Computer Motherboards - A Quick Guide

There are a lot of descriptions of a computer motherboard. Firstly motherboards are not unique to personal computers. Some domestic appliances have a motherboard in them. Back to the question! A motherboard is a circuit board (PCB-Printed Circuit Board), that provides a means of connecting the different components that go to make up your computer.  

But that is not it. There are different types of motherboard available. The most popular type of motherboard at the moment is the ATX (Advanced Technology Extended) type of motherboard which was first introduced in 1995. The ATX is available in a smaller form called the micro-ATX. There is a newer motherboard design, this is called BTX (Balance Technology Extended), introduced in 2004. Basically a BTX motherboard is a more thermally efficient design, the idea to have better air flow and therefore the components would be cooler. The problem is that you require a BTX case. A lot of case manufacturers have not bothered to re-design their cases. You can get efficient cooling with an ATX case and a decent set of fans and dedicated cooling,required in high powered gaming systems. ATX remains the popular choice.

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Motherboards are available for Intel CPUs and AMD CPUs. There are no motherboards that support both.

Before you look at buying a new motherboard you need to have decided if you are going to have an Intel or AMD CPU. You also need to have an idea of the space where you will put your computer. Why? Because if you need a smaller case then you may want to go for a micro-ATX board. 

You can buy a good motherboard from your local high street store as well as several online retailers. One place that you may have overlooked is eBay. You can find a real bargain and save yourself a whole bundle of cash. My advice is if you find a motherboard that you like on eBay Google it to see if it is still current and what the RRP is. You might want to ask the seller if the motherboard comes with all documentation and drivers.

Computer Motherboards - A Quick Guide

The text in this article was taken from build-a-computer.co.uk [http://www.build-a-computer.co.uk] A reliable source of FREE training and computer support.

I have been building computers for over 10 years now and wanted to find a good source of free information relating to computer hardware and software on the internet. I am always been asked where can I learn this stuff for free? So my friend and I set up a web site , this is where I have borrowed this text from, you can view it there along with a whole host of other articles. The site is called build-a-computer.co.uk. Most of the courses and information on the site are FREE to use.