The Computer Motherboard Components and Functions

The main printed circuit board in a computer is known as the motherboard. Other names for this central
computer unit are system board, mainboard, or printed wired board (PWB). The motherboard is
sometimes shortened to Mobo.

It distributes electricity and facilitates communication between and to the central processing unit (CPU),
random access memory (RAM), and any other component of the computer’s hardware. There is a broad
range of motherboards, each of which is intended to be compatible with a specific model and size of the
computer.

A labeled ASRock K7VT4A Pro Mainboard.

1. The Computer's Microprocessor - CPU is the electronic circuitry in a computer that executes
instructions that make up a program. It is also known as a central processor or the main
processor. The CPU executes the basic logic, arithmetic, controlling as well as input/output
(I/O) operations specified by the instructions in the desktop programs.

2. CPU slot - A CPU slot, also called a CPU socket or Processor socket, contains one or more
mechanical components that provide mechanical and electrical connections between the PCB
and a microprocessor (CPU). Therefore, you can install a CPU on a motherboard without
soldering.
3. RAM (Random Access Memory) slots - also known as a memory slot or memory socket, is a
physical connector on a computer motherboard designed to hold and connect Random
Access Memory (RAM) modules.

4. RAM or Random Access Memory - is a high-speed type of computer memory which

temporarily stores all the information your PC needs at the moment. It’s where your
computer loads up all the things it thinks it will need to find out soon, so you can think of it
as a working place of your computer. When it does need something, it fetches it super fast
from the memory which is accessed randomly. Note that RAM is temporary storage; thus
when the power goes off or when you switch off your computer, all data held in RAM is lost.

5. Southbridge/Northbridge - They are the two chips in the core logic chipset on the
motherboard. Typically, the Southbridge implements the slower capabilities of the
motherboard in a Northbridge/Southbridge chipset computer architecture.

The Northbridge, also known as Host Bridge or Memory Controller Hub, is connected directly
to the CPU via the front-side bus (FSB). It is responsible for tasks requiring the highest
performance. Together with the Southbridge, they manage communications between the
CPU and other motherboard components.

The Southbridge chipset is the chip that controls all of the computers I/O (input-output)
functions, such as USB, audio, serial, the system BIOS, the ISA bus, the interrupt controller
and the IDE channels.

6. BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) - It is software stored on a small memory chip on the
motherboard. This software instructs the computer on how to perform some basic functions
such as booting and keyboard control. BIOS is also used to identify and configure the
hardware in a computer such as the hard drive, floppy disk drive, optical drive, CPU, memory,
etc.

7. I/O port - A connection point that acts as interface between the computer and external
devices like mouse, printer, modem, etc.

Ports are of two types

1. Internal port − It connects the motherboard to internal devices like hard disk
drive, CD drive, internal modem, etc.

2. External port − It connects the motherboard to external devices like modem,

mouse, printer, flash drives, etc.

8. Universal serial bus (USB) - The USB is a computer interface that connects computers to other
devices, such as phones. The USB port is a significant part of a motherboard that allows users
 to connect external peripheral devices such as printers, scanners, and pen drives to the
computer. Moreover, it enables users to transfer data between the device and the computer.
A USB port allows users to connect peripheral devices without restarting the system. Types
of USB include USB-A, USB-B, USB-mini, micro-USB, USB-C, and USB-3.

9. PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) slot - This is a computer slot that allows you to
insert expansion cards into your computer. These can come in the form of sound cards, RAID
cards, SSDs, graphics cards, Coprocessors, and several other functional computer parts. So it
enables you to expand the capabilities of the PC by adding what you do not have.

10. PCI Express is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard designed to replace the
older PCI, PCI-X and AGP bus standard.

11. AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) slot - AGP was designed as a high-speed point-to-point
channel for connecting a video card (graphics card) to a computer system. Primarily, it was
used to assist in the acceleration of 3D computer graphics.

12. Parallel Port - Parallel ports can send or receive 8 bits or 1 byte at a time. Parallel ports come
in form of 25-pin female pins and are used to connect printer, scanner, external hard disk
drive, etc.

13. IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) slot - The interface provided a 40-pin connector for
attaching an IDE hard disk drive (HDD) to the computer.

14. CMOS battery - is a small round battery found on the motherboard of every computer. It
provides power to the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) chip. Helping the
BIOS or UEFI to store the hardware configuration settings. It helps keep a record of the date
and time when the computer is switched off.

15. Power connector - The power connector provides an electric supply to the computer to
function as intended. The power supply connector has 20 pins and converts 110-V AC power
into +/-12-Volt, +/-5-Volt, and 3.3-Volt direct current (DC) power.

16. Cooling fans - The heat generated when electric current flows between components can
make a computer run slowly. If too much heat is left to build up unchecked, it could damage
computer components. Thus, a computer performs better when kept cool. Cooling fans
increase the airflow, which helps to remove heat from the computer. Some elements, such
as video adapter cards, have dedicated cooling fans.
17. Front panel connectors - Front panel connectors connect the light-emitting diode (LED) lights
on the front of the case to the hard drive, the power button, the reset button, and the internal
speaker for testing. Some USB and audio devices also have LED lights.

These front panel connectors are usually plugged into small pins on the motherboard.
Although the pins are grouped and color-coded, their layout structure varies depending on
the model of the motherboard.

18. How do I identify whether the RAM slots are DDR 1, DDR 2, DDR 3, or DDR 4?

There are a number of ways you can use to determine the kind of RAM slot you have. To
begin with, you can check the number of pins. DDR has 184 pins and DDR2 and 3 has 240
pins while DDR4 has 288 pins. The other method is to look at the key notch position. DDR
notch is almost at the center but slightly to the right. DDR2 notch is almost at the center
as compared to DDR3 which is slightly to the left. DDR4 has a notch slightly to the right
but very close to the center of the RAM slot.

19. What are beep codes from a motherboard?

Beep codes are audio signals given out by a computer to announce the result of a short
diagnostic testing sequence the computer performs when first powering up (called the
Power-On-Self-Test or POST). When you power on your computer, it has to test major
devices such as RAM, Processor, Keyboard, and Drives among others. If any of the devices
are faulty, you will receive a beep sound indicating which device has a problem.