The role of the motherboard in a computer. How to choose a good motherboard. Processor power supply

Any computer user sooner or later hears this strange name - motherboard, let's try to figure out what it is. It is the largest part inside system unit. It has many names, among the most common are: motherboard, mother, mother, motherboard, MB. As is already clear from the names, it is the main part, the heart of the system, although it can rather be compared with the human nervous system. All other computer components are installed on it or connected to its connectors. The motherboard ensures the interaction of all components as a single system, managing their joint work.

Indeed, there is a hard drive with data, but it is processed by the processor, and for this it must end up in RAM. In order for a computer user to see the results of the processor, the video card must display them on the monitor, and data from the keyboard and mouse, on the contrary, must enter the processor. Finally, the results of the work must be saved back to the computer’s hard drive. The computer motherboard coordinates this work. This is what this diagram looks like in its most simplified form.

Let's take a closer look at what a computer motherboard is. Physically, the motherboard is a complex printed circuit board with many chips. Since all other devices are connected to it, it is a limiting factor when choosing other components, or if you already have some system components, you will have to select a motherboard for them. Let's take a simple example, you have an old computer that you want to upgrade. For example, install a new powerful video card. However, it turns out that the motherboard uses an outdated AGP bus. New video card with AGP interface You'll be exhausted looking for it, and it will be quite weak and cost more than one similar to the PCI-E bus. Some readers may object that it’s easier to throw out such old stuff and buy a new one normal computer and perhaps they will be right. Then let's consider another situation. You have a computer with an Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 processor, which you decided to replace with a more powerful Core i7. But that's not a problem, it cannot be installed on your motherboard, since it uses a different processor socket. You will also have to buy a new mother, and at the same time new DDR3 memory. The rapid development of technology hits hard when trying to upgrade old equipment. This must be taken into account when choosing new components in order to reduce the costs of further modernization.

How to find out what motherboard is in your computer.

There are several ways to determine the model of motherboard used in a computer. Look in the documentation for your computer, find the model name written on the motherboard itself, or use one of the programs that shows the hardware used in the system. We recommend paying attention to the CPU-Z program. We launch it and on the mainboard tab we see which motherboard and chipset are used in the computer.

Let's look at the main characteristics of the motherboard that affect its consumer properties.

Marked in the figure the following elements:

peripheral devices

2 - slot for installing a central processor

3 - north bridge radiator

4 - PCI Express x16 slot

5 - standard PCI slot

6 - BIOS battery

7 — SATA port connectors

8 - south bridge radiator

9 - slot for connecting FDD

10 - slot for IDE

11 - connector for connecting power to the motherboard

12 — RAM slots

Chipset or set system logic— implements data exchange between the central processor and RAM, as well as controllers of peripheral devices. Most often it consists of two large functional blocks “north bridge” and “south bridge”. All the main characteristics of the motherboard depend on the chipset. The speed and stability of interaction between system components, how many and what devices can be connected to it, and the ability to overclock the system, not least of all, depend on the chipset.

Actively heating components must be cooled. There are two options: active and passive cooling. Active is more effective because an air flow from a fan or a water cooling system is used, but it is less reliable and noisy. Passive is simply a radiator that dissipates heat naturally. Will never break, silent, but only suitable for low-heat parts. Why are we telling all this? The chipset requires cooling, and the noise and overclocking capabilities of the system will depend on how it is done on the motherboard. Everything is clear with noise, but passive cooling can somewhat limit the overclocking potential.

The central processing unit (CPU) socket, or socket, is used to install the processor on the motherboard. Provides easy installation and replacing the processor if necessary. It has its own conditional number that determines which family of central processors can be installed in it. For example, Socket B2 (LGA1356) is intended for the Intel Sandy Bridge family of processors and no others can be installed in it. This must be taken into account if you are assembling a computer from separate components and when upgrading the system, because Each next generation of processors has its own socket that is not compatible with the previous ones.

The question arises, how to find out which socket is on the computer. There are quite a few ways, we will list some of them. Look in the documentation for your computer. Look at the motherboard model printed on it and look at the documentation on the motherboard manufacturer's website. Use one of the computer diagnostic programs, for example free CPU-Z program. We just run the program and get a lot of useful information about the system.

Number of RAM slots, type and amount of supported memory motherboard. Nowadays the most common types of memory are DDR2 and DDR3. What type of memory and its maximum amount is supported, you can find out in the specifications for the motherboard. Now the average computer has about 2-4 GB of memory installed, and Windows 32-bit will see only about 3.2 GB (depending on the specific hardware).

Slots for the high-performance PCI Express (PCI-E) bus are used to install a video card. A specific slot implementation may have different bandwidths, see the board specifications for details. The motherboard can have several slots for installing video cards to create a high-performance computer graphics system. The more slots a board has and the higher their speed (more lines), the more flexible options it provides. Hot swapping of cards is supported.

Slots for low performance PCI bus. The interface has greatly lost ground to the PCI-E bus, but can still be useful for connecting old peripheral equipment. The need for such slots is strictly individual.

SATA connectors are used to connect storage devices ( hard drives And optical drives). The SATA interface is a development of the IDE interface previously used for drives. The speed of operation depends on the SATA revision, for example, the Revision 3.0 specification provides a throughput of up to 6 Gbit/s. Supports hot-swappable hardware. The more connectors on the motherboard, the more devices you can connect.

IDE is an outdated interface for connecting drives. After the appearance of the SATA interface, it was renamed PATA (Parallel ATA). Not compatible with SATA. Two devices can be connected to one loop. One is called the master, the other is called the slave. Devices require configuration using jumpers on the housing. It is still found in motherboards to ensure backward compatibility. There are adapters for IDE connections devices to the SATA port and vice versa. May be useful for connecting old equipment to a new computer or upgrading an old one.

USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector used for quick connection low and medium speed devices. It is widely used for connecting printers, scanners, flash drives, card readers, cameras, phones and many other peripheral devices. It has several revisions that differ in interface performance and are backward compatible. The most common USB 2.0 is gradually being replaced by USB 3.0. The more USB ports there are on the motherboard, the better. It is desirable to have at least several USB 3.0 ports. Please be aware that there are several physical implementations of connectors. When buying a wire to connect any device, you need to remember this.

The ROM chip (BIOS) contains a set of microprograms necessary for the initial initialization of the equipment and subsequent booting operating system. Modern implementation often allows you to update the BIOS from external media. Usually it contains many settings for configuring equipment, enabling/disabling it, setting the order in which the OS is loaded from media, and performing some other functions. The ability to overclock a system is largely determined by the settings provided by the BIOS for this. Due to the functions performed by the BIOS, its performance is critical to the system. Incorrect settings or damage will make the system unable to boot, so many motherboard manufacturers provide emergency systems protections such as a redundant BIOS chip. If the computer refuses to boot due to the BIOS not working, you can remove the CR2032 battery installed on the computer's motherboard for a few minutes. To get into BIOS menu you must press a specific key or combination of keys when checking the system's functionality immediately after turning on the computer. The most common options are F2, F10, Del, Ecs. The exact key can be found in the documentation for the motherboard.

The last point we wanted to consider is the so-called motherboard form factor. It defines dimensions, location of mounting holes, type of power connector, location of interfaces and some other things. Among the most common form factors today are:

ATX (Advanced Technology eXtended) - probably the most common format of computer motherboards, has dimensions of 30.5x24.4 cm.

MicroATX (mATX) is a smaller version of the ATX format with dimensions of 24.4x24.4 cm. It has fewer slots for peripherals and usually more simple device motherboard.

Mini-ITX - has dimensions of 17x17 cm, there are options with a soldered processor and passive cooling. It is used for systems that do not require high performance, but have limitations in size and noise.

The system unit case must be designed to accommodate a board of this form factor. You can install other smaller boards in an ATX case, but you cannot install an ATX motherboard in a MicroATX case. It is also necessary to take into account that due to the dense layout of boards such as MicroATX, MiniATX, Mini-ITX, Nano-ITX and other reduced sizes, some components will not be able to be installed, because they will physically lack space. For example, a powerful large video card or a large CPU cooler will run into RAM or capacitors.

That's all we wanted to tell you about the computer motherboard. Of course, this is a rather superficial description, but it is quite sufficient for a novice computer user to imagine what a computer motherboard is.

All other components are connected to the motherboard; the service life and stability of the entire computer depend on it. In addition, it should allow you to connect all the necessary devices and provide the opportunity to improve your computer in the future.

Produces some of the best motherboards ASUS company, but they are also the most expensive. Today, MSI motherboards are the best in terms of price/quality ratio, and I will recommend them first. As a more budget-friendly option, you can consider motherboards from ASRock and Gigabyte; they also have successful models. Gaming motherboards have better sound and network cards.

For Intel processors on socket 1151 v2

Best option:
Maternal MSI board B360M MORTAR

Or a gaming motherboard: MSI B360 GAMING PRO CARBON
MSI B360 GAMING PRO CARBON motherboard

Or an analogue: MSI Z370 KRAIT GAMING
MSI Z370 KRAIT GAMING motherboard

For AMD processors on socket AM4

Best option: Gigabyte B450 AORUS M
Maternal Gigabyte board B450 AORUS M

Or full size: Gigabyte B450 AORUS PRO
Gigabyte B450 AORUS PRO motherboard

2. Basics of choosing the right motherboard

You should not install a powerful processor on the cheapest motherboard, as the motherboard will not withstand heavy load for a long time. And vice versa, the weakest processor does not need an expensive motherboard, since it is money thrown away.

The motherboard must be selected after all the others have been selected, since it determines what class the motherboard should be and what connectors it should have for connecting the selected components.

Each motherboard has its own processor that controls all the devices connected to it and is called a chipset. The functionality of the motherboard depends on the chipset and is selected depending on the purpose of the computer.

3.1. Chipset developers

Chipsets for modern motherboards are developed by two companies: Intel and AMD.

If you chose an Intel processor, then the motherboard must be Intel chipset, if AMD – on an AMD chipset.

3.2. Intel chipsets

To the main modern chipsets Intel include the following:

B250/H270 – for office, multimedia and gaming PCs
Q270 – for the corporate sector
Z270 – for powerful gaming and professional PCs
X99/X299 – for very powerful professional PCs

They are being replaced by promising chipsets with support for 8th generation processors:

H310 – for office PCs
B360/H370 – for multimedia and gaming PCs
Q370 – for the corporate sector
Z370 – for powerful gaming and professional PCs

For most computers, motherboards with B250/H270 and B360/H370 chipsets are suitable. H chipsets have more PCI-E lanes than B chipsets, which is only important when installing more than two video cards or several ultra-fast PCI-E SSDs. So for the average user there is no difference between them. Q chipsets differ from B only in support special functions security and remote management, which is used only in the corporate sector.

Z chipsets have even more PCI-E lanes than H chipsets, allow overclocking of processors with the “K” index, support memory with frequencies above 2400 MHz and combining from 2 to 5 disks into a RAID array, which is not available on other chipsets. They are more suitable for powerful gaming and professional PCs.

Motherboards based on X99/X299 chipsets are needed only for heavy-duty and expensive professional PCs with processors on sockets 2011-3/2066, respectively (we'll talk about this below).

3.3. AMD chipsets

The main modern AMD chipsets include the following.

A320 – for office and multimedia PCs
B350 – for gaming and professional PCs
X370 – for enthusiasts
X399 – for very powerful professional PCs

The A320 chipset does not have the ability to overclock the processor, while the B350 has such functionality. The X370 is also equipped with a large number of PCI-E lanes for installing multiple video cards. Well, X399 is designed for professional processors on the TR4 socket.

3.4. How do chipsets differ?

Chipsets have a lot of differences, but we are only interested in their conditional division by purpose in order to select a motherboard that matches the purpose of the computer.

We are not interested in the remaining parameters of the chipsets, since we will focus on the parameters of a specific motherboard. After choosing a chipset to suit your needs, you can start choosing a motherboard based on its characteristics and connectors.

4. Motherboard manufacturers

The best motherboards in the above-average price range are made by ASUS, but they are also the most expensive. This company pays less attention to entry-level motherboards and in this case Don't overpay for the brand.

MSI motherboards across the entire price range have a good price/quality ratio.

As a more economical option, you can consider motherboards from Gigabyte and ASRock (a subsidiary of ASUS); they have a more loyal pricing policy and they also have successful models.

It is also worth noting that Intel itself produces motherboards based on its chipsets. These motherboards have consistent quality, but low functionality and a higher price. They are in demand mainly in the corporate sector.

Motherboards from other manufacturers are not so popular, they have a more limited range of models and I consider their purchase not advisable.

5. Motherboard form factor

The form factor is the physical size of the motherboard. The main form factors of motherboards are: ATX, MicroATX (mATX) and Mini-ITX.

ATX(305×244 mm) – full-size format of the motherboard, is optimal for a desktop computer, has the most large quantity slots, installed in ATX cases.

MicroATX(244x244 mm) – a smaller motherboard format, has fewer slots, can be installed in both full-size (ATX) cases and more compact cases (mATX).

Mini-ITX(170x170 mm) – ultra-compact motherboards for assembling very small PCs in appropriate cases. It should be taken into account that such systems have a number of restrictions on the size of components and cooling.

There are other less common motherboard form factors.

A processor socket is a connector for connecting the processor to the motherboard. The motherboard must have the same socket as the processor.

Processor sockets are constantly undergoing changes and new modifications appear from year to year. I recommend purchasing a processor and motherboard with the most modern socket. This will ensure that both the processor and motherboard can be replaced in the next few years.

6.1. Intel processor sockets

Obsolete: 478, 775, 1155, 1156, 2011
Obsolete: 1150, 2011-3
The most modern: 1151, 1151-v2, 2066

6.2. AMD processor sockets

Obsolete: AM1, AM2, AM3, FM1, FM2
Obsolete: AM3+, FM2+
The most modern: AM4, TR4

Compact motherboards often have 2 slots for installing memory modules. Large ATX boards are usually equipped with 4 memory slots. Free slots may be needed if you plan to add memory in the future.

8. Memory type and frequency supported

Modern motherboards support DDR4 memory. Inexpensive motherboards are designed for lower maximum frequency memory (2400, 2666 MHz). Medium and high class can support memory with more high frequency(3400-3600 MHz).

However, memory with a frequency of 3000 MHz and higher is much more expensive, but does not provide a noticeable performance increase (especially in games). In addition, there are more problems with such memory; the processor may work with it less stably. Therefore, it is advisable to overpay for a motherboard and high-frequency memory only when assembling a very powerful professional PC.

Today, the most optimal price/performance ratio is DDR4 memory with a frequency of 2400 MHz, which is supported by modern motherboards.

9. Connectors for installing video cards

Modern motherboards have a PCI Express (PCI-E x16) slot of the latest version 3.0 for installing video cards.

If your motherboard has several of these connectors, you can install multiple video cards to improve gaming performance. But in most cases, installing one more powerful video card is a better solution.

Also, free PCI-E x16 slots can be used to install other expansion cards with a PCI-E x4 or x1 slot (for example, a fast SSD or sound card).

10. Slots for expansion cards

Slots for expansion cards are special connectors for connecting various additional devices such as: TV tuner, Wi-Fi adapter and etc.

Older motherboards used PCI slots to accommodate expansion cards. This connector may be needed if you have such cards, for example, a professional sound card or TV tuner.

Modern motherboards use PCI-E x1 slots or extra PCI-E x16 slots to install expansion cards. It is desirable that the motherboard have at least 1-2 such connectors that are not overlapped by the video card.

In a modern computer, old-type PCI connectors are not necessary, since you can already purchase any device with a new PCI-E connector.

The motherboard has many internal connectors for connection various devices inside the case.

11.1. SATA connectors

Modern motherboards have universal SATA 3 connectors, which are perfect for connecting hard disks, solid state drives(SSD) and optical drives.

Several of these connectors can be placed in a separate block, forming a combined SATA Express connector.

This connector was previously used to connect fast SSDs, but you can also connect any SATA drives to it.

11.2. M.2 connector

Also, many modern motherboards are equipped with an M.2 connector, which is used primarily for ultra-fast SSDs.

This connector has mounting brackets for installing boards various sizes what needs to be taken into account when choosing an SSD. But now only the most common size 2280 is usually used.

It would also be good if the M.2 connector supports operation as in SATA mode, and PCI-E, as well as the NVMe specification for fast SSDs.

11.3. Motherboard power connector

Modern motherboards have a 24-pin power connector.

All power supplies are equipped with a similar connector.

11.4. CPU power connector

The motherboard may have a 4 or 8 pin processor power connector.

If the connector is 8-pin, then it is desirable that the power supply has two 4-pin connectors, which are inserted into it. If the processor is not very powerful, then it can be powered by one 4-pin connector and everything will work, but the voltage drops on it will be higher, especially during overclocking.

11.5. Location of internal connectors

The picture below shows the main internal motherboard connectors that we talked about.

12. Integrated devices

In addition to the chipset and various connectors for connecting components, the motherboard has various integrated devices.

