MOTHERBOARD Main article: Motherboard The motherboard is the main component inside the case. It is a large rectangular board with integrated circuitry that connects the other parts of the computer including the CPU , the RAM , the disk drives (CD , DVD , hard disk , or any others) as well as any peripherals connected via the ports or the expansion slots. Components directly attached to the motherboard include: *The CPU (Central Processing Unit) performs most of the calculations which enable a computer to function, and is sometimes referred to as the "brain" of the computer. It is usually cooled by a heat sink and fan Most newer CPUs include an on-die Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). *The Chipset, which includes the north bridge mediates communication between the CPU and the other components of the system, including main memory. *The Random-Access Memory (RAM) stores the code and data that are being actively accessed by the CPU. *The Read-Only Memory (ROM) stores the BIOS that runs when the computer is powered on or otherwise begins execution, a process known as Bootstrapping or " booting " or "booting up". The BIOS (Basic Input Output System) includes boot firmware and power management firmware. Newer motherboards use Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) instead of BIOS. *Buses connect the CPU to various internal components and to expansion cards for graphics and sound. *Current *PCI Express : for expansion cards such as graphics, sound, network interfaces, TV tuners, etc. *PCI : for other expansion cards. *SATA : for disk drives. *Obsolete *AGP : superseded by PCI Express. *ATA *VLB : VESA Local Bus, superseded by AGP. *EISA *Micro Channel architecture *ISA : expansion card slot format obsolete in PCs, but still used in industrial computers. *Ports for external peripherals. These ports may be controlled directly by the south bridge I/O controller or provided by expansion cards attached to the motherboard. *USB *Memory Card *FireWire *eSATA *SCSI
Posted on: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 07:55:49 +0000
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