TECHNICAL SUPPORT

• Technical support—
• Good online technical support goes beyond documentation. It includes easily
downloadable driver and BIOS updates, FAQs, updated tables of processor and
memory compatibility, and utility programs to help you monitor the condition of
your system.
• In addition to these online support features, make sure the vendor can be contacted
through email and by phone.Purchasing boards from better-known motherboard
manufacturers such as GIGABYTE, Foxconn, and Intel is recommended.
• These boards might cost a little more, but there is some safety in the more well-
known brands.
DOCUMENTATION
• Documentation—Good technical documentation is important.
• Documents should be easy to download from the manufacturer’s site
and should include information on any and all jumpers and switches
found on the board, connector pinouts for all connectors, specifications
for other plug-in components, and any other applicable technical
information.
• Most vendors provide this information in electronic form ( PDF format)
on their websites, so you can preview the information available for a
given motherboard before you buy.
CHIPSET
Motherboard chipset.
• Motherboards should use a high-performance chipset that supports
DDR or DDR-2 SDRAM DIMMs .
• Also look for PCI-Express x16 video support and Serial ATA or faster
hard drive support.
• The motherboard chipset is the backbone of a system .
• spend the most time deciding on next chipset because it affects and
influences virtually every other component in the system.
PROCRSSOR
• Processor.
• A modern system should use a socket-based processor with on-die L2 cache.
• Evaluate the processor choices you have, and try to get the one with the highest-
speed CPU bus .
• It is more important that the cache run at full core speed .
• Current processors such as the Athlon XP, Pentium 4, Pentium D, Celeron 4, Sempron,
and Athlon 64 family all meet this criteria.
• usually recommend only "boxed" processors as sold by Intel and AMD, which include
a high-quality active heatsink as well as installation instructions and a 3-year warranty
direct with the manufacturer. I
• f you want to move to 64-bit computing within the next 12-18 months, choose the
Pentium D, Athlon 64, Athlon 64 FX, Athlon 64 x2, or Pentium Extreme Edition.
PROCESSOR SOCKET
• Processor sockets.
• For maximum upgradeability and performance, you should stick with
a system that uses a socket for the CPU.
• The main sockets in use today on new systems include Socket A
(Socket 462) for the Athlon XP and some Sempron models, Socket 775
for the Pentium 4 and Pentium D, Socket 754 for the Athlon 64 and
some Sempron models, or Socket 939 for the Athlon 64FX.
MOTHERBOARD SPEED
• Motherboard speed.
• The motherboard typically offers a choice of speeds, including
anywhere from 200MHZ to 400MHz for the Duron/Athlon/Athlon XP-
based boards, o
• from 400MHz to 1066MHz for the Pentium 4based boards.
• Check to ensure the board you are buying runs at the speeds
necessary to support the processors you want to install.
CACHE MEMORY
• Cache memory.
• All modern systems use processors with integral cache, most of them
now having the cache directly on the processor die for maximum
speed.
• The tip is to make sure you are using a processor with full core speed
on-die L2 cache because this offers the maximum in performance.
• All the modern processors now incorporate full-speed on-die L2
cache.
MEMORY
• Memory—
• The type and amount of memory compatible with a system depends on the
motherboard you choose.

• Most motherboards today support either DDR2 or DDR3 memory, in either

single-, dual-, or triple-channel operation. The number of memory sockets,
supported speeds, and other variables also depend on the motherboard, so
check the board specifications to see exactly what is supported.
SIMM/DIMM/RIMM
• SIMM/DIMM/RIMM memory. Current systems use either DDR or DDR2
DIMMs. DDR2 is expected to become the most common memory type for
both Intel and AMD systems by late 2006.
• What you use depends mainly on your motherboard chipset, so choose the
chipset and board that accepts the memory type you want to use.
• Currently, DDR and DDR-2 SDRAM and RDRAM are the fastest types of
memory available.
• SDRAM is now much more expensive than DDR SDRAM because current
systems no longer use SDRAM.
• Bus type. Current systems offer one to five or more PCI local bus slots and might also
offer PCI-Express slots. Be sure the PCI slots conform to the PCI 2.1 or later revision
(primarily based on the chipset). Take a look at the layout of the slots to ensure that
cards inserted in them will not block access to memory sockets or be blocked by other
components in the case. Systems without onboard video should also feature one PCI-
Express x16 slot instead of (or sometimes along with) the older AGP 4x/8x slot. A few
boards also feature AMR (audio modem riser) or CNR (communications networking
riser) slots for special cards that are included with the board to provide sound, modem,
or other similar features. If a motherboard has an AMR or a CNR slot but doesn't
include the riser card, you should check with the vendor to determine whether riser
cards are available with the features you want. If the AMR or CNR riser cards are not
available for a particular board, look for boards that don't need to use these slots.
BIOS
• BIOS.
• The motherboard should use an industry-standard BIOS, such as
those from AMI, Phoenix, or Award.
• The BIOS should be of a Flash ROM or EEPROM design for easy
updating.
FORM FACTOR

• The form factor indicates the size and shape of the board and must be compatible
with the chassis or case and power supply.
• For maximum flexibility, performance, reliability, and ease of use, motherboards
based on the ATX and microATX form factors are recommended.
• Larger form factors such as ATX offer more slots and room for additional integrated
components and features.
• Smaller variations on ATX are also available, but in the end you need to be sure that
the motherboard is compatible with the case and power supply you have chosen.