What is motherboard

Things like CPUs and graphics cards usually get more attention, but choosing the best motherboard for gaming (or any kind of computing task) is n important step in any PC build. Everything in your PC system either plugs into your motherboard or plugs into something else that plugs into your motherboard. The motherboard form factor (ATX, E-ATX, Micro ATX or Mini-ITX) will also dictate the size of the PC case you'll need to use. And the socket and chipset determine which processors you can install in your CPU socket. If you’re unsure which motherboard The picks below start with recent Intel motherboards (with AMD motherboards further down), including the best gaming motherboards designed for Intel's latest 13th Gen "Alder Lake" and 12th Gen " The best gaming motherboards for AMD CPUs (including Ryzen 7000 and 5000) follow our Intel picks below. For more on that front, especially if you're after an older AM4 board, you can check out our dedicated pages for the Still, if you don't need the best performance possible, you may want to stick with AM4 since most AMD's last-gen AM4, as well as some of Intel's Z790 and Z690-chipset motherboards still support the older, more affordable DDR4 RAM. This can also decrease cost if you have an older kit you want to carry over to a new build. And opting for older DDR4 RAM doesn't make a major difference over DDR5 in gaming performance when you're using a dedicated graphics card. Quick Motherboard Shopping Tips Why you can trust Tom's Hardwar...

• A motherboard is a circuit board inside general-purpose computing systems, including personal computers, smart televisions, smart monitors, and other similar devices, which supports communication between different electrical components and houses components such as the CPU, memory, etc. • It is typically made of fiberglass and copper. • This article defines a motherboard and explains its components and functions. Table of Contents • • • • A computer’s motherboard is typically the largest printed circuit board in a machine’s chassis. 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. Since different kinds of processors and memories are intended to function best with certain types of motherboards, it is difficult to find a motherboard that is compatible with every type of CPU and memory. Hard drives, on the other hand, are generally compatible with a wide variety of motherboards and may be used with most brands and types. A computer motherboard may be found inside a computer casing, which is the point of connection for most of the computer’s elements and peripherals. When it comes to tower computers, one may look for a motherboard on either the right or left side of the tower; the circuit board is the most sign...

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Motherboard overview A motherboard provides connectivity between the hardware components of a computer, like the processor ( Each type of motherboard is designed to work with specific types of processors and memory, so they don't work with every processor and type of memory. However, hard drives are mostly universal and work with most motherboards, regardless of the type or brand. Below is a picture of the Where is the motherboard located? A computer motherboard is located inside the Motherboard components Below are links to pages with more details for each of the motherboard components mentioned in the previous section. The links are listed in clockwise order starting from the top-left corner of the image. Components not labeled on the image above are found in sections later on this page. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Older motherboard components The following list contains links to components that are not shown in the picture above or were part of older computer motherboards. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Obsolete expansion slots: • Obsolete memory slots: • Onboard • • • • • • • • • Motherboard form factors and types As computers advanced, so have motherboards. Below is a list of the various motherboard • • • • • • • • • • How many connections, ports, or slots are on a motherboard? There's no set standard to how many • Why are the slots and connections different colors? The slots, ports, and connections on a motherboa...

The motherboard is where it all starts for the PC. It’s the component underlying everything. There are so many different analogies you could draw, but here’s our favorite:Â It’s like the computer’s nervous system. Its primary job is to send information in the form of electrical signals between the various components in your PC. Multiple Form Factors There are multiple form factors of the motherboard, which are all different sizes and suited for different uses. Here’s a look at In general, however, most people are looking for an ATX board unless they intend on building a more compact PC. Smaller boards are not recommended for first-time builders, as the smaller space can lead to frustration for novices. RELATED: Motherboards Explained: What Are ATX, MicroATX, and Mini-ITX? The Essential Stuff The CPU socket on a B450 motherboard for an AMD processor. When we look at a bare motherboard, there are some key parts that are immediately noticeable. At one end of the board, we have the CPU socket. That socket is built to fit a specific set of AMD or Intel CPUs. An AMD CPU can never fit in an Intel-compatible board and vice versa. Not only that, but motherboard socket types can change between generations, and one generation of motherboard can be compatible with multiple generations of processors. Thus, To tell whether a motherboard is compatible with your CPU, look to the chipset, which is housed on the end opposite from the CPU socket and covered by a heatsink. It’s also commonly ...

