The Motherboard

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Chapter 4

• The Motherboard

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You Will Learn

• About the types of motherboards
• About components on the motherboard
• A basic procedure for building a computer
• How to install a motherboard
• How to troubleshoot a motherboard

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Purpose of Motherboard

• Houses the CPU
• Allows all devices to communicate with the CPU
  and with each other

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Types of Motherboards
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ATX and AT Motherboards
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Main Components on a Motherboard

• CPU and chip set
• System clock
• ROM BIOS
• CMOS configuration chip and its battery
• RAM
• RAM cache (optional)

• System bus with expansion slots
• Jumpers and DIP switches
• Ports that are directly on the board
• Power supply connections

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Field Replaceable Units (FRUs)

• CPU
• ROM BIOS chip
• CMOS battery
• RAM
• RAM cache

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An AT Motherboard
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An ATX Motherboard
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Components Determined by Motherboard Selection

• Types and speeds of CPU
• Chip set on the board (already installed)
• Memory cache and size
• Types/number of expansion slots ISA, PCI, AGP
• Type of memory, including what kind and how much
  SRAM and DRAM (SIMMs, DIMMs, or RIMMs)
• Maximum amount of memory you can install
  incremental amounts by which you can upgrade

continued
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Components Determined by Motherboard Selection

• Type of case you can use
• ROM BIOS (already installed)
• Type of keyboard connector
• Presence/absence of proprietary video and/or
  proprietary local bus slots
• Presence/absence of IDE adapters and SCSI
  controller
• Presence/absence of COM ports, LPT ports, and
  mouse port

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Approaches to Selecting a Motherboard

• Provides most room for expansion
• Suits needs of current configuration
• Meets present needs with moderate room for
  expansion

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When Selecting a Motherboard

• Designed so long expansion cards dont get in the
  way of CPU or other devices?
• Support CPU you plan to use?
• What type of BIOS does it use?
• What bus speeds and type memory does it support
  how much memory can it hold?
• Does it use many embedded devices?

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When Selecting a Motherboard

• Does it fit the case?
• Does it support your legacy cards?
• What is the warranty?
• Extensive user-friendly documentation?
• How much support does manufacturer supply?

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Motherboard Manufacturers
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The System Clock

• Keeps beat for motherboard activities
• Frequency measured in megahertz (MHz)
• Wait state
• Occurs when CPU must wait for another component

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CPU and Chip Set

• IBM and IBM-compatible computers use a
  microprocessor chip made by Intel or AMD, and to
  a lesser degree by Cyrix

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Attributes Used to Rate CPUs

• Speed (in gigahertz)
• Efficiency of programming code
• Number of transistors
• Number of registers
• Word size

• Data path
• Maximum number of memory addresses
• Amount of memory included
• Multiprocessing abilities
• Special functionality

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The Pentium and Its Competitors

• Pentium processor
• A true multiprocessor (has two ALUs)
• 64-bit external path size and two 32-bit internal
  paths (one for each ALU)

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CPU Terminology

• Bus speed
• Frequency/speed at which data moves on a bus
• Only the fastest bus connects directly to CPU
• Processor speed
• Speed at which CPU operates internally
• The multiplier
• System bus speed x multiplier processor speed
• Memory cache
• Small amount of RAM that is fast and does not
  need refreshing
• Can hold data as long as power is available

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Memory Cache on the CPU

• Internal cache, primary cache, or Level 1 cache
• Included on the CPU die
• External cache, secondary cache, or Level 2 cache
• Outside CPU microchip

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Memory Cache on the CPU
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The Pentium III
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The Pentium 4
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Advanced Pentium Competitors
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The Cyrix III
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The AMD Athlon
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Intel ItaniumThe Next-Generation Processor

• Intels first 64-bit processor for microcomputers
• Designed for high-end enterprise servers
• Uses a new instruction set called the EPIC
  (explicitly parallel instruction computing)
  architecture

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Intel Itanium Processors
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CPU Heat Sinks Cooling Fans

• Heat sinks
• Used by older CPUs to pull heat away from the CPU
• Clip-on device that mounts on top of the CPU
• Cooling fans
• Keep temperatures below the Intel maximum limit
  of 185 degrees F/85 degrees C
• Exotic options refrigeration, peltiers, water
  coolers

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Heat Sinks and Cooling Fans
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CPU Cooling Fan
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CPU Package Types

• SECC (Single Edge Contact Cartridge)
• SECC2 (Single Edge Contact Cartridge, version 2)
• SEP (Single Edge Processor)
• PPGA (Plastic Pin Grid Array)
• PGA (Pin Grid Array)

• OOI/OLGA (Organic Land Grid Array)
• FC-PGA (Flip Chip Pin Grid Array)
• FC-PGA2 (Flip Chip Pin Grid Array 2)
• PAC (Pin Array Cartridge)

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Plastic Pin Grid Array
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CPU Slots and Sockets

• Physical connections used to connect CPU to
  motherboard
• Motherboard and processor must match
• Slots 1 and 2 are proprietary Intel slots
• Slot A and Socket A are proprietary AMD connectors

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Sockets and Slots Used by CPUs
continued
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Sockets and Slots Used by CPUs
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CPU Slots and Sockets

• Earlier CPU sockets
• Pin grid array (PGA) sockets
• Staggered pin grid array (SPGA)
• Low insertion force (LIF) sockets
• Current CPU sockets
• Zero insertion force (ZIF) sockets small lever
  on side of socket lifts CPU up and out of socket

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CPU Slots and Sockets
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CPU Voltage Regulator

• Controls the amount of voltage to the CPU
• Dual-voltage CPUs and single-voltage CPUs

