Motherboard is the main electronic circuit board in the computer on which all components are mounted or connected. Motherboard can be described as the "heart" of the computer. A motherboard is the central or primary circuit board of the computer.
Most motherboards include:
- Socket(s) or slot(s) for mounting microprocessor(s)
- Slots for RAM memory chips
- Chipset which forms an interface between the CPU's front-side bus, main memory, and peripheral buses
- Non-volatile memory chips containing the system's firmware or BIOS
- A clock generator which produces the system clock signal to synchronize the various components
- Slots for expansion cards
- Slots for IDE (Hard Disk Drive, CD ROM Drive etc.)
- Slot for Floppy Drive
- Socket for connecting power cable from SMPS for distributing power to the CPU, chipset, main memory, expansion cards and other components and devices in the CPU box.
- Connecting panel for connecting various Input and Output devices located outside the CPU box viz. Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, Printer, USB Drive etc.
Motherboards are different for different processors i.e. a motherboard for Intel Pentium III processor cannot be used for a Intel Pentium IV or AMD Athlon processor. Therefore, if anyone desires to upgrade his computer to a new faster processor, he will be required to change the motherboard also.
The motherboard picture above shows a motherboard with details of mounting /connecting major components and the connecting panel picture shows connection of various Input and Output devices to the motherboard
.