12.1. Integrated graphics card

If you decide that the computer will not be used for games and do not purchase a separate video card, then the motherboard must support processors with a video core and have the appropriate connectors. Motherboards designed for processors with a video core may have VGA, DVI, DisplayPort and HDMI connectors.

It is advisable to have a DVI connector on the motherboard for connection modern monitors. To connect your TV to your computer, you need an HDMI connector. Please also note that some budget monitors There is only a VGA connector, which in this case should also be on the motherboard.

12.2. Integrated sound card

All modern motherboards have an HDA (High Definition Audio). Budget models are equipped with the appropriate audio codecs (ALC8xx, ALC9xx), which, in principle, are sufficient for most users. More expensive gaming motherboards have better codecs (ALC1150, ALC1220) and a headphone amplifier that provide higher sound quality.

Motherboards usually have 3, 5 or 6 3.5mm jacks for connecting audio devices. An optical and sometimes coaxial digital audio output may also be present.

For connecting speakers of a 2.0 or 2.1 system. 3 audio outputs are quite enough.
If you plan to connect multi-channel speakers, then it is advisable that the motherboard have 5-6 audio connectors. An optical audio output may be required to connect a high-quality audio system.

12.3. Integrated network card

All modern motherboards have a built-in network card with a data transfer rate of 1000 Mbit/s (1 Gb/s) and an RJ-45 connector for connecting to the Internet.

Budget motherboards are equipped with appropriate network cards manufactured by Realtek. More expensive gaming motherboards may have better Intel, Killer network cards, which has a positive effect on ping in online games Oh. But often the operation of online games depends more on the quality of the Internet than on the network card.

It is highly advisable to connect to the Internet through, which will reflect network attacks and will increase the protection of the motherboard from electrical breakdowns on the part of the provider.

12.4. Integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Some motherboards may have built-in Wi-Fi and bluetooth adapter. Such motherboards are more expensive and are used mainly for assembling compact media centers. If you don’t need this functionality now, you can purchase the necessary adapter later if the need arises.

13. External motherboard connectors

Depending on the number of integrated devices and the class of the motherboard, it may have different connectors on the rear panel for connecting external devices.

Description of connectors from top to bottom

USB 3.0– connector for connecting fast flash drives and external drives, it is desirable to have at least 4 such connectors.
PS/2– the old connector for connecting a mouse and keyboard, which is no longer available on all motherboards, is optional, since modern mice and keyboards are connected via USB.
DVI– connector for connecting a monitor on motherboards with built-in video.
Wi-Fi antenna connectors– available only on some expensive boards with a Wi-Fi adapter.
HDMI– connector for connecting a TV on motherboards with built-in video.
DisplayPort– connector for connecting some monitors.
Button reset BIOS – optional, used when the computer freezes during overclocking.
eSATA– used for external drives with a similar connector, optional.
USB 2.0– a connector for connecting a keyboard, mouse, printer and many other devices, 2 such connectors are enough (or USB connectors 3.0). Also, modern motherboards may have USB 3.1 connectors (Type-A, Type-C), which are faster, but still rarely used.
RJ-45– a connector for connecting to a local network or the Internet is required.
Optical audio output– for connecting high-quality acoustics (speakers).
Audio outputs– for connecting audio speakers (2.0-5.1 system).
Microphone– connection of a microphone or headset is always available.

14. Electronic components

Cheap motherboards use the lowest quality electronic components: transistors, capacitors, chokes, etc. Accordingly, the reliability and service life of such motherboards are the lowest. For example, electrolytic capacitors can swell after 2-3 years of computer operation, which leads to malfunctions and the need for repairs.

Mid- and high-end motherboards can use electronic components that are more High Quality(for example, Japanese solid capacitors). Manufacturers often emphasize this with some slogan: Solid Caps (solid-state capacitors), Military Standard (military standard), Super Alloy Power (reliable power system). These motherboards are more reliable and can last longer.

15. Processor power supply circuit

The power supply circuit of the processor determines how powerful a processor can be installed on a specific motherboard without the risk of overheating and premature failure, as well as power loss when overclocking the processor.

A mid-range motherboard with a 10-phase power supply can handle non-extreme overclocking of a processor with a TDP of up to 120 W. For more voracious stones, it is better to take a motherboard with a 12-16 phase power system.

16. Cooling system

Cheap motherboards either have no heatsinks at all, or have a small heatsink on the chipset and sometimes on the mosfets (transistors) near the processor socket. In principle, if you use such boards for their intended purpose and install the same weak processors on them, then they should not overheat.

On mid- and high-end motherboards that are equipped with more powerful processors, it is advisable to have larger radiators.

17. Motherboard firmware

Firmware is the built-in firmware that controls all functions of the motherboard. Many motherboards have already moved from BIOS firmware from a classic text menu to a more modern UEFI with a convenient graphical interface.

In addition, gaming motherboards have a number of advanced features, which distinguishes them from more budget solutions.

18. Equipment

Typically, the motherboard comes with: a user manual, a driver disk, a plug for the rear panel of the case and several SATA cables. The complete set of the motherboard can be found on the website of the seller or manufacturer. If you are assembling a new computer, then calculate in advance how many and what kind of cables you need, so that if necessary, you can order them immediately.

Some motherboard models have an extended configuration, which may contain many different cables and brackets with connectors. For example, such motherboards from ASUS used to have the word Deluxe in their names, but now they may be some Pro versions. They cost more, but usually all these add-ons remain unclaimed, so it makes more sense to buy a better motherboard for the same money.

19. How to find out the characteristics of the motherboard

All characteristics of the motherboard, such as supported processors and memory, types and number of internal and external connectors, etc. Check the manufacturer's website for the exact model number. There you can also see images of the motherboard, from which you can easily determine the location of the connectors, the quality of the power supply and cooling system. It would also be a good idea to look for reviews of a specific motherboard on the Internet before purchasing.

