to
view which chipset is in your motherboard, if you have not done so before. The page is held
in ranker.com, where it is possible to find lots of rankings, set up with a votation system.

TO KNOW MORE
The leading manufacturers of chipsets.
List of chipset manufacturers.
https://linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/List_of_Chipset_Vendors

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 Three of the chipset manufacturers: ALI, intel and nVIDIA

2.2 Internal connectors.

All the internal connectors are not accessible from the outside of the case and they are
mostly intended not to be manipulated, unless it is necessary to make a major update or
repair in the computer, such as a processor replacement. First of all, read these definitions
and explanations of the internal connectors to be found in an average computer, trying to
memorize at least the names of the parts.

Activity: Quizlet about connectors in a computer. Make your own quizlet listing the names
and definitions of the connectors in an average computer. You can check the quizlet found in
the glossary of this activity as a generic example about how to use the tool:
(http://quizlet.com/44821094/flashcards)

Processor connector: The zone prepared to connect the processor is known by the name
of processor connector or socket. Depending on the processor family and the manufacturer
the socket can have different formats. One example of socket for Intel processors is Socket T
or LGA775, for Pentium D or Intel Core Duo systems. In the case of AMD processors, we
can find Socket 939, for Athlon 64 or Opteron.

CPU COOLERS
Most desktop computers have the need to have a cooler and a fan installed on the
processor, in order to keep an adequate temperature for the processor and thus a good
working order for the system as a whole.

A processor cooler ready to be installed.

Memory slots: Memory slots are the zones where the main memory modules (RAM
memory) are inserted. These memory modules can be found in different formats that depend
on the motherboard and define the connexion interfaces as well as the type of connection.
Their most characteristic feature is the number of pins or contacts of the connection. The
most know module is called DIMM, and it comes in several generations ranging from DDR to
DDR3, the latter being the latest version used nowadays.

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Check the next link, where there is a brief explanation of the sizes and types that can be
found in desktop or laptop computers. Be sure to identify the kind of module that your
computer carries. You can help yourself with the program cpu-z, reviewed previously.

TO KNOW MORE
Types of memory modules.
Memory modules for diverse kinds of computers.

Identify the memory modules depicted in the next image, and find out which one is used in
you own computer.

Images of several memory modules.

Buses: These are a set of transmission lines that communicate the different blocks in a
computer: cpu, memory and peripherals, through the mainboard. The velocity of transmission
of data through the buses is fundamental for the right performance of a system, together with
the chipset.

SYSTEM BUS
Known by the term FSB (front side bus) o simply system bus. It is the bus that
communicates the processor with the chipset, and so has to offer the maximum possible
performance.

Peripheral internal connectors: There are several other connectors that have evolved
through time, and that serve the purpose of connecting expansion cards and peripherals to
the motherboard and as a result to the system. For example, you can find the PCI bus
(peripheral component interconnect), that connects the motherboard with PCI expansion
cards, which is mostly obsolete. There is also the PCI-Express bus that succeeded the PCI
bus, and started as a graphics connector. It is very important because of its omnipresence
the USB (universal serial bus), designed in the nineties to connect peripherals to substitute
the old parallel and serial buses.

THE SLOTS
The expansion slots are the actual zones where devices such as the graphics card, the
network card or others connect to the motherboard. The names and technologies of the
different buses have a direct correspondence with their own slots.

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 From left to right and from top to bottom, ISA, PCI, AGP and PCIe slots.

Motherboard internal connectors: There are several internal elements in the case that
must be connected to the motherboard, such as the hard disk disks and optical drives. In
order to connect these devices, the motherboard has its interfaces, with the corresponding
standards. The most usual are IDE (integrated device electronics) and SCSCI, for storage
devices and S-ATA or Serial ATA that offers more up-to-date specifications and plug and
play capacities.

From left to right and from top to bottom, motherboard power supply, and IDE, SCSI and S-
ATA

Watch the next video with explanations about the motherboard connectors and how to make
all the components ready to work together with the board. In the video you will be able to
hear these verbs as well as other concepts:

Connect, notch, skip apart, latch, plug in, support, force, install, consult, require,
charge, line up, find, burn up.

Motherboard connectors. All you need to know.

Make sure to understand how these verbs are used throughout the video and be sure to
understand the meaning of the actions, in order to be able to make the connections correctly.

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Activity: After that, complete this table with the meanings of each verb in your language of
each verb and a picture of what the verb refers to (check the example). Once you have
completed this, make your own QUIZLET (http://quizlet.com) using this vocabulary. You will
only have to complete the flashcards with the contents of the table. Check out the example in
the glossary of this Activity or any others that are easily found on the webpage.

Verb Translation Object of action

connect connectar

notch
skip apart
latch
plug in
support
force
install
consult
require
charge
line up
burn up

2.3 External connectors.

The external connectors are usually called ports and they serve as interface to connect the
external peripherals, such as the keyboard, mouse, printer or display. Read the next
definitions about the most commonly seen external connectors in personal computers. Try to
identify the connectors with the ones in your computer.

USB (universal serial bus): Allows the connection of plug and play devices and supplies
energy to them, making it unnecessary to use another card for this purpose. There are
several types of connector and generations of the technology, ranging from the original USB
specification to the much more speedy USB 3.0.

TO KNOW MORE
Check out this link where you will find a wide variety of devices that connect to the
ubicuous usb connector.
Cool and useful usb devices.

Audio connectors: Usually jack-type connectors, offering the possibility to connect both
input and output audio sources.

Game or joystick connector: Almost obsolete connector that permits the connection of
game controllers.

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VGA or HDMI: Interface of the graphic card with the display. HDMI allows High Definition
graphics compared to the much more aged, VGA.

INTEGRATED DEVICES
The most modern motherboards have built-in devices, that previously had to be added via
expansion slots. These include device controllers, sound and graphics or network cards.
The integration of components allows to make computers at smaller prizes, although
makes them more difficult to repair.

In the next image you will find the above connector plus some others which are not so
common in today's computers. Try to identify all the connectors and relate this information to
your own system. Note that not all of the connectors in the image are explained above.
Search for the missing ones.

External connectors for a desktop PC

Activity: To finish with the activity, enumerate the Input/Output peripherals and devices
connected to your computer, and the port where they are plugged into. Review the features
of every one of these devices.

Once you have gathered all the components, make your own interactive motherboard using
the web tool THINGLINK (www.thinglink.com). Use vocabulary, short text, and videos to
explain your image. You can add definitions if you need to include more information. Here is
an example: https://www.thinglink.com/scene/454030253740785664.

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