Know Your Motherboard

Know Your Motherboard

The components on your motherboard matter, do you know what's on your PCB?

The PCB is most commonly called a motherbaord because it allows a place to connect all of your computer's internal components that make it a modern computer

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Knowing your PCB matters when building or buying a PC in the world today

The Printed Circuit Board

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The PCB contains several large chips and hundreds of small to very small chips. Each chip creates a gateway for the transfer of binary code across the PCB

The first integrated circuit was made on Sept. 12th, 1958 by Jack Kilby, a Texas Instruments (TI) Engineer

​Integrated Chips

The Modern PCB has advanced heatsinks to help keep the power delivery systems and integrated circuits cool. Most modern motherboards are also covered in 100s of transistors and resisters to balance load and transmit data, as well as all your major connection ports

Modern PCB

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This is where the CPU connects to the motherboard

CPU Socket

This is where the RAM plugs into the motherboard. The RAM is your computer's working memory

DIMM Slots

​These extend the capabilities of you motherbaord. These are most commonly used to install a GPU, a video capture card, a WiFi card, or other PCI Express accessory

​PCIe Ports

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These connect your main storage device to your board. Traditionally this was an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), but more commonly now you will have a SSD (Solid State Drive) connecting this way

SATA Ports

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Today the most common way to connect your main storage is with an m.2 SSD drive that is much faster than traditional SATA drives

​m.2 Port​

The IO connectors are commonly found on the back side of the computer, hence the name Rear IO. You will commonly find basic video outputs of either an HDMI or a Displayport, which have replace the previous generation of video outputs like the DVi and VGA ports most people are familiar with. You will also find multiple USB ports, Audio outputs, a RJ45 Ethernet port, and in some cases a place to add antennas to a built in WiFi card.

Rear IO Connectors

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Multiple Choice

What is the main purpose of the PCB

• To connect allow all of your PC components to communicate with each other

• To store and send information to your peripheral devices

• To provide a central point of storage for data

• To provide power for all of your PC components and devices

Multiple Choice

The PCB is most commonly referred to as the

• CPU

• Networking Center

• Motherboard

• Docking Station

Multiple Choice

The CPU Socket is

• Where the GPU connects to the PCB

• Where the main storage device connects to the PCB

• Where the RAM connects to the PCB

• Where the CPU connects to the PCB

Multiple Choice

The DIMM Slots are

• Where the GPU connects to the PCB

• Where the main storage device connects to the PCB

• Where the RAM connects to the PCB

• Where the CPU connects to the PCB

Multiple Choice

The PCIe Ports are

• Where the GPU connects to the PCB

• Where the main storage device connects to the PCB

• Where the RAM connects to the PCB

• Where the CPU connects to the PCB

Multiple Choice

The SATA and/or m.2 ports are

• Where the GPU connects to the PCB

• Where the main storage device connects to the PCB

• Where the RAM connects to the PCB

• Where the CPU connects to the PCB

Multiple Choice

The Rear IO contains All Except which of the following

• The Main Power Supply Unit or PSU

• Basic video outputs like HDMI, DisplayPort, DVi, and/or VGA Ports

• Multiple USB connections

• A RJ45 Ethernet port

Multiple Choice

The main purpose of the Rear IO is

• To connect different input and output devices

• To allow the user to interface directly with individual integrated circuits on the PCB

• To provide a stable electrical current across the PCB

• To detect wireless devices and connect them to the internet

Multiple Choice

True or False: Any CPU can connect to any CPU Socket

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: Integrated Circuits allow the transfer of electrical data across the PCB in the form of a program language known as Binary Code

• True

• False

For the final question you will need to tell me your confidence level in knowing your PCB

Fill in the Blank

Do you think you have a basic understanding of what a PCB is and its basic functions for making your computer what it is?