Computer System Servicing

MOBO – MOTHERBOARD

RAM - RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY

CPU – CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT

MOTHERBOARD
A motherboard (sometimes alternatively known as the mainboard, system board,
baseboard, planar board or logic board, or colloquially, a mobo) is the main printed circuit
board (PCB) found in general purpose microcomputers and other expandable systems.

MOTHERBOARD (MOBO)
Functions of Motherboard

A motherboard is one of the most essential

parts of a computer system. It holds together
many of the crucial components of a
computer, including the central processing
unit (CPU), memory and connectors for input
and output devices.
 Indications of a defective motherboard

No display when turning on the computer

Connected devices such as mouse, keyboard etc. has no power.

Connected devices such as hard drive, CD- ROMS, floppy

drives has no power.
Example image of a working motherboard
Defects of a Motherboard
 Back panel connectors for peripherals is not
working
 Such as:
Lan Port
Sound Card (Built- in)
Video Card (Built- in)
USB Ports
Printer Port (If applicable)
 On board slots are not working, such as:
Memory slot
PCI slot
Video card slot
External Peripherals (Replacement)
RAM (Random Access Memory)
RAM (random access memory) is the place in a computing
device where the operating system (OS), application programs
and data in current use are kept so they can be quickly reached
by the device's processor. RAM is much faster to read from and
write to than other kinds of storage in a computer, such as a hard
disk drive (HDD), solid-state drive (SSD) or optical drive. Data
remains in RAM as long as the computer is running. When the
computer is turned off, RAM loses its data. When the computer
is turned on again, the OS and other files are once again loaded
into RAM, usually from an HDD or SSD.
 Functions of RAM

Random-access memory (RAM) is a type of

computer data storage. RAM is used by the central
processing unit (CPU) when a computer is running
to store information that it needs to be used very
quickly, but it does not store any information
permanently.
Examples of RAM
 Symptoms of RAM Problem:
 Your PC may start normally. But when you want to do any work on your Computer, You may experience a
very slow performance issue though you have much RAM capacity. A small programs may take long time
to open or a very simple webpage may hang on loading stage. After all, Your PC performance may become
so slow or unresponsive.
 PC may freeze suddenly and your keyboard or mouse may not response. After that it will restart
automatically.
 Your computer may restart right after opening desktop window.
 Bad RAM may cause blue screen of death. So, You may face BSOD problem without any reason anytime.
It can be so much annoying.
 Attempting to install any programs may take laong time or may stop without any reason or may show you
an unknown error.
 When you try to install windows to get back your normal performance, It may take very long time or shows
you unexpected error. So, Sometimes, It may completely prevent you to install any OS on your PC.
 Again, Your PC may make sounds “beep beep beep” continuously and your monitor may not show any
thing.
Common Computer Beep Codes - A computer that is having trouble booting will
often emit a series of beeps through the internal speaker. ... A single beep is normal
for most BIOS versions and means that the computer is booting properly. This beep
is intended as an indication that everything is working correctly.

 Beeps repeating endlessly – RAM

 3 Beeps – Motherboard failure
 6 Beeps – Video Card Failure
 7 Beeps – Bad Processor
 No Beeps, Continuous Beep, Repeating Short Beep – No Power,
Loose Card or Short
 5 Beeps – CMOS (Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor)
Battery Failure
Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)
Reasons Behind Memory Problems:

 Excessive heat can cause this problem. Sometimes,

Your CPU may become over heated and cause RAM
or other hardware problems.
 Power surges also may cause RAM problem as well as
any other component damage
 Dirt
How to Fix RAM Problems:

 Atfirst diagnose. If you find the problem

is with your module (RAM), change it or
buy new one.
 Sometimes,reconnecting RAM modules
can fix the problem. But it will be
temporary.
 Clean the ram using eraser or clean brush
Central Processing Unit

A central processing unit (CPU) is the

electronic circuitry within a computer that
carries out the instructions of a
computer program by performing the basic
arithmetic, logical, control and input/output
(I/O) operations specified by the instructions.
CPU Functions

 The CPU is the “brain” of the computer. It does the “thinking” for your hardware
and software. The reason it is called a computer is because it does just that, it
computes. The CPU is where the processing is done, hence it is called the Central
Processing Unit. If you have ever looked at your task manager on a Windows
machine, you can see what applications take up the most of your CPU’s time and
attention. Multi-core processors can divide their attention to various requests so
applications and hardware can run smoother.
 To be more specific, a CPU fetches program instructions from RAM (input),
interprets and processes it (execution) and then sends back the computed results
so that the relevant components can carry out the instructions.
CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT
Common Failure Symptoms

 Computer turns on, no beeps, no screen. Does not POST (Power-On Self
Test)
 Computer turns on, fans run at highest speeds, still no POST, and
operating system not loading.
 Computer powers on, but turns off immediately.
 In Windows (or any other OS), screen freezes after being on for a few
minutes. In some cases, the screen may freeze during the load screen of
the OS (a.k.a. the Windows logo screen).
 System halt errors (famously known as blue screen of death) that calls
out the processor as an issue.
 Common Reasons Why a CPU Goes Bad
 Age. Every machine has its limits. A computer that is five years old or older is
considered to be in its grace years. They can just give up.
 Heat. Overheating CPU's lead to a dead CPU. This can happen when room
temperature is often above 80 degrees Fahrenheit and if the computer has an
ineffective cooling mechanism inside.
 Overclocking or Stress. Not all CPU's are created equal. Don't make a dual-core do
what an eight-core is intended for. Overclocking has its place, but be careful to be
realistic. Also, if a game says it needs a certain minimum to run, don't run it on an
under-clocked CPU. The same goes for software for video or photo editing. If you
want to over-stress your processor this way, by all means go for it, but otherwise
upgrade.
(Overclock – To speed up the computer beyond the manufacturer’s specifications
in order to run faster)
 Electrical Power Surge. Whether it was the power supply going bad or lightning,
any high voltage spike can render a CPU useless. Be sure to have a surge protector
and a battery backup attached to your computer to help prevent this sort of thing
from happening.
 Prevention
 Limit time usage
 Do not often overclock
 Additional fan to avoid overheat (intake /
exhaust)
 Use Automatic Voltage Regulator or UPS
 Proper Handling (especially for laptop users)
 Install
applications that monitors your CPU
temperature
Examples of CPU monitor application
Note: Applicable only on computers that has a temperature sensor
END OF PRESENTATION