What Is a Motherboard?
The word ‘Motherboard’ is used to describe the circuit board on which a computer’s CPU, main memory and I/O connectors reside. The following image provides a descriptive pictorial representation of a motherboard and the parts it houses. The image was taken from Tomshardware.com.
| 1. CPU socket | 2. Chipset | 3. DIMM/RAM slots |
| 4. PCIe x16 slot | 5. PCI x1 slot | 6. M.2 connector |
| 7. SATA ports | 8. Front panel connectors | 9. USB 2. header |
| 10. USB 3.1 Gen1 header | 11. USB 3.1 Gen2 header | 12. ATX power connector |
| 13. CPU power connector | 14. BIOS chips | 15. CMOS battery |
| 16. Fan headers | 17. Front panel header | 18. VRM heatsink |
| 19. COM/Serial header | 20. TPM header | 21. RGB header |
Most motherboards out in the market come in one of the following three sizes:
· ATX (12 x 9.625 inches)
· Micro ATX (9.625 x 9.625 inches)
· Mini ITX (6.75 x 6.75 inches)
In addition the picture, shown above, represents only one motherboard model, different models might offer different I/O options and the components might not necessarily be situated in the same order (as compared to the image). All these factors vary model to model.
If you are wondering about how to choose the right heatsink for your setup, then the following article can help you answer that query