3.4 Motherboards Flashcards
Define input and output.
Input: Process of accepting data in a form that the computer can use
Output: Process of displaying the processed data or information
Define the form factor of the ATX motherboard.
Full-size motherboard, measuring 12’’ by 9.6’’
Define the form factor of the Mini-ATX.
9.6’’ squared
Same as ATX but only has 4 expansion card slots
What is the Information Technology Extended form factor?
Designed as a replacement for ATX but never produced.
What actually are ATX and ITX?
Motherboard and power supply specifications
What is the form factor of the Mini-ITX?
6.7’’ by 6.7’’ with only one expansion slot (170mm squared)
What is the Information Technology Extended form factor?
Designed as a replacement for ATX but never produced.
List some other ITX form factors
Nano, Pico, Mobile
What is ‘form factor’?
The shape, layout, and type of case in a power supply
Describe what the CPU does.
- Execute different programming codes in the software/firmware
- Perform basic operations for every instruction in the computer
- After execution, sends information back to memory to be stored and used later
What is the maximum amount of RAM that architectures from the X86 family can support?
4GB (Gigabytes) RAM
What is X64?
An instruction set architecture based on X86, extended to enable 64-bit code. There are two modes of operation: 64-bit and compatible
What are ARMs used for and why?
Low-power devices (tablets, mobile phones) because they have extended battery life and produce less heat.
List the four types of CPU sockets.
ZIF, LGA, PGA Form Factor, and Multi-socket
What is beneficial about a ZIF socket?
It means you can insert the CPU without applying pressure, which means you are less likely to break pins and therefore break the processor.
Describe how an LGA socket works.
There are flat metal contacts on the underside of the chip instead of pins, which rest on the corresponding contacts of the socket. There is often a brace to help hold it in and small notches to help with alignment.
Describe how a PGA form factor works.
Pins on the underside of the chip fit into holes in the socket, and pressure then needs to be applied to fully insert the chip
What is multisocket?
Multiple CPUs or processors installed on a motherboard (processors cannot be changed on a mobile device)
Which companies manufacture LGA and PGA, respectively?
Intel (LGA) and AMD (PGA)
What is a multi-core processor?
A single CPU with multiple processors inside.
Describe how simultaneous multithreading/Hyper-threading works.
A single stream of instructions is being sent by a software application to a processor; the CPU splits each physical core into two virtual cores.
What is the difference between a multi-processor and a multi-core system?
Multi-processor would have more than one CPU, multi-core refers to how many cores within the single CPU
How does symmetric multiprocessing work?
Where multiple processors share a common OS and memory.
Why should you always use hyper-threading with multi-core processors?
Because there will always be idle cycles, and hyper-threading takes advantage of that for a greater overall throughput
How is a multi-core processor beneficial?
It allows for more threads to be worked on at once, therefore resulting in greater throughput.
What is virtualisation?
Allowing multiple systems to run on a single physical host
What do VT and AMD-V do?
They are hardware extensions to support virtualisation
What is SLAT (Second Level Address Translation)?
Features of software virtualisation are underlying and supported by the hardware processor.
Compare and contrast AMD and Intel CPUs.
AMD: Generally less expensive, more popular with gamers/hobbyists, tends to outperform Intel in regards to graphics, generally better at handling 64-bit applications
Intel: Have a faster overall processing speed, don’t run as hot, better compatibility, pull slightly more power and cost more
What is the Architecture State (AS)?
A monitoring component that checks for idle cycles and informs the processor to direct attention to the other threads
How does a single core CPU process threads?
By working on one at a time and cycling through them, giving attention to each but for a limited amount of time.
List the steps required to install the motherboard and CPU.
- Review the motherboard’s documentation
- Place the motherboard aligned at the rear of the case
- Insert standoffs that match the hole in the motherboard
- Install the processor and memory modules before installing the motherboard
- Verify the standoffs are properly aligned prior to installing the motherboard
- Secure the standoffs using the appropriate screw type
- Install the power supply, disk drives, and add-on cards
What is the PCIe x1 card used for?
Modems, network cards, wireless cards, input/output devices and audio cards
What is the max bus speed a PCI 32-bit card can support?
33MHz or 133 MBps
How many bits is the PCI-X card?
64-bits
What is the maximum bus speed of PCI-X 2.0
33 MHz up to 266MHz
What input/ouput sockets might an audio card have?
External speakers or headphones, microphone jack and possibly a game controller
What is the AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) used for?
Video graphics cards: AGP 1x, 2x, 4x and 8x
What does the PCIe card replace, and how many versions are there?
It replaces PCI, PCI-X, and AGP
There are 4 versions: x1, x4, x8 and x16
What is PCIe x16 used for?
Graphics and video cards (including 3D)
Gaming systems
Which two PCIe versions maximise the number of lanes used on a motherboard?
PCIe x1 and x16
How does a PCIe card work?
It connects to the bus to transfer data to and from the motherboard and external devices. The bus is determined by the motherboard and its form factor (16, 24 or 32 PCIe lanes)
How many watts of power do PCIe slots provide?
What about PCIe x16?
25w
up to 75w
What do up-plugging and down-plugging mean?
Putting a smaller card in a larger slot, and putting a larger card in a smaller slot
Where are mini PCIe cards normally used?
Inside laptops, specifically for wireless networking
What does a VCC (Video Capture Card) do?
Takes video signals and processes them inside the computer; often used for recording footage and security devices
What does a Video Card/Graphic Adapter do?
Gives quality signal for monitors
What is the name for the specialised processor designed to accelerate graphics rendering?
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
Give some examples of graphical ports. Where are they installed?
Thunderbolt, DisplayPort and HDMI; they are installed outside of the card
How does a TV Capture Card work?
Cables are plugged into a computer to get all cable TV channels
What is the only required connector for a NIC (Network Interface Card)?
RJ45 connector
What connectors support a fiber card?
ST, SC, MT-RJ
What is a riser card?
A special type of expansion card on a motherboard
What type of cards likely have multiple HDMI and/or DisplayPort connections?
Video cards