20. Optimal motherboard

Now you know everything you need about motherboards and can choose for yourself suitable model. But I will still give you some recommendations.

For office, multimedia or gaming computer mid-class (Core i5 + GTX 1060) an inexpensive motherboard on socket 1151 with an Intel B250/H270 or B360/H370 chipset (for 8th generation processors) is suitable.

For a powerful gaming computer (Core i7 + GTX 1070/1080), it is better to take a motherboard on socket 1151 with powerful system power supply for a processor based on the Intel B250/H270 or Z270 chipset (for overclocking). For 8th generation processors, you respectively need a motherboard with an Intel B360/H370 or Z370 chipset (for overclocking). If you want better sound, a network card and the funds allow, then take a motherboard from the gaming series (Gaming, etc.).

For professional tasks, such as video rendering and other heavy applications, it is better to take a motherboard on socket AM4 for multi-threaded AMD processors Ryzen on B350/X370 chipset.

Select the format (ATX, mATX), types and number of connectors as needed. Manufacturer - any popular one (ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, ASRock) or based on our recommendations (this is more a matter of taste or budget).

21. Setting up filters in the online store

Thus, you will receive a motherboard with the optimal price/quality/functionality ratio that meets your requirements at the lowest possible cost.

22. Links

MSI H370 GAMING PRO CARBON motherboard
Motherboard Asus ROG Strix B360-F GAMING
Gigabyte H370 AORUS GAMING 3 WIFI motherboard

The computer motherboard is the foundation on which all components of the system unit are built.

The role of a computer motherboard cannot be overestimated. After all, it only depends on it whether you will be able to expand the functionality of your PC in the future or not? Increase the amount of RAM, install a more powerful video card? Will the presence of additional, initially unused, slots and connectors allow further expansion (“upgrade”) of the entire system? It's like the foundation of a house: if you don't build it well, the structure may collapse over time.

The motherboard is a multilayer “pie” of single-layer (single-sided or double-sided) printed circuit boards. Each of the layers represents such a separate board. Multilayering, first of all, is needed to combat crosstalk and interference created by signal lines (paths) of the board located close to each other. To increase this distance and isolate the signal lines of one layer from another, this whole “sandwich” was invented. Each layer is separated from each other by special fiberglass gaskets (adhesive) and then the whole thing is pressed into a special oven.

Graphically, the internal structure of the product can be depicted something like this:

As a bonus, the overall mechanical strength of such a structure also increases. The number of individual layers in modern branded products can reach up to ten, or even more! After that, the almost finished motherboard is coated on both sides with a dielectric protective varnish of the desired color, dried, the necessary holes are drilled in it for fasteners, installation of connectors and other components, the holes on the edges are metalized, and the product is almost ready! Of course, after this you need to install the connectors themselves and the entire element base of radio-electronic components, carry out their soldering, quality control, and carry out comprehensive testing under load, but this process is clearly shown in the video below the article, so I see no point in describing it again.

Note: printed circuit board or PCP (Printed Circuit Board) - a dielectric plate on which electrically conductive paths are formed by chemical or mechanical means. They can be formed either by the classical method of etching them on the board, or using laser engraving technology.

Since we are primarily interested in high-quality computer motherboards, let's turn our attention to a full-size board from the manufacturer Asus. The large number of elements and expansion slots located on it allows us to hope for a good upgrade prospect, and the high-quality element base of the components and the layout of the board - for a long service life.

Let's, as usual, go through all the notations in order and find out what components the computer motherboard consists of:

CPU socket (socket where the computer processor is installed)
two slots for PCI Express video cards are indicated (in expensive motherboards you can install two discrete video cards at the same time)
four slots for DDR2 RAM
north bridge computer motherboard chipset
motherboard chipset south bridge
Cooling system radiators for power circuits (power phases) of the processor
four USB output(displayed on the back wall of the computer case)
built-in sound card outputs
3.5 floppy disk interface (disk drive) FDC controller
four SATA outputs for connecting hard drives
three PCI slots for connection additional fees extensions (TV tuner, network or sound card, video capture card, etc.)
BIOS battery
four-pin 12-volt processor power connector
24-pin connector for connecting the power supply and supplying voltage to the motherboard
two connectors for connecting hard drives or old-style “IDE” CD-DVD-ROM
the BIOS chip itself

Let us dwell with you on the most important points that require separate comments. In the image we can clearly see the cooling system in the center, with copper tubes radiating from it. The central heatsink covers the “northern” microcircuit of the board’s chipset. It includes such important components as a built-in video card, a RAM controller and a controller system bus(now these elements are actively being transferred to the CPU) and, naturally, supports the interface for interaction with the “southern” microcircuit.

The names “north” and “south” bridge indicate only the geographical location of these elements relative to PCI slots(to the north - higher or to the south - lower). The south bridge chip is also covered by a radiator. It, as a rule, contains a controller for the computer’s built-in network card, a USB bus, integrated sound, and is responsible for the operation of the PCI bus, various sensors on the board, etc.

Note: chipset - a set of chips designed for collaboration to complete any tasks. The second name is a set of system logic.

Applicable to computers, the classic chipset on the motherboard consists of two large chips:

Northbridge
southbridge

The north bridge connects (via controllers integrated into it) the CPU with high-performance devices located on the computer motherboard (memory, video adapter). The south bridge is responsible for supporting slower peripheral devices (USB, audio and LAN card, hard disks, various boards extensions, etc.)

Here, for example, is what a set of system logic looks like (“north” - larger and “south” - smaller bridge) produced by VIA.

Let's move on. Numbered “6” (see the first photo of the article) on the motherboard we have two radiators that cool the processor’s power circuits. Elements located under the heatsinks (capacitors and transistors) prevent large fluctuations in the CPU supply voltage when its load changes. Their high-quality performance is one of the indicators of a good motherboard. Agree, if the computer’s operation turns out to be unstable simply due to poor-quality power supply, it will be a shame!

