A Motherboard is one of the most vital computer components. People who go to buy a motherboard should have some prior knowledge before making any purchase decision to get it fixed both in your PC and according to your requirements. That’s why it is possible that you might face some issues when buying it as you can face difficulty in understanding its terms and parameters. In this post, we will discuss some of the important terms you need to know before making a decision.
- I/O Shield
Probably you have cut your hand with an I/O shield while assembling a computer part. The FE piece or the I/O shield or the main block is a rectangular metal sheet inserted into the gap of the system’s case. Every Asus 90-MSVCB1-G0UAY00T Server Motherboard has a plate I / O shield, having several ports responsible for safeguarding the rest of the board during use.
Generally, the I/O shield can’t be used for different models. Each of them has a size of 1.75″ x 6.5″, ensuring that they can fit into any system enclosures. Hence, before buying a motherboard, you should check its I / O shield plate.
- Form Factor
It is a term that refers to the shape and size of a desktop motherboard. To make sure a motherboard completely fits into the system, you should have knowledge about the form factor. The most popular form factor is the ATX, and it possesses a size of 9.6″ x 12″. This is the one you will find in most mid-tower systems.
The Supermicro X9DRH-ITF-B Motherboard uses several processors for workstations and servers. In addition, smaller towers and flat enclosures support Micro ATX, which is 9.6 square inches and has fewer slots compared with the ATX one.
- MOSFET
It is a kind of field effect transistor used to adjust the voltage in your system motherboards. The MOSFET surrounds the CPU socket on an AMD FM2 board. For all the people or buyers who are unaware of the technical terms, you need to differentiate the MOSFETs from other devices or, let’s say, components. It is placed beneath the radiator to keep it cool while working. What makes it different from other components is its low-strength design and its feature of producing less heat.
- BIOS
BIOS is another basic term you need to know if you are going to Buy Dell Motherboard. It is the long-standard firmware that organizes your system outside the OS environment. It is situated in a dedicated chipset on the board and administers vital computers, including the boot-device order and parameters for other components.
Talking about UEFI, it is the refinement of BIOS. It is managed by a group of software and hardware vendors. Depending on its architecture, it is also mouse-navigable. For the buyers of the motherboard, the UEFI BIOS presence was a plus to search for. These days, it has become standard.
- PWM Fan Header
To connect a computer fan, a 4-pin jack is used. Usually, a motherboard comes with a proportional plug and a fan. So, it means; a greater motherboard requires more fans. The PWM connector with a better fan speed control is placed at the computer level, which sends a 12-voltage of current to supply power to the fan. On the other hand, the other sends a signal telling it the voltage required to regulate the speed. While going to buy HP Laptop Motherboard, ensure that you have sufficient plugs for the fan as some of the system fans have just three pins.
- PCI Express Slots
The PCIe ports are basically the expansion ports situated on your motherboard for accepting the video cards. The alphabet X represents the bandwidth and the physical size of the slot. Also, both vary depending on the specific port. If the X number is high, then there will be a longer slot. Preferably, you should pick a card similar to the type of the slot because the cards with lower numbers are used in a port with a greater number. You can’t use a card with a greater X number.
For instance, you can install a PCle card in a PCI x16 port. The bandwidth is complicated however it is relevant while installing the GPU. All of the latest video cards are plugged into the PCI Express x16 port. Though, not every x16 port support a PCIe x16 bandwidth.
Motherboards supporting the AMD CrossfireX or Nvidia SLI multi-monitor have different lane configurations and bandwidth that users need to know if they are willing to install several video cards. You need to check the bandwidth prior to making any purchase decision.
- Slot DIMM
The DIMM (Dual In-line Memory Module) has two times the data lines as SIMM. Basically, these are the ports on your board accepting the computer’s RAM. In new generation motherboards, it is the dual DDR4 or DDR3 data memory. If you see the label of DDR, you will also see quick and outstanding performance when Random Access Memory is used in pairs.
Not all, but the latest generation boards support dual channels. Also, the ports are colored sometimes. So, two extra DDR memory modules can produce enhanced performance and all thanks to their dual channel capacity.
- SLI and CrossFireX
CrossFireX and SLI mention the capability of a board to use more than a single GPU as well as operate effortlessly to enhance the performance of graphics. The SLI is the standard that functions with the Nvidia GeForce GPUs; on the other hand, the CrossFireX functions with the Radeon cards of AMD.
