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Motherboard Components and Their Functions

The document summarizes the main components and functions of a motherboard. It describes 19 key components including the back panel connectors, PCI and PCIe slots, chipsets, RAM slots, power connectors, and ports for connecting hard drives, optical drives, and front panel components of the computer case. The motherboard allows the CPU to communicate with other internal and external components of a computer system.

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Jamer Ampong
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89 views39 pages

Motherboard Components and Their Functions

The document summarizes the main components and functions of a motherboard. It describes 19 key components including the back panel connectors, PCI and PCIe slots, chipsets, RAM slots, power connectors, and ports for connecting hard drives, optical drives, and front panel components of the computer case. The motherboard allows the CPU to communicate with other internal and external components of a computer system.

Uploaded by

Jamer Ampong
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Motherboard

Components and Their


Functions
1. Back Panel Connectors and ports for
Connectors & connecting the computer to
Ports external devices such as display
ports, audio ports, USB ports,
Ethernet ports, PS/2 ports etc. See
image below for a close-up view.
2. PCI Slot PCI: Peripheral Component
Interconnect

Slot for older expansion cards such as


sound cards, network cards,
connector cards
3. PCI Express x1 Slot for modern expansion cards such
Slots as sound cards, network cards (Wi-Fi,
Ethernet, Bluetooth), connector cards
(USB, FireWire, eSATA) and certain
low-end graphics cards
4. PCI Express Slot for discrete graphic cards
x16 Slot and high bandwidth devices
such as top-end solid state
drives
5. Northbridge Also known as Memory Controller Hub
(MCH).

Chipset that allows the CPU to


communicate with the RAM and
graphics card.
6. CPU Socket Insert CPU
7. ATX 12V Connects to the 4-pin power
Power cable of a power supply unit
Connector which supplies power to the
CPU.
8. Front Panel Connects to USB 2.0 ports at
USB 2.0 the front or top of a computer
Connectors case
9. Front Panel Connects to the power switch,
Connectors reset switch, power LED, hard
drive LED and front audio ports of
a computer case.
10. IDE Connects to older hard drive
Connector disks and optical drives for
data transfer. 
11. CMOS Battery Supplies power to store BIOS
settings and keep the real-time
clock running
12. Southbridge Also known as the Input/Output Controller
Hub (ICH).

Chipset that allows the CPU to


communicate with PCI slots, PCI-Express x
1 slots (expansion cards), SATA
connectors (hard drives, optical drives),
USB ports (USB devices), Ethernet ports
and on-board audio.
13. SATA Connects to modern hard
Connectors disk drives, solid state drives
and optical drives for data
transfer.
14. Fan Supplies power to the
Headers CPU heat sink fan and
computer case fans
15. RAM Slots Insert RAM
16. ATX Power Connects to the 24-pin ATX power
Connector cable of a power supply unit which
supplies power to the
motherboard.
17. mSATA Connects to a mSATA solid state
Connector drive. In most cases, this SSD is
used as cache to speed up hard
disk drives, but it's possible to re-
purpose it as a regular hard drive.
18. Front Panel USB Connects to USB 3.0 ports at the
3.0 Connector
front or top of the computer
case.
19. Power & Onboard button to
Reset Button turn on , turn off and
reboot the computer.

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