Motherboards and Processors

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Motherboards and Processors
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Motherboard and Processor

• How frequently are they changed? Why?
• Is it a dying or growing technology?
• How much do they cost?

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Chipset

• The chipset usually has two physicals chips
• North Bridge and South Bridge
• North Bridge
• Memory controller hub (not for some CPUs though)
• Core chipset that handles the communication
  between CPU, RAM, AGP, PCI-E and South Bridge
• South Bridge
• Chipset that handles the communication between
  North Bridge, PCI, ISA and other I/O devices such
  as USB, Firewire and Gigabit Ethernet, sound,
  keyboard, mouse, disc drives

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Form Factor

• Form Factor defines the physical size power
  supply and mounting hole location.
• ATX
• Standard type of motherboard
• BTX
• Tried to replace ATX form factor for lower
  voltage to reduce the heat dissipation from the
  processor.
• Unsuccessfully because new processor has lower
  power requirements

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Processor Characteristics

• Socket type
• Clock speed
• Front Side Bus (FSB) - Connection speed between
  the processor and the chipset. Latest FSB1333.
• Cache size level 1 (L1)cache and level 2 (L2)
  cache.
• Single core or multi-core - ensures that system
  remains more responsive even when the processor
  load is high

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Why Replace Your Old Motherboard?

• Motherboard has failed
• Need additional features
• Compatibility of new hardware

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Summary

• We have discussed the components on the
  motherboard
• Chipset
• ISA, PCI and PCI-E
• We have also discussed some basics of the
  processor
• Characteristics
• Socket