Chapter 7: Motherboards

Question 1

AGP

Answer 1

Accelerated Graphics Port. A specialized version of PCI that connected directly to the Northbridge. Used specifically for video cards.

Question 2

AT

Answer 2

predominant form factor through the mid 1990s, invented by IBM in the early 1980s. Was very large and is now obsolete. Only dedicated connector was a keyboard connector (round)

Question 3

ATX

Answer 3

Successor to AT - includes many more ports built-in to the motherboard. Components re-arranged to provide better airflow and performance. 12 x 9.6 inches

Question 4

burn-in failure

Answer 4

failure of a new system, usually within the first 30 days

Question 5

catastrophic failure

Answer 5

a failure that will prevent the computer from starting at all

Question 6

chipset

Answer 6

defines the type of processor and RAM the motherboard requires, as well as some of the built-in components

Question 7

component failure

Answer 7

failure of a specific component on the motherboard

Question 8

device driver

Answer 8

software support programs that allow devices to work

Question 9

distended capacitors

Answer 9

failed capacitors that bulge out at the top

Question 10

expansion bus

Answer 10

collection of slots and support chips, etc., that are designed to handle expansion devices

Question 11

expansion bus crystal

Answer 11

drives expansion devices the same way the system crystal drives the CPU/motherboard

Question 12

expansion slot

Answer 12

slots built in to the motherboard for adding expansion devices

Question 13

FlexATX

Answer 13

Smaller version of microATX invented by Intel. 9 x 7.5 inches. No longer widely used.

Question 14

form factor

Answer 14

determines the physical size of the motherboard, as well as the location of components and ports

Question 15

ITX

Answer 15

Attempt by VIA to create a small form factor PC. Wasn’t successful, but spawned a number of variants.

Question 16

microATX

Answer 16

Smaller version of ATX form factor that still uses all ATX connections. Most are 9.6 x 9.6 inches.

Question 17

Mini-ITX

Answer 17

Largest of the 3 ITX form factors 6.7 x 6.7 inches.

Question 18

Mini-PCI

Answer 18

Variant of PCI designed for notebooks. Designed for lower power and to lie flat.

Question 19

motherboard

Answer 19

the component that all other components are directly or indirectly plugged in to

Question 20

motherboard book

Answer 20

technician manual that comes with a specific motherboard that contains important information relevant to that motherboard

Question 21

Nano-ITX

Answer 21

“Middle” sized of the ITX form factors. 4.7 x 4.7 inches.

Question 22

PCIe

Answer 22

PCI Express. Uses point-to-point serial connection, which is much faster than parallel connection of older PCI variants.

Question 23

PCI-X

Answer 23

PCI eXtended. Supported 32- and 64-bit devices. Ran in speeds up to 533 MHz. Wasn’t widely adopted.

Question 24

PCI

Answer 24

Peripheral Component Interconnect. Introduced by Intel in the 1990s. Provides a way for expansion devices to connect to PCs. 32 bits wide, runs at 33 MHz.

Question 25

Pico-ITX

Answer 25

Smallest of the ITX form factors. 3.8 x 2.8 inches.

Question 26

printed circuit board (PCB)

Answer 26

copper etched onto a nonconductive material and then coated with epoxy for strength

Question 27

riser card

Answer 27

plugs into a special slot on the motherboard to hold more expansion cards

Question 28

standoffs

Answer 28

small connectors that hold the motherboard in place to the case

Question 29

Super I/O chip

Answer 29

chip added to some motherboards that handles slower or legacy connections

Question 30

traces

Answer 30

“wires” printed on the circuit board where electricity travels

Question 31

transfer rate

Answer 31

The number of operations happening per second.

Question 32

unsigned driver

Answer 32

drivers that haven’t been tested and certified by Microsoft for use with Windows

Question 33

Windows Hardware Certification Program

Answer 33

drivers contain a digital signature that shows the driver was tested and certified to work by Microsoft