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The Chip Set

• Set of chips on system board that collectively
  controls memory cache, external buses, and some
  peripherals
• Intel dominates the market
• Most compatible with Pentium family of CPUs
• Investment in RD has led to other developments
  (eg, PCI bus, universal serial bus, AGP, and
  Accelerated Hub Architecture)

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Intel Chip Sets

• E chipset family
• Intel i800 Series
• Orion
• Natoma
• Triton III
• Triton II
• Triton I

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Accelerated Hub Architecture
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Chip Set Manufacturers
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ROM BIOS

• One ROM chip on motherboard contains BIOS
• BIOS manages startup process (startup BIOS) and
  basic I/O functions (system BIOS)
• Most devices are not supported by system BIOS,
  but by device drivers
• Flash ROM (erasable programmable read-only memory
  or EEPROM) allows ROM BIOS to be upgraded without
  changing ROM chip

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BIOS Manufacturers
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Sample Web Site for Flash ROM BIOS Upgrades
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Buses and Expansion Slots

• PCs have four or five buses, each with different
  speeds, access methods, and protocols
• Buses evolved around data path and speed
• So many buses because single speed is not
  practical
• Buses carry electrical power, control signals,
  memory addresses, and data
• On-board ports (eg, keyboard port and mouse port)
• Expansion slots can be located on motherboard
  sometimes stacked vertically on a second board

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Buses Listed by Throughput
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Relationship of CPU Speedto Bus Speed

• Overall performance is better when multiplier is
  small
• Change speed of a computer by
• Changing speed of system bus, or
• Changing multiplier that determines speed of CPU

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How CPU and Bus SpeedsAre Controlled
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Hardware Configuration

• Tells CPU what hardware components are present
  and how they can interface with the CPU
• How much memory is available
• Which power management features are present
• Whether disk drives, hard drives, modems, serial
  ports are connected
• Provided on motherboard in three ways
• DIP switches
• Jumpers
• CMOS

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Setup Data Storedby DIP Switches
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Setup Data Stored by Jumpers
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Setup Data Stored by Jumpers
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Setup Data on a CMOS Chip

• Also called real-time clock/nonvolatile RAM
  (RTC/NVRAM) chip
• Retains data even when computer is turned off
• Requires very little electricity to hold data
• Setup cannot be changed unintentionally, but disk
  drive must be working before you can change the
  setup

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Changing CMOS Using Setup
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Changing CMOS Using Setup
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Changing CMOS Using Setup
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Changing CMOS Using Setup
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Changing CMOS Using Setup
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Battery Power to CMOS Chip
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Battery Power to CMOS Chip

• Types of CMOS batteries
• 3.6V lithium battery with a four-pin connector
  connects with a Velcro strip
• 4.5V alkaline battery with a four-pin connector
  connects with a Velcro strip
• 3.6V barrel-style battery with a two-pin
  connector soldered on
• 3V lithium coin-cell battery (most common)

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Coin-Cell CMOS Battery
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CMOS

• Setting startup passwords in CMOS
• Categories of CMOS settings
• Standard CMOS setup
• Advanced CMOS setup (aka BIOS Features setup)
• Advanced Chip Set Setup
• Power Menu (aka Power Management)
• IDE HDD Auto-detect
• Hardware Device Settings (on jumperless
  motherboards only)

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Protecting Documentation and Configuration
Settings

• Keep written record of CMOS settings, records of
  hardware and software installed, and network
  settings
• Keep well-labeled documentation in a safe place
• Saving and restoring CMOS settings using a
  third-party utility software

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Building a Computer

• Verify that you have all parts you plan to
  install
• Prepare computer case
• Install drives
• Determine proper configuration settings for
  motherboard
• Set jumpers or switches on motherboard
• Install CPU and CPU cooler
• Install RAM
• Install motherboard and attach cabling

continued
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Building a Computer

• Install video card
• Plug computer into power source attach monitor
  and keyboard
• Boot system and enter CMOS setup
• Make sure settings are set to the default
• If booting from a floppy disk, insert a bootable
  setup disk
• Observe POST
• Prepare hard drive for the OS

continued
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Building a Computer

• Reboot the system and run ScanDisk on drive C
• Connect mouse
• Install the OS from CD or floppy
• Change boot order in CMOS
• Check for conflicts with system resources
• Install any other expansion cards, and/or drives
• Verify that all is operating properly make final
  OS and/or CMOS adjustments

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Installing a Motherboard

• Prepare motherboard to go into the case
• Set jumpers
• Add CPU, fan, and heat sink
• Install motherboard in the case

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Adding CPU, Fan, and Heat Sink
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Adding CPU, Fan, and Heat Sink
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Adding CPU, Fan, and Heat Sink
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Adding CPU, Fan, and Heat Sink
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Adding CPU, Fan, and Heat Sink
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Installing the Motherboardin the Case

• Install faceplate
• Install standoffs
• Place motherboard inside case and use screws to
  attach it to the case
• Connect power cord from power supply to P1 power
  connection on motherboard
• Connect wire leads from front panel of case to
  motherboard (reset switch, HDD LED, speaker,
  power LED, remote switch)

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Installing the Faceplate
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Installing the Faceplate
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Standoffs and Screwholes
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Wire Connectors
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Wire Connectors
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Completing the Installation

• Install drives and other components
• Turn on system and make sure everything is
  connected properly
• Set configuration data and create rescue desk of
  settings

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Troubleshooting the Motherboard

• Look for clues from POST
• Reports errors as beep codes
• Cautiously substitute good hardware components
  for those you suspect are bad

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Information about Beep Codes
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Chapter Summary

• How the components of a computer work in harmony
  and with accuracy
• The motherboard
• Central site of computer logic circuitry
• Location of most important microchip in the
  computer, the CPU