Separately, we note that the element base of power circuits on modern motherboards is quite diverse: it includes a PWM controller, voltage converters, transistors, resistors, chokes, capacitors, etc.

The photo below shows a typical multiphase power supply circuit of a modern processor:

For example, voltage converters are needed in order to supply one or another element with what is strictly necessary for its regular work nutrition. It’s one thing that 12 volts “comes” from the power supply at the input of the converter, but not all elements need exactly twelve! So the converters lower it to the required value and “give it” to the final “consumer” (a specific microcircuit or other element).

I propose to talk in more detail about why all these phases are needed and how they work? I think you need to know this! The role of a step-down converter can be VRM (Voltage Regulation Module) or VRD (Voltage Regulator Down). Don’t get too hung up on this, it will be enough if you remember these abbreviations and know what they refer to.

Typically, several MOSFETs are also included in the converter circuit. They are controlled by an electric field, which is why they are called “field” (field). The abbreviation MOS comes from “metal-oxide-semiconductor”, in English: “metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor” or abbreviated as MOSFET. Therefore, you can find the name as mosfet transistors (popularly called “mosfets”).

The power phase control on the computer motherboard is usually based on a PWM controller. The abbreviation PWM also has its own meaning and it is “Pulse Wide Modulation” - pulse width modulation, in Russian PWM. Therefore, such components are often called PWM controllers.

Here's what it might look like:

About the required processor in this moment power supply, the PWM controller “recognizes” using a special 8-bit signal, which “tells” it what voltage needs to be applied to the CPU at one time or another.

In very old computers, all voltage regulator circuits were single-phase, but over time (as processor power consumption increased) they became inefficient and manufacturers had to use multiple phases to regulate the voltage supplied to the CPU. This is where the concept of “multiphase” came from. Four-phase power, eight-phase, etc... Now there is, it seems, even 24-phase! :)

What is behind this concept? Let's try to figure it out! What is the main limitation of a single-phase regulator? First of all, in the maximum current that can be passed through the elements that form it: mosfets, inductors (chokes), capacitors. Their limit is about thirty amperes, while modern CPUs can draw current in excess of one hundred amperes! It is clear that with such “requests” one phase will “boil” very quickly :) It was precisely to compensate for this limitation that they began to use multiphase power on motherboards.

When using a multiphase regulator total current loads can be distributed over N number of individual phases, which in total will produce the required (rated) power! For example: with a six-phase power supply, each of the six phases will have 30 Amperes (remember about the maximum current limitation), while in total all our phases can peak load“pass” as much as 180 Amperes through yourself!

Note: for Intel processors Core generation i7 with a power consumption of over 130 watts (even taking into account the possibility of overclocking), six-phase power is quite enough! Anything more is from a crafty marketer :)

You also need to keep in mind that the element base does not stand still and instead of the usual electrolytic capacitors Nowadays, so-called solid-state polymer chokes with a service life exceeding 50,000 hours, ferrite core chokes, etc. are widely used. All this together makes it possible to pass through them a maximum current of not 30, but 40 Amperes. Therefore, such a six-phase processor power circuit (circuit) will be able to provide a current to the processor of about 240 Amperes (energy consumption of more than 200 Watts)! What home CPU consumes this, other than AMD?! :)

The last thing I would like to add is that now on computer motherboards such a thing as dynamic switching of power phases is often used. This means that as needed (processor consumption higher current) an increasing number of phases are switched on, and when the load decreases, some of them are switched off. In theory, a weak CPU can be started with only one operating phase. Another thing is how long will he last? But for starting in testing mode, this method may be quite suitable!

So, back to our main material! If you try to schematically depict the location of all the main elements and connectors on the computer motherboard, you will get something like this:

Here's another (graphical) embodiment of this idea:

Let's say a few words about the board's system bus - FSB (Front Side Bus). This is a high-speed interface between the processor and the north bridge of the motherboard chipset. The higher its frequency, the higher the data transfer speed and the speed of the entire system as a whole. FSB frequency is measured in megahertz.

Note: What frequency is, what values it can take and what it is measured in we discussed in this article.

Only the CPU is connected directly to the system bus itself; other devices are connected to it through specialized controllers that are integrated into the northbridge chip.

To be fair, it is worth noting that there is now a trend towards high integration of main controllers and even entire devices (graphics accelerator) directly into the central processor core.

One of the first to be moved from the chipset was the RAM controller, which made it possible to reduce the time delays inevitable when transferring data and commands over the system bus. For example, almost all the main controllers that were previously located on the motherboard were transferred to a processor based on Intel LGA1156. As a result, FSB is actually absent from it!

AMD developers use their proprietary technology to replace the system bus. It's called "Hyper Transport". This development has already gone through several revisions and is successfully used not only in personal computers, but also in such high-performance devices as Cisco network routers.

Another “candidate” for transfer directly to CPU core It turned out to be built-in video, which previously “felt” quite comfortably in the north bridge of the motherboard chipset. And it seemed, where could it go from there?! And some time passed and - please: the video core on the same chip with the processor. Fantastic! :)

How did this become possible? First of all, due to the fact that the manufacturing process of all the main elements of a computer is constantly decreasing. For example, the Intel Core i7 family processor is made using a 22-nanometer process technology, which made it possible to place approximately 1.4 billion transistors on the same chip area!

Note: 22 nanometers corresponds, in this case, to the linear resolution of the lithography equipment used to manufacture the final device. And a “nanometer” (nm or nm) is one billionth of a meter (millimicron)!

What are we doing? As the technical process decreases, the size of the main elements (transistors) that we can place on the chip also decreases. Consequently, we can place more of these same transistors in the same area! And, as a result, build on their basis a built-in CPU graphics core or any other element. In fact, developers actively take advantage of this, trying to constantly reduce the production process.

