General Overview Of Motherboards
by Chris Hall
Everyone hears the term motherboard and wonders exactly what it is? This term is
so loosely defined that it gets confusing very quickly to the average computer
user. A motherboard is the information transfer hub of your computer system. It
could be called the chassis of your computer.
The motherboard will contain connection points for your CPU (Central Processing
Unit), Hard drive, RAM (Random Access Memory), Video Card, and Power Supply as a
general rule of thumb. Motherboards come from a variety of Manufacturers such as
ABIT, ASUS, Foxconn, Asrock, MSI, Intel, and Tyan. Each of these suppliers
provides a slightly tweaked board for your computer use.
Without these boards you would have nothing but components and a non-functioning
computer. The motherboard is to the computer what the frame is to your car. It
is the main infrastructure that makes your computer function.
So the question is asked why are there so many suppliers for such a simple
concept as a motherboard. Board manufacturers offer different designs and
functionality for your boards. Foxconn motherboards may offer a better price,
ASUS can offer you better performance, Asrock will offer you a middle of the
range board, and then MSI motherboards may offer you something different again.
It is all about looking at each manufacturers motherboards and comparing the
functionality that each of their motherboards have, and then deciding which one
suits your needs best. Each motherboard is specific to its uses. Companies offer
motherboards that are designed for continuous use and that are relatively
impervious to heat generation.
Other companies design motherboards that are geared for the computer gamers to
use. These motherboards will be equipped with liquid cooling and designed to
keep the CPU from overheating. The motherboards operate at a high rate of data
transfer but sacrifice longevity of life to achieve this performance.
Motherboards are designed for specific CPU chip-sets. The AMD chipset requires a
different motherboard mounting than the Intel chipset. While Intel builds
motherboards they do not build motherboards for competing CPU manufacturers.
With all of these design concerns and options available where does the consumer
go? You want a computer with a properly designed chassis but what is that design
to be. Good research into the different manufacturers will shed light onto your dilemma.
Considerations that you make when purchasing a motherboard are many. However
many of the motherboard manufacturers help you with the decisions that you need
to make by pre-mounting your board with Video and Sound Cards. These cards may
or may not be adequate for your specific application. They are also typically
not top of the line components, but components from secondary manufacturers. If
you can live with the specifications of the pre-mounted cards then this will
save you money in purchasing your motherboard.
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