For other uses, see A motherboard (also called mainboard, main circuit board, MB, mboard, backplane board, base board, system board, mobo; or in Apple computers logic board) is the main Motherboard means specifically a PCB with expansion capabilities. As the name suggests, this board is often referred to as the "mother" of all components attached to it, which often include peripherals, interface cards, and Prior to the invention of the In older microprocessor-based systems, the CPU and some support circuitry would fit on a single CPU board, with memory and peripherals on additional boards, all plugged into the backplane. The ubiquitous The most popular computers of the 1980s such as the During the late 1980s and early 1990s, it became economical to move an increasing number of peripheral functions onto the motherboard. In the late 1980s, personal computer motherboards began to include single ICs (also called Laptop and notebook computers that were developed in the 1990s integrated the most common peripherals. This even included motherboards with no upgradeable components, a trend that would continue as smaller systems were introduced after the turn of the century (like the A motherboard provides the electrical connections by which the other components of the system communicate. Unlike a backplane, it also contains the central processing unit and hosts other subsystems and devices. A typical An important component of a motherboard is the microprocessor's supporting Modern m...

Your motherboard will determine how much and what type of RAM you can use, what type of storage (how many M.2 SSD slots do you have?), how many PCIe-based accessories you can plug in, which RGB ecosystems you can use and what CPU upgrades you can make. Also, if you have a problem, you may want to download the latest drivers or firmware updates, but to do that, you need to identify which motherboard model you have. Perhaps you built your PC a long time ago and don't remember which motherboard you used. Maybe you got your PC from someone else, bought it in a store or from a boutique retailer. If you need to look up your motherboard to see its specs or how you can upgrade your PC, there are a few easy ways to find out which motherboard you have: Method 1: Check System Info for Motherboard Model With your PC on, the easiest way to view your motherboard model is to go to the Start Menu > Windows Tools > System Information, or just type "System Information" into the search bar to bring up the app. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware) When it's open, you should be able to see "Baseboard Manufacturer" and "BaseBoard Product,"which show the company that made it and the name of the motherboard, respectively. In the image above, that makes it an Asus Prime X370 Pro. You may see other items, like "BaseBoard Version," though System Information doesn't always seem to get these right. In fact, it may not recognize the motherboard. If it doesn't tell you, there are more approaches to take. wmic...

For as long as I can remember, I've had love of all things tech, spurred on, in part, by a love of gaming. I began working on computers owned by immediate family members and relatives when I was around 10 years old. I've always sought to learn as much as possible about anything PC, leading to a well-rounded grasp on all things tech today. In my role at PCMag, I greatly enjoy the opportunity to share what I know. Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. (Opens in a new window) If the RAM, graphics card, and CPU are the vibrant limbs of your PC, the parts that toil to get work done and fire up your favorite games, the motherboard is the skeleton—and the connective tissue. Oh yeah, it's the circulatory system, too. And, if you stretch things into metaphysics? Maybe it's even the soul. The soul? No pressure picking the right motherboard for your next PC build or upgrade then, right? Sure, the other components play a larger role in determining your PC’s overall performance and capabilities. But without the correct motherboard, they are just loose parts. Indeed, likening a PC motherboard to any single system in an organism way undersells it. It connects most everything in the PC together, and it helps the components you choose live up to their operating potential. If you’re looking to build a PC, or upgrade an aging model, you start with the motherboard. And this guide will help you pick the right one for your needs. ...

Introduction to Motherboard The motherboard is defined as a circuit board for the computer system, also called logic board or mainboard. In the computer system, the biggest component is the motherboard that controls all the components of the computer system and establishes a link between all components. From the motherboard, different components like ROM, CPU, RAM, PCI slots, USB ports, and other components are connected. The controller’s device is also attached to the motherboard like DVD< hard drive, mouse, and keyboard. The computer system starts using the motherboard and these components act as the backbone for starting the system. Components of Motherboard In the below section, some of the important components of the motherboard are defined below: 1. Keyboard and mouse There are mainly 2 types of mouse and keyboard connectors. The first connector is known as PS/2 & the second connector is known as USB. 2. Universal Serial Bus (USB) The USB port is used for connecting the computer system. In the computer system, there is various type of devices that are connected with the USB port like keyboard, mouse, camera, scanner, printers, and another device. The main use of a USB port is to connect the peripheral devices and computer motherboards. The peripheral device connected to the computer system can be inserted or remove without system restarts that can be the main advantage of a USB port. 3. Parallel port The old printers that are used in past use the parallel port to con...