Over time, this led to the fact that all the main high-speed interfaces and controllers “migrated” under the processor cover, and many motherboards modern computers They lost not only the south bridge, but sometimes also the north bridge! Since all peripheral controllers moved to the north bridge, the south bridge simply disappeared as unnecessary. Today you can still find motherboards with classic layout elements of system logic (chipset), but this happens less and less often.

So let's continue! For cheaper motherboards, a situation is typical when manufacturers assemble all its elements on an already shortened (bottom or side) PCB plate. As a result, all elements of the motherboard are located very close to each other and about some additional connectors or you have to forget the exits (the main thing would fit in here!).

Remember: a good motherboard should have the same aspect ratio as in the photo (it should not be small square or elongated rectangular) and there should be a lot of space on it! Until now - this is my IMHO, despite the year 2015 :) Well-established manufacturers of motherboards for desktop computers are the following companies: Msi, Asus, Gigabyte and Intel.

For example, Gigabyte additionally “lays” several thin layers of copper between the layers of the printed circuit board. This proprietary technology even received its own name: “Ultra Durable” (photo at the beginning of the article). Copper acts as an additional heatsink that removes heat from the hottest areas of the motherboard: the processor with its power circuits and chipset chips.

Also, different manufacturers of boards, in order to highlight their products, add all sorts of improvements to it: like dual BIOS (so that in case of a failure you don’t have to use a programmer), a post-code sensor, power and reset buttons on the board itself, etc.

Here is one example of how additional improvements are installed on high-quality motherboards.

Circled in red below is the POST code sensor, which we mentioned above. He can “tell” us about a problem with the computer through digital combinations on the scoreboard. Their decoding is usually attached to the motherboard itself in the form of a small book.

But what other motherboards are there? The photo below is a micro ATX form factor with an Atom 550 processor with passive cooling.

At the end of the article, I want to show you my workplace and how the next motherboard is tested on it:

I'm currently installing Windows. This connection option eliminates cases short circuit boards onto the computer case, and visual inspection and general control of the process is much more convenient.

There are also server motherboards. How do server solutions differ from conventional (desktop) ones? First of all, increased reliability! After all, servers have to work 24/7 (like a supermarket) :) Servers are usually equipped with expensive registered RAM with parity control (ECC), and they can also support several physical processors. In the photo below we see a board that can accommodate four physical CPUs.

These are products that are in no way related to the SOHO segment (Small Office/Home Office), but serious corporate solutions. Naturally, there are also Lov-End (cheap) and Hi-End (expensive) products here, but that’s another story. Also, on servers, as a rule, hardware raid (RAID) controllers are installed, made in the form of a separate printed circuit board; on desktops, similar functionality can only be obtained using software.

Note: RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks - redundant array of independent disks). Reliable data storage technology based on redundancy of stored information. When several hard disks are combined into one virtual logic element to ensure reliability and improve performance.

Separately, we can highlight the gaming segment of motherboards. As a rule, such solutions cost an order of magnitude more and have a bunch of additional options: in the form of advanced overclocking capabilities, advanced power and cooling management, various status indication sensors, enhanced element base etc. One such example is a product from Asus (Asus Maximus 7):

Cool "toy", isn't it? Finally, the idea of the article, formed on the basis of personal experience: a good (quality) thing cannot cost 30-50 dollars. Well, that’s all it can be! :)

The motherboard contains several subsystems, and they all must be configured in a certain way.

Some options may be disabled, for example, built-in graphics adapter(if using an external video card).

BIOS settings are stored in the CMOS chip, which is powered by a 3V 2032 lithium cell (a fresh battery is 3.3V) when the computer is turned off. If it is turned on, power is supplied from the computer's power supply. If you remove the battery, the microcircuit will “forget” the settings.

However, at present this does not lead to catastrophic consequences, because the type of hard drive and everything else necessary to boot the system is determined automatically in most cases.

But time and date, naturally, will be reset.

The CMOS chip consumes very little current (less than a microamp), so the element's energy lasts for several years. The voltage on it gradually “sits down”, and when it decreases below 2.8 - 2.9 V, the settings will be reset.

In some cases, if the battery is dead, the computer may not boot. In such cases, it is generally “silent”, and one can erroneously conclude that the motherboard is faulty. To exclude this reason (the computer may not start or boot the system due to many other reasons), you should remove the battery and repeat the download operation. If the computer “moved”, the reason was precisely the dead element.

Note that the first two digits of the element marking mean its diameter in millimeters (20), the second two – its thickness (in tenths of a millimeter). The larger the second digit, the greater its capacity, the longer the element will work. If there is no element 2032, you can install element 2025, which has a slightly smaller capacity.

IDE and SATA interfaces

The next part is the interfaces of storage devices and data readers.

Most computers for home and office use two interfaces - IDE And SATA.

The IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) interface contains a 40-pin connector and is connected to a hard drive or CD/DVD drive with a flexible ribbon cable. Currently, it is slowly falling out of use. But even on new motherboards it is still present for compatibility with older hard drives and drives.

Both the IDE and SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) connectors contain keys for correct docking. Older motherboards have two IDE connectors (channels) – primary and secondary. It is usually recommended to connect the hard drive(s) to the primary channel, and the drives to the secondary channel. The primary channel connector is often stands out blue or red.

Each IDE channel can be connected two devices– master (master) and slave (slave).

The selection is made using jumpers (jumpers) on the devices. If on the same channel both devices are configured as master or both as slave, neither of them will work will not. Thus, one of the devices must be configured as master, the other as slave.

SATA devices are connected each to its own connector.

SATA is, unlike IDE, consistent interface, which, however, provides greater data exchange speed. By now it has almost replaced the IDE. Currently, the third specification is being implemented - SATA3.

