Buying guide: Motherboards
The motherboard is the core circuit board that houses many of the crucial components of the system (such as the processor and the RAM), and also provides connectors for the other peripherals of the computer. The motherboard is also responsible for ensuring power supply to the different peripherals of the computer as necessary. The motherboard is thus core to computing, and the performance of a computer is very much dependent on the motherboard. It is evident that buying a motherboