The document provides an overview of motherboards and their components. It discusses the different physical form factors of motherboards as well as the key components like the chipset, BIOS, and expansion slots. The roles of the chipset and controllers are explained, covering topics like processor support, memory support, I/O functions. CMOS settings and BIOS configuration are also covered, along with POST errors and system resources.

1. PC Hardware Basic Guide
Module 4 - Motherboard

2. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Module 4 - Motherboard
 Overview
◊ It is a Printed Circuit Board that performs the key functions
to enable smooth running of the computer.
 Lesson Covered in this Module
◊ Motherboards
◊ Standard Expansion Buses
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3. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Lesson 1 - Motherboards
 Introduction
◊ Motherboard is a Printed Circuit Board which possesses
different components for various purposes. It contains
• CPU
• BIOS,
• Memory
• I/O ports
• External I/O connectors
• I/O controllers
• Expansion slots
• Chipsets.
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4. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Module 4 - Motherboard
 Topics Covered in this Lesson
◊ Physical Form Factors
◊ Motherboard Components
◊ System Chipsets and Controllers
◊ CMOS Settings
◊ Power On Self Test (POST)
◊ System Resources
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5. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 1 - Physical Form Factors
 Personal Computer –
Extended Technology
(PC-XT)
◊ Introduced by IBM,
8088 microprocessor
was used.
◊ It has socket for the
processor and chips
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6. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 1 - Physical Form Factors
 AT and Baby AT
◊ To overcome the problem
created by AT Form factor,
the Baby AT form factor was
introduced.
◊ Baby AT is designed to hold
the peripheral devices like
keyboard, video and mouse.
◊ It could not accommodate
the combination of processor,
heat sink and fan. Cooling
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7. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 1 - Physical Form Factors
 ATX and Micro ATX form
factor
◊ Here expansion slots were
placed on separate riser
cards.
◊ It provides software
controlled shut down and
power up.
 Micro ATX form factor
◊ More space for I/O
connectors was provided
at the rear end.
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8. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 1 - Physical Form Factors
 LPX and Mini-LPX
◊ It has sound and video to
be integrated on to the
motherboard.
◊ It is not suitable for
upgrading and offers poor
cooling.
 NLX
◊ Small in size
◊ Suited for low profile
desktop cases
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9. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 2 - Motherboard Components
 The major components of the motherboard
◊ Processor socket or slot
◊ Chipset
◊ Super I/O chip
◊ BIOS
◊ SIMM/DIMM sockets
◊ Bus slots
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10. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 2 - Motherboard Components
 Chipset and Functions
◊ Different chips
integrated to a single
chip called the chipset.
◊ North bridge and South
bridge was introduced
to the motherboard with
PCI slots.
◊ The south bridge controls
the slower I/O
components like the
Serial ports, USB ports
and the IDE.
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11. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 2 - Motherboard Components
 The new technology, Intel Hub Architecture (IHA) uses two
chips called hub controllers.
 The hub controllers are
◊ Graphics and Memory Controller Hub (GMCH)
◊ I/O Controller Hub (ICH)
 The chipset determine
◊ The voltage provided to the processor
◊ Number of processors that can be supported
◊ The speed of the processor
◊ The different memory modules that are supported
◊ Bus speed
◊ The different expansion bus that are supported
◊ Power Management
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12. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers
◊ The system chipset and controllers are the intelligence of
the motherboard.
◊ Chipset has a effect on the quality, feature set and
speed of the computer.
◊ Controllers found on motherboards
• The system chip
• The keyboard controller
• The super I/O chip
• Additional built-in controllers
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13. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers
► Qualities and Functions of Chipset
 Chipset Processor Support
◊ Support for Processor Class and Optimization - Supports one generation of
processors
◊ Support for Processor Speed - Fast processors need chipset control
circuitry that has the capacity to manage them.
◊ Support for Multiple Processor - Chipset support the capability for building
motherboards with two or four processors on them.
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14. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers
◊ Chipset
Cache Support - The cache stores recent
memory accesses by the processor
• Size of Secondary Cache - Chipsets support cache of 256KB
or 512 KB.
• Type of Secondary Cache - three major kinds of cache,
Asynchronous, Synchronous burst, Pipeline burst.
• Write Policy of Secondary Cache - A write-through cache
and a write back cache.
• Cacheability of System Memory - The amount of
cacheable memory is dependent on the chipset control
circuitry and the amount of tag RAM on the board.
