Motherboards Objective 3.4 Flashcards
Motherboard
▪ Printed circuit board that contains computer components and provides connectors
Processing
▪ Actions performed by the CPU when receiving information
▪ Processing is conducted by the CPU or GPU
Advanced Technology eXtended (ATX)
▪ Full-size motherboard and measures 12” x 9.6” in size (305mm x 244 mm)
Mini-ATX
▪ Smaller than ATX but contains the same features (11.2” x 8.2” / 284mm x
208 mm)
Micro-ATX (mATX)
▪ Measures 9.6 inches squared (244mm x 244mm)
▪ Micro-ATX is the same as ATX but only has 4 expansion card slots
Information Technology eXtended (ITX)
▪ Designed as a replacement for the ATX but never produced
Mini-ITX
▪ Measures 6.7” x 6.7” with only one expansion slot (170 x 170mm
squared)
● Nano-ITX
● Pico-ITX
● Mobile-ITX
CPU
▪ The brains of the computer that execute the different programing codes in the software and firmware
▪ The CPU is performing the basic operations for every instruction in the computer
▪ Once the processor has done the execution of the instruction, it will send that information back to the memory so that it can be stored and used for later use
X86 and X64
X86
▪ Can support a maximum of 4 gigabytes of Ram
X64
▪ An extension of the X86 instruction set to be able to support 64-bit operations
▪ 32 bit systems can only run 32 bit programs, but 64 bit processors can run 64 bit programs and 32 bit programs because they are fully backwards
compatible
Advanced RISC Machine (ARM)
▪ Used for low-power devices (tablets and cell phones)
● Extended battery life
● Produces less heat
▪ RISC systems use code to do tasks
ZIF
▪ The ability to insert the CPU without pressing down and applying pressure to it
▪ If you bend, snap, or break a pin from a processor, the entire processor is no longer functional
LGA Socket
▪ A form factor that positions all the pins to be able to connect the CPU
processor into the socket
PGA Form Factor
▪ The processor has the pins and the socket have holes which allows the holes to align when installing the processor
Multi-Socket
▪ Multiple CPU’s or processors installed on a motherboard
▪ You cannot upgrade or change out the processor on a mobile device
▪ The two main types of CPU sockets are LGA, which is made by Intel, and we have PGA, which has made by AMD.
Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT) / Hyper-threading
▪ Single stream of instructions is being sent by a software application to a processor
▪ Manufacturers developed a way to allow software to run multiple parallel threads at the same time
Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP)
▪ Traditional workstation and servers have multiple processors
Multi-core Processors
▪ Single CPU with multiple processors inside
▪ Multiple processors have multiple cores inside the CPU
Dual-core Processor
▪ Two CPUs inside a single chip
Quad-core Processor
▪ Four CPUs inside a single chip
Hexa-core Processor
▪ Six CPUs inside a single chip
Octa-core Processor
▪ Eight CPUs inside a single chip
PCI
▪ 32-bit expansion card
● PCI 32-bit cards support only a maximum bus speed of 33 MHz or 133 MBps
PCI-X
▪ 64-bit expansion card (133 MHz)
PCI-X 2.0
▪ 266 MHz up to 533 MHz
● PCI and PCI-X are used for networking cards and audio cards
Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)
▪ Used for video graphics cards
● AGP 1x
● AGP 2x
● AGP 4x
● AGP 8x
PCIe (PCI Express) replaces PCI, PCI-X, and AGP
▪ PCIe x1
▪ PCIe x4
▪ PCIe x8
▪ PCIe x16
● PCIe x1 is used for modems, network cards, wireless cards, input/output devices, and audio cards
● PCIe x16 is used for graphics cards
Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe)
▪ Connects to the bus to get data to and from the motherboard for external devices
▪ PCIe bus is determined by the motherboard and its form factor
● 16 PCIe lanes
● 24 PCIe lanes
● 32 PCIe lanes
▪ PCIe x16 and PCIe x1 maximize the number of lanes used on a motherboard
● PCIe 1.0
● PCIe 2.0
● PCIe 3.0
● PCIe 4.0
● PCIe 5.0
▪ All PCIe slots provide 25 watts of power
▪ PCIe x16 card slot provides up to 75 watts of power
Mini PCIe
▪ Standard PCIe card with smaller form factor
▪ Mini PCIe cards are used inside of laptops, specifically for wireless networking
● PCIe x1
o Modems
o Networking cards
o Wireless cards
o Audio cards
● PCIe x16
o Graphics and video cards (3D)
o Gaming systems
