The motherboard is your computer’s spine and acts as the link between all the various components within your PC.
Its primary function is to act as a “hub” through which all other computer gadgets connect.
Therefore, it is vital in a computer system as it holds together several important components, such as connectors, memory, central processing unit (CPU), and output gadgets.
Typically, motherboards are available in several formations that perfectly fit your speeds, budgets, and speeds.
Furthermore, motherboards vary widely in terms of cases, design, compatibility, power supply, and size.
At the base of all motherboards are very rigid sheets of non-conductive material; some durable plastic and thin layers of aluminum or copper foils are usually printed onto these sheets.
Likewise, motherboards feature several slots and sockets to connect other components.
Primary Components of a Motherboard and Its Functions
Processor or Microprocessor
The CPU is the brain of the computer system. Its main role is to fetch, execute, and decode program instructions and perform logical and mathematical calculations.
Usually, the identification of the processor chip is done by checking the manufacturer and the processor type, with this information engraved on the chip.
Random Access Memory
Random Access Memory, or RAM, is a computer chip that temporarily stores dynamic data within the computer system, thereby enhancing the device’s performance while it is running.
It is where your computer works and where all data and active programs are loaded; therefore, the processor does not have to retrieve them from the hard disk when necessary.
Moreover, the kind of motherboard affects the format and amount of RAM that you can install, mainly because they have physical caps on the total amount of RAM that can be supported.
However, it is always ideal to purchase a board with more room than you require since updating the RAM can be done frequently, and upgrading it is reasonably affordable.
Expansion Bus
It is a circuit that connects parts of the motherboard. The expansion bus speed is measured in megahertz (MHz), which refers to the speeds at which data moves across it simultaneously.
Typically, expansion buses of better quality can handle more data at once, subsequently enabling them to carry out faster calculations.
Additionally, a series of slots integrated into the bus allows expansion boards or cards to fit. PCI is the bus most frequently used in computers and other devices.
The expansion bus’s role is to carry signals such as memory addresses, data, control signals, and power from one component to another.
Finally, buses improve your PC’s capabilities as they allow you to add missing features, usually by fitting adapter cards into the expansion slots.
BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)
Also known as a device driver, a BIOS is a read-only memory that integrates low-level software that controls the hardware system and acts as an interface between the hardware and operating system.
Therefore, in a system, it fundamentally is a link between the computer software and hardware.
Small blocks of Read-Only Memory (ROM) independent of the main system memory are present on every motherboard. ROM is used to load and run software.
Thus, the BIOS contains all the codes needed to display the screen, control the keyboard, serial communications, disk drives, and perform several other diverse functions.
Likewise, the motherboard contains a ROM chip, which is a system BIOS used during the boot process to inspect the system and plan how to run the hardware.
A ROM chip is preferred to store the BIOS as it retains data even when the computer is not powered on.
Cache Memory
It is a small block of high-speed memory, RAM, which improves your PC’s performance by pre-loading data from the main memory, which is somewhat slow, and then conveying it to the processor when needed.
Many CPUs incorporate an internal cache memory built into the processor, known as the primary cache or Level 1 cache memory.