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15. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers
• Chipset Memory Support - The chipset determines several
permissible features of the memory
• Support for Maximum Memory-Determines the maximum
quantity of RAM a system can have on the motherboard
• DRAM Technology - Regulates whether motherboard can
make use of FPM, EDO, BEDO, or SDRAM memory.
• Support for DRAM Packaging and Size - Two main types of
memory packages are, single in-line memory module
(SIMM) and dual in-line memory module (DIMM).
• Support for Parity and Error Correction - Error correction
logic is offered as part of the memory control circuits of the
chipset.
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16. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers
◊ Chipset Peripheral and I/O Bus Control - Most recent
computers use two buses, (ISA) bus and l component
(PCI) bus.
• Bus Types - The chipset determines what type of buses the
system can support.
• Bus Bridges – Bridge is used for connecting together devices
on two different buses.
• IDE/ATA Hard Disk Controller - All motherboards have
integrated into them support for four IDE hard disks
• DMA Controller and DMA Mode Support – Process of
transferring information directly to and from memory with no
interference of the processor.
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17. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers
◊ Interrupt Controller
◊ USB Support
◊ AGP Support
◊ Plug and Play
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18. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers
◊ Chipset Power Management Support – Works through a
number of BIOS settings that determine when to shut
down different parts of the computer
• Energy Star
• Advanced Power Management
• Display Power
• Management Signalling
• System Management Mode
• Hard Disk Spindown
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19. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers
◊ Super I/O Controller
Chip super I/O controller
handles three ports
• Serial Port Control –
controls the serial ports,
UART
• Parallel Port Control –
manages and controls
the parallel port
• Floppy Disk Drive
Control – supports the
Floppy Disk Drive and
floppy based tape
drives
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20. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers
 Processor
 Two major components
◊ Arithmetic and Logic Unit
(ALU) – performs Arithmetic
and Logic Operations
◊ Control Unit (CU) – provides
the control signals for
performing different
operations.
 Cache Memory
◊ It is high speed storage
memory made of Static RAM
(SRAM).
◊ Two types of cache memory
are L1 or the internal cache
and L2 cache or the external
cache.
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21. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers
 I/O Ports
◊ Each device connected to a computer uses I/O port
address.
◊ Functions of I/O address
• Sending commands to the peripheral device
• Receiving the status of the device whether it is idle or busy
• Send and receive data
• Configure the device for interrupts
 Bus Speed
◊ The speed of the bus refers to the amount of the data
that can be transferred across the bus.
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22. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers
 Some of the bus types are,
◊ Front side Bus - The bus speed in general refers to the
speed of the Front Side Bus (FSB).
◊ AGP Bus – It connects the video card to the memory and
the CPU.
◊ Back side Bus – It connects the processor to the L2
Cache
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23. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers
◊ Memory bus – It connects
the north bridge to the
memory.
◊ IDE or ATA bus – It
connects the south
bridge to the disk drives.
◊ PCI Bus – It connects the
PCI slots to the south
bridge.
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24. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers
 Jumpers
◊ It is a small
connector which
can be placed
between two pins to
make electrical
connections.
 DIP switch
◊ The dual inline
package switch is a
small block provided
with a lever.
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25. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 4 - CMOS Settings
 CMOS BIOS ROM
 Stores the basic system
configuration. The four
major components of
BIOS are
◊ POST
◊ Bootstrap Loader
◊ CMOS Setup
◊ BIOS ROM
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26. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 4 - CMOS Settings
 CMOS Battery
◊ Battery is used to power
up the Real time Clock
Chip.
◊ This chip maintains the
system date and time.
 System Configuration
◊ The BIOS should find an
operating system on a
hard disk or floppy disk
drive to start the
computer.
 Starting the Setup Program
◊ The settings made in the
BIOS setup program are
stored in the nonvolatile
RAM of the CMOS chip.
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27. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 4 - CMOS Settings
 Step-by-Step CMOS/BIOS Configuration
◊ From the CMOS setup menu, select the menu point to
examine or change setting and choose Standard CMOS
setup to begin.
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28. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 4 - CMOS Settings
◊ From the standard CMOS configuration screen you can
set Date, Time, Hard drives connected to the IDE
interface, Floppy disk drive types for drives
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29. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 4 - CMOS Settings
 Advanced CMOS Configuration
◊ Here,you can perform the Number Lock setting,
keyboard repeats speed, type of video, settings for
cache memory, and other special features.
