Motherboards Flashcards
On older motherboards, the speed on what two components need to be raised to enable overclocking?
CPU and Front Side Bus (FSB)
On newer motherboards, the speed on what two components need to be raised to enable overclocking?
CPU and RAM
What are the two types of PCI Express (PCIe) slots?
x1 and x16 (one lane or sixteen lanes)
What enables the transfer of data between the CPU and RAM?
Memory Bus
The CPU communicates to the L2 cache through what component?
Back Side Bus (BSB)
What does CMOS stand for and what is it named for?
Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor. Named for the battery which powers the CMOS chip.
difference between CMOS and BIOS
research
What is the best practice for servicing failing parts on the motherboard?
Replace entire motherboard.
What is an SLI and what is its purpose?
Scalable Link Interface. Its purpose is to bridge to PCIe cards together to double its throughput. (or graphics capabilities)
What are the speeds of the four versions of PCIe?
- 0=250MB/s
- 0=500MB/s
- 0=1GB/s
- 0=2GB/s
In newer CPU/motherboard models, what will happen if the fan malfunctions and the CPU gets too hot?
The CPU’s failsafe device will immediately shut the computer off.
What does it mean if a component is “hot swappable”?
This means that the computer does not have to be powered off in order to replace the component, and will not cause significant disruption to the system.
What does a jumper do on older motherboard models?
Configure CPU speed and voltage.
What does a jumper do on newer motherboard models?
Configure BIOS and CMOS settings.
What is the purpose of a PC Main (P1) connector?
Provide power to the motherboard.
How many pins can a P1 have?
20 or 24 pins.
What is the purpose of the P4 connector (ATX12V and EPS12V)?
Provide dedicated power to the processor.
What is the difference, in number of pins, between an ATX12V and an EPS12V connector?
ATX12V has four pins. EPS12V has eight pins.
What is a molex used for and how many pins does it have?
A molex is used to power an IDE drive (or IDE DVD) and has four pins.
How many pins are on the power connector for SATA?
Fifteen.
How many pins are on the power connector for PCIe?
Six, or eight for high end PCIe cards.
What is a motherboard switch used for?
Some older motherboards have them in place of jumpers.
