Motherboards are where all the action happens in a computer. Every motherboard has a series of basic components that make them all perform their functions, and most of the messages that are sent between devices in a computer are managed by the motherboard's circuitry. Altogether, the purpose of a motherboard is to provide circuitry that serves as a communication medium for computers.
Components of a Motherboard
Each motherboard manufactured has a basic set of components that are used to establish communication between the hardware connected to it. A motherboard typically contains a socket, or multiple sockets, for housing one or more Central Processing Units (CPUs), a chipset which is used to establish communication between the CPU and the peripherals, memory slots for Random Access Memory (RAM), expansion card slots, a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), power connectors for distributing power to the motherboard components and connectors manufactured with it for peripherals such as the keyboard or the mouse.
What is a BIOS?
The BIOS of a motherboard is the first series of code that the computer runs when it is turned on. Motherboards often include the capability for people to edit the BIOS settings of a computer. It usually determines things like which will be the first drive to boot from. Sometimes the settings can go even to the level of setting the CPU's clock frequency.
Installing Peripherals on a Motherboard
There are several kinds of peripherals the motherboard accepts, such as graphics cards, sound cards and networking cards. Most peripherals come in the form of a circuit board that looks like a smaller version of a motherboard. Most motherboards are equipped with PCI, and PCIe (PCI Express) or AGP slots for peripherals. It is important to know before installing a peripheral to your motherboard what kinds of peripherals your motherboard supports, and how many slots are free on it for installation.
The CPU
All motherboards surely have at least one socket for the installation of a CPU. Without the CPU, the computer cannot do any number crunching. When it comes to installing a CPU, you will have to understand what kind of socket your motherboard has. You do not want to install a Socket 478 CPU on a motherboard with an AM3 socket. The reason CPUs are compatible with different sockets is for architectural purposes. The architecture of a specific line of CPUs complies with one certain socket type.
Server Motherboards and Desktop Motherboards
The definitions of server and desktop represent two distinct types of motherboards which are used for different purposes. Desktop motherboards are mainly for personal computers, built for day-to-day operations for which most people use computers. The typical server motherboard is equipped for robust, high-bandwidth operations that demand high processing power and high data stream capabilities. A server motherboard, as the name implies, is used for servers, which host websites that are visited by millions of people per month, or even per day. Handling that much traffic requires high-end hardware that companies invest in to keep their websites up.
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