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30. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 4 - CMOS Settings
 Recommended Advanced CMOS Settings
◊ Depending on the BIOS version, you have to press the
ESC key, to return to the main menu
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31. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 4 - CMOS Settings
 Power Management Configuration
◊ After a user defined period of inactivity of devices like the
monitor, the hard drive, or the CPU will go into different
low power modes.
• Standby mode
• Suspend mode
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32. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 4 - CMOS Settings
 Built-In Ports/Peripherals Setup
◊ It can enable or disable ports which built in new systems.
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33. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 4 - CMOS Settings
 Security/Passwords
◊ Two types of passwords are
◊ One must be entered to allow any use of the system
◊ Another one must be entered to allow access to the
BIOS/ CMOS setup
 Saving and Recording BIOS/CMOS Settings
◊ BIOS allows you to save the changes and it will reject the
changes that happen accidentally.
◊ Record the critical BIOS settings
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34. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 4 - CMOS Settings
 BIOS Upgrades
◊ Change the physical chip or to change its contents with
software
 Flash BIOS Upgrade
◊ Install the BIOS upgrade loader and BIOS image to a
floppy disk
 Incorrect CMOS Configuration
◊ Restart by using the BIOS Setup auto-configure options,
double-check drive configurations, save changes, and
restart.
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35. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 4 - CMOS Settings
 Incorrect Flash BIOS or
Failed Update
◊ If the update can't be
installed, the
motherboard might
have jumpers that
write-protects the
flash BIOS.
 Clearing the BIOS
Password
◊ It can be cleared by
using a CMOS jumper
that is present in the
motherboard.
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36. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 5 - Power On Self Test (POST) Error codes
 Some main functions of BIOS during POST
◊ Helps to start the Operating System.
◊ Check for the integrity of the BIOS code
 Some error beeps
◊ No beep - Power supply or system board problem
◊ 1 long, 1 short beep - System board problem
◊ Long beeps - 3270 keyboard card
 Some error codes
◊ 100 to 199 - System board
◊ 200 to 299 - Memory
◊ 300 to 399 - Keyboard
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37. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 6 - System Resources
 System resources are components that are required to
communicate between the hardware components in
a PC.
 Interrupt Request Channels (IRQ)
◊ Hardware devices use IRQ signal to the processor
◊ There are 16 IRQ channels .
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38. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 6 - System Resources
 The snapshot shows the different IRQ channels
associated with different devices.
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39. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 6 - System Resources
 Direct Memory Access (DMA) channels
◊ Here the data is transferred between the peripheral
device and the memory without the intervention of the
CPU.
◊ Devices connected to serial and parallel port do not use
DMA channels
 I/O Port Address
◊ It is an interface present in a PC to connect devices
◊ The port address ranges from 0000h to FFFFh
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40. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 6 - System Resources
 The snapshot displays the I/O address range used by
different devices
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41. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 6 - System Resources
► Checking for Resource Availability
◊ For Windows 3.x or MS-DOS, the resource settings can be
verified by using the MSD command present in the DOS
directory.
◊ For Windows 2000 or Windows XP, follow the step given
below to identify the resources used by the different
devices
Click Start  Programs  Accessories System Tools-> System Information
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42. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Lesson 2 - Standard Expansion Buses
 Introduction
◊ The expansion slots are used to enhance the features of
the PC.
◊ The expansion slots can hold expansion cards like the
sound card, VGA card, AGP card, Network card etc
◊ There are different types of expansion slots. Industrial
Standard Architecture (ISA) bus
• Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) Bus
• Extended ISA (EISA) Bus
• Video Electronics Standard Association (VESA) Bus
• Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)Bus
• Peripheral Component Interconnect – X
• Accelerated Graphics Port
• Audio Modem Raiser and Communication Network Raiser
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43. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Lesson 2 - Standard Expansion Buses
 Topics Covered in this Lesson
◊ PC Bus
◊ Industrial Standard Architecture (ISA) Bus
◊ Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) Bus
◊ Extended ISA (EISA) Bus
◊ Video Electronics Standard Association (VESA) Bus
◊ Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) Bus
◊ Accelerated Graphics Port
◊ Audio Modem Raiser and Communication Network
Raiser
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44. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 1 – PC Bus
 PC bus is an 8 bit expansion slot to connect 8 bit
expansion cards.
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45. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 2 - Industrial Standard Architecture (ISA) Bus
◊ ISA bus is a 16 bit
slot present in
80286, 80386,
80486 and
Pentium systems.