With SLI, an Asus 90-MSVCB1-G0UAY00T Server Motherboard can support two, three, or four-way SLI, specifying the max number of cards supported. Contrary to that, the limit of Nvidia Pascal GPU and GTX 1000’s is supported only. Moreover, some of the AMD-based motherboards do not confuse CrossFireX and SLI with the AMD Dual Graphics. To increase the performance, you can combine the AMD Radeon with the onboard graphics of APU.
- Chipset
The term includes silicon on a motherboard offering paths among different subsystems. People who Buy Dell Motherboard identify its lineup and several other features it supports. Based on a unique chipset, a motherboard provides different features and form factors. Though, a chipset is able to support several features, depending on the decision of distinct motherboard producers.
- USB Plug
It is a type of pin connector on a motherboard, consisting of two types: USB 3.0 and 2.0. These are used to connect wires in the casing of a system to plug the USB connector. On the computer case, the cable connector has ten holes, of which 2 are the power supply ports. You should ensure that the board you are purchasing has ports that are compatible with the computer case.
- CPU Power Supply Plug
On a motherboard, the processor power connector is four connectors and 8 batteries, linking a Molex-type PSU, placed in the position closer to the actual processor socket. The cables of the computer power supply fit into the processor power plug, labeled with processor power.
This offers a distinct PSU from the 24-pin connector and is known as a 12 Volts connection. The customers do not really care about ATX PSU plugs and the 24-pin processor on the board. But if you are looking to re-use the older PSU, you must consider the first 2 types.
- Front-Panel Plug
The front side of the computer chassis accepts wires from the casing. Most of the pins come in pairs, and having knowledge about the polarity is not as useful when swapping cables. The manual of the board will have a diagram showing the places of all these connectors.
- Serial ATA
It is the standard interface inside the business and consumer PCs. The drives, along with a SATA interface, have both; a SATA data connector and a blade-like SATA power connector. The interface of SATA has speed grades; SATA 3 and SATA 2, known as SATA II or SATA 6Gbps, indicating the max possible data transfer rate. To get the max throughput advantage, both motherboard and hard drive should support similar SATA specifications.
- CPU Socket
It is the base of the CPU, having a square shape. On HP Laptop Motherboard, some specific CPU sockets should be compatible with everyone. Or, we can say that not all of the Intel chips function on all the motherboards. The Intel CPU uses an architecture along with an interface in interaction with the CPU chip bottom.
- Debug LED
It is an increasingly prevalent feature on high-end boards and is a mainly handy feature for the ones who manufacture or build their PCs. If the PC doesn’t start, an error code will be given on the indicator screen. It can help you in determining the reasons for the system not booting, like an unregistered video card or RAM error.
- CMOS Battery
It stands for Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor. The CMOS is a memory array on the computer motherboard containing the settings and BIOS, as well as maintaining computer clock settings.
- Capacitor
The specific function of the capacitors in any Supermicro X9DRH-ITF-B Motherboard is; that these function as the containers for charging. They may take different shapes, colors, and sizes. Typical capacitors contain a small amount of liquid material but can leak with time, resulting in the failure of a board. Usually, users prefer Japanese capacitors to ensure their longevity.
- Acceleration Processor
It is the term used for the E, and A Series processors, featuring graphics acceleration. These chips use FM2, AM4, and FM2 + sockets.
- ATX 24-pin Power Supply Plug
If you have built or upgraded your motherboard, you probably have plugged a large power cable into the connector. The white socket has two rows, and each is a main source of power for the system. During the mid-2000 transition, the ATX connectors were divided into 4 and 20 batteries because the older motherboards needed a 20-pin connector at different voltage levels.
- AC ’97 and HD Audio
Most of the computer systems designed and chassis have a microphone jack and headphones, attaching the inside of the casing with the cable with a ten-pin connector. The connector is plugged into a battery which is known as an ‘HD audio’ plug. Before, this was a 97 AC connector, and while switching, some boards were provided with the selector, letting silicon switch operation.
Final Verdict
Above, we have mentioned all the important terms, parts, and devices you should know before going to buy a motherboard. Irrespective of the brand, usage, and budget, these points are for every buyer who wants to make the right buying decision. Without a compatible motherboard, you will not be able to get the maximum out of your system. That’s why, the next time you go to an online or an IT retail store, read this article carefully to get a better understanding of all the terms. We hope that you enjoyed reading this post. If you have any queries or suggestions, please comment down below.
