A motherboard is one of the most essential pieces of equipment needed for a computer to function. Motherboards are the central hubs through which every piece of hardware communicates. Components such as graphics cards, memory sticks, hard drives, and CPUs (short for central processing unit) all require the motherboard as a base of operations and would all be useless without one.
One main feature to look at when considering a motherboard is its bus speed. There are many different types of busses including the front side bus, back side bus, PCI bus, and memory bus. The front side bus is usually considered the most important as it connects the CPU to all the other components of the computer. The front side bus can range anywhere from 66 MHz to over 800 MHz--the higher the bus speed of a motherboard the faster the computer can transfer information between its multitude of parts. Higher bus speeds thus equate to more powerful computers and faster processing. It is important to note that having high bus speeds in a motherboard will not make up for slow a slow CPU, they will only allow the computer to run as efficiently as possible given its network of elements.
Memory slots are another vital part of motherboards. The more memory, or RAM (short for random-access memory) a computer has, the higher the amount of information that can be processed at a single time. It is therefore desirable to have at least two or three memory slots in a motherboard to upgrade RAM as the user deems necessary. It is also important to note that there are different types of memory sticks such as SDRAM and DDR SDRAM. The physical composition of these types differ greatly and must be matched to the type of RAM the motherboard supports otherwise they will not fit into the memory slots.
PCI (short for peripheral component interconnect) slots and AGP (short for accelerated graphics port) slots are another major component of motherboards. PCI slots allow a user to connect peripherals such as sound cards, network cards, and modems. AGP slots allow a user to connect graphics cards for higher image handling capability. If a user knows he or she will need many peripheral devices or will require higher video function, then it is important for that user to pick out a motherboard that will both support the necessary peripherals as well as keep them functioning at optimum levels.
Cooling motherboards and its components, especially the CPU, is also vital to a computer's peak performance and sustainability. Cooling units such as fans and high-tech cooling devices are necessary to make sure a computer does not overheat. If a computer does overheat, it can cause irreversible damage to the computer's components, which in turn will cost the user lots of money in repairs.
Choosing the right motherboard to suit the user's needs is an important process when deciding on a computer. Without a proper motherboard a computer will never reach its full potential and may not even function at all.
Source : http://www.goarticles.com by Matthew Kerridge
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