Different motherboards may have different number SATA connectors. Usually there are at least 4 of them (on old motherboards there could be 2).

Older computers used floppy disk drives ( Floppy Disk Drive – FDD). The data was stored on 5.25" floppy disks with a capacity of 360, 720 kb and 1.2 Mb and 3.5" floppy disks with a capacity of 720 kb and 1.44 Mb.

The drive was connected to the motherboard with a flexible 34-pin cable. FDD was characterized by low data exchange speed and low reliability. By now he almost out of use. And how could it be otherwise if hard drives with a capacity of terabytes and compact flash drives with hundreds of gigabytes of data appeared?

The motherboard also contains interfaces for external devices.

The keyboard and mouse interfaces have round six-pin PS/2 sockets with keys, painted in different colors.

This is also foolproof, so as not to confuse the connectors. The mouse connector is most often painted green, the keyboard connector is lilac.

And a mouse with PS/2 connectors cannot be connected or disconnected while switched on - this is fraught with their failure. And it’s also good if only these devices themselves burn out. It will be worse if the controller of this interface on the motherboard fails. In some cases, this grief can be helped - when the power is connected to the corresponding microcircuit through fuses.

The fuse chip (a small “brick” soldered to the board) has a very small value and can easily burn out during “switching” manipulations.

You can “call” him digital tester. If it fails, you need to carefully replace it with the same one (or, in extreme cases, with a jumper made of a very thin wire). But it’s better not to take risks and not switch “on the fly.”

Note that the fuse chip may be not on every board.

USB interface

Among external interfaces, the interface occupies a special place USB(Universal Serial Bus, universal serial bus), which contains 4 lines - 2 power lines and 2 data lines.

USB devices can be switched on the fly and this good news for forgetful users. However, the USB interface appeared quite a long time ago and managed to change several specifications.

This possibility is ensured, in particular, by the special design of the connector. The power contacts are located closer to the edge of the connector than the data contacts. And when switching, the power is connected first and disconnected last.

Via USB interface you can connect big number devices – printers, scanners, digital cameras and – including – mouse and keyboard. So, if the PS/2 port is burned out, the keyboard can be connected via USB. Not everything is so bad in this world! Previously, parallel (LPT) and, less commonly, serial (COM) ports were used to connect printers. By now they are almost out of use. And this is also good, because when connecting to the LPT “on the go,” it was possible to burn out both the port and the printer.

At this point, dear readers, let us pause. In the second part of the article we will complete a brief introduction to the device. We’ll also tell you about some useful little things that not everyone knows... Subscribe to updates so as not to miss an interesting article.

Vsbot was with you.

Any computer user sooner or later hears this strange name - motherboard, let's try to figure out what it is. It is the largest part inside the system unit. It has many names, among the most common are: motherboard, mother, mother, motherboard, MB. As is already clear from the names, it is the main part, the heart of the system, although it can rather be compared with the human nervous system. All other computer components are installed on it or connected to its connectors. The motherboard ensures the interaction of all components as a single system, managing their joint work.

SATA connectors are used to connect storage devices (hard drives and optical drives). The SATA interface is a development of the IDE interface previously used for drives. The speed of operation depends on the SATA revision, for example, the Revision 3.0 specification provides a throughput of up to 6 Gbit/s. Supports hot-swappable hardware. The more connectors on the motherboard, the more devices you can connect.

IDE is an outdated interface for connecting drives. After the appearance of the SATA interface, it was renamed PATA (Parallel ATA). Not compatible with SATA. Two devices can be connected to one loop. One is called the master, the other is called the slave. Devices require configuration using jumpers on the housing. It is still found in motherboards to ensure backward compatibility. There are adapters for connecting IDE devices to a SATA port and vice versa. May be useful for connecting old equipment to a new computer or upgrading an old one.

USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector used for quick connection of low and medium speed devices. It is widely used for connecting printers, scanners, flash drives, card readers, cameras, phones and many other peripheral devices. It has several revisions that differ in interface performance and are backward compatible. The most common USB 2.0 is gradually being replaced by USB 3.0. The more USB ports there are on the motherboard, the better. It is desirable to have at least several USB 3.0 ports. Please be aware that there are several physical implementations of connectors. When buying a wire to connect any device, you need to remember this.

The ROM chip (BIOS) contains a set of microprograms necessary for the initial initialization of the equipment and subsequent loading of the operating system. Modern implementation often allows you to update the BIOS from external media. Usually it contains many settings for configuring equipment, enabling/disabling it, setting the order in which the OS is loaded from media, and performing some other functions. The ability to overclock a system is largely determined by the settings provided by the BIOS for this. Due to the functions performed by the BIOS, its performance is critical to the system. Incorrect settings or damage will result in the system being unable to boot, so many motherboard manufacturers provide emergency protection systems such as a backup BIOS chip. If the computer refuses to boot due to the BIOS not working, you can remove the CR2032 battery installed on the computer's motherboard for a few minutes. To get to the BIOS menu, you must press a specific key or key combination when checking the system's functionality immediately after turning on the computer. The most common options are F2, F10, Del, Esc. The exact key can be found in the documentation for the motherboard.

The last point we wanted to consider is the so-called motherboard form factor. It determines overall dimensions, location of mounting holes, type of power connector, location of interfaces and some other things. Among the most common form factors today are:

ATX (Advanced Technology eXtended) - probably the most common format of computer motherboards, has dimensions of 30.5x24.4 cm.
MicroATX (mATX) is a smaller version of the ATX format with dimensions of 24.4x24.4 cm. It is distinguished by fewer slots for peripherals and usually a simpler motherboard design.
Mini-ITX - has dimensions of 17x17 cm, there are options with a soldered processor and passive cooling. It is used for systems that do not require high performance, but have limitations in size and noise.