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Exploring Motherboards and Busses

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Giovanna Oravec

NT1110: Computer Structure and Logic

Module 3 Short Answer

Exploring Motherboard and Busses

October 7, 2015

Exploring the Motherboard and Busses
The motherboard represents the logical foundation of the computer. Everything that makes a computer must be attached to the motherboard.
Answer the following questions:
• What are the major components of the motherboard? Provide a brief description of each component.
• Upgrading only the motherboard will give some performance improvement to a computer system. Why would the improvement be limited?
• What is the need for all the different busses found on a motherboard? Why can these busses not be replaced with a single bus?
• With 64-bit busses available, why should 32-bit busses be provided as well?
The motherboard of a computer is also known as the System Board. The circuit board is the platform on which all the hardware of the computer is connected. It is said to be the most important part of the computer. The expansion cards, and slots, BIOS chip, CMOS battery, jumpers and DIP switches, heat sink, PCI, Power connector, on board disk drive connectors, memory slots, keyboard connectors, Peripheral ports and connectors are all the things that one may find on the motherboard. The expansion cards are a typical part of nonintegrated system board. An example of this is a graphic card. Memory slots are one of the most important part of the system board. The number of memory chips on a motherboard depends on the type of CPU and its capacity. The slots are usually white and black and close in proximity to one another. The BIOS chip is also a very important part of the system board. It directs the CPU to other parts of the computer. BIOS and its manufacturers name are usually written on the chip. The CMOS battery or (complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) is a small battery on the system

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