The Motherboard
Quite simply, your motherboard is your computer’s skeleton. It is the frame that holds together all the pieces that make your computer work.
Your computer’s motherboard is integral to what pieces you will be able to use in customizing your computer. Most motherboards will only work with certain CPUs, memory sticks and other customizable pieces. Keep this in mind when choosing the parts for your custom computer and try to have a general idea of what specs your computer will need before looking at motherboards. Before you place your order, PC Build Bros. will help you look over the pieces you want in order to ensure they are compatible.
Important features to note on your motherboard are the sockets used to hold the CPU and your RAM. The sockets will determine the type and models of processors that can be installed on it, and the limit on the total RAM it can support. It is usually a good idea to get a motherboard with more room for RAM than you originally get as you can always update it in the future.
The form factor of your motherboard refers to the layout of its circuits. The size of the case you get and where the sockets for your particular pieces will depend on your form factor. Joining the motherboard with the microprocessor is your chipset which will be used by all components in your computer when communicating with the CPU.
You will notice your motherboard has different parts. The speed with which your computer will be able to communicate between its parts depends on the speed of your motherboard’s bus- the circuit that joins one part of the motherboard to the other. The bus’s speed is measured in megahertz (MHz) which refers to the amount of data it can move across simultaneously.
The last thing to keep in mind is whether you will be adding additional components. Some motherboards have expansion slots that are specific for particular attachments. While you can add an expansion that adds the connectors you want, it is ideal (and the computer performs better) when the slots are directly built on the motherboard.
Your computer’s motherboard is integral to what pieces you will be able to use in customizing your computer. Most motherboards will only work with certain CPUs, memory sticks and other customizable pieces. Keep this in mind when choosing the parts for your custom computer and try to have a general idea of what specs your computer will need before looking at motherboards. Before you place your order, PC Build Bros. will help you look over the pieces you want in order to ensure they are compatible.
Important features to note on your motherboard are the sockets used to hold the CPU and your RAM. The sockets will determine the type and models of processors that can be installed on it, and the limit on the total RAM it can support. It is usually a good idea to get a motherboard with more room for RAM than you originally get as you can always update it in the future.
The form factor of your motherboard refers to the layout of its circuits. The size of the case you get and where the sockets for your particular pieces will depend on your form factor. Joining the motherboard with the microprocessor is your chipset which will be used by all components in your computer when communicating with the CPU.
You will notice your motherboard has different parts. The speed with which your computer will be able to communicate between its parts depends on the speed of your motherboard’s bus- the circuit that joins one part of the motherboard to the other. The bus’s speed is measured in megahertz (MHz) which refers to the amount of data it can move across simultaneously.
The last thing to keep in mind is whether you will be adding additional components. Some motherboards have expansion slots that are specific for particular attachments. While you can add an expansion that adds the connectors you want, it is ideal (and the computer performs better) when the slots are directly built on the motherboard.