◊ The ISA card is
configured
through jumpers or
switches
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46. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 3 - Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) Bus
◊ Bus Mastering - The components that can take control
over the bus are called bus masters.
 Features of MCA
◊ It is a 16 or 32 bit bus created by IBM
◊ Supports bus mastering
◊ Operates at 10-12 MHZ
◊ Can be configured through software
◊ Has Lower Noise Level
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47. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 4 - Enhanced ISA
◊ It is a 32 bit bus.
◊ Capable of using multiple bus mastering devices.
◊ Compatible 8 bit PC bus, 16 bit ISA bus.
◊ Software setup capability for boards
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48. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 5 - Video Electronics Standard Architecture
(VESA) bus
◊ It is a 32 bus.
◊ It is used to connect video cards, I/O cards and
multimedia expansion cards
 Disadvantages of the VESA
◊ 80486 dependence
◊ Limited number of slots
◊ No bus mastering
◊ Boards are configured through jumpers
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49. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 6 - Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)
bus
 PCI
◊ Operates at a speed of 33
MHz or 66 MHz
◊ It is a 64 bit bus
◊ Communicates with processor
using a bridge circuit.
 PCI-X
◊ Operates at 133 MHz bus
speed
◊ Offers 64 bit Band width
◊ Supports 1 GB/Sec data
transfer rate
◊ Supports efficient bus
operation
◊ Provides backward
Compatibility
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50. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 7 - AGP Bus
◊ It is designed for connecting video cards.
◊ PCI bus with 2.1 version at 66MHZ is the basis for AGP slot.
◊ It supports a new technique called texture cache.
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51. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 8 - Audio Modem Raiser and Communication
Network Raiser
◊ This specification developed by Intel.
◊ The function of the modem and the analog I/O audio
circuitry are combined together on a small circuit board
◊ The small circuit board is called raiser card
◊ The AMR card enhances the performance by providing
better quality audio solutions.
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52. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 8 - Audio Modem Raiser and Communication
Network Raiser
 Communication Network Raiser
Card
◊ This is a standard developed
by Intel
◊ It contains chips for the
functioning of modems and
audio devices.
 PCMCIA or PC Card
◊ It is an expansion board used
for laptop and notebook
computers.
◊ It is used for interfacing
components like the Memory,
fax/modems, SCSI adapters
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53. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 8 - Audio Modem Raiser and Communication
Network Raiser
◊ The following figure shows different Bus interfaces and the
devices that can be connected to each of them
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54. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Lesson 3 - Choosing, Installing and Troubleshooting a
Motherboard
 Introduction
◊ Motherboard is the most important component of the
computer.
◊ This is the central component to which every other
component is attached,
 Topics covered in this module
◊ Choosing a Motherboard
◊ Installing a Motherboard
◊ Troubleshooting a Motherboard
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55. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 1-Choosing a Motherboard
 Choosing a Motherboard
◊ Choosing an appropriate motherboard can be quite a
challenging task. A lot of factors affect the choice of the
motherboard.
◊ Future upgradeability of the system is the most important
one
◊ It should support a higher hard drive capacity, a higher
Memory slot on the motherboard, whether it has an AGP
slot.
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56. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 1-Choosing a Motherboard
 IT should support the following
◊ Mother form factor
◊ CPU compatibility
◊ Functionality
◊ Connectors
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57. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 2-Installing a Motherboard
 Installing a Motherboard
◊ Installing a motherboard should be done with a lot of
care.
◊ Connect the motherboard to the mounting holes and
tighten the screws.
◊ Set the jumpers and switches to the appropriate
positions.
◊ Once the motherboard is secure, then start connecting
the different wires to their appropriate sockets.
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58. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Topic 3 – Troubleshooting a Motherboard
 Troubleshooting a Motherboard
◊ Troubleshooting the motherboard is the trickiest part for a
technician.
◊ This requires a lot of time, patience and documentation.
Since the troubleshooting has to be done at the chip-
level, troubleshooting a motherboard can cost more time
and money than buying a new one.
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59. PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard
Conclusion
◊ PC bus is an 8 bit expansion slot to connect 8 bit
expansion cards
◊ The major components of the motherboard are
• Processor socket or slot
• Chipset
• Super I/O chip
• BIOS
• SIMM/DIMM sockets
• Bus slots
◊ ISA bus is a 16 bit slot present in 80286, 80386, 80486 and
Pentium systems
◊ Future upgradeability of the system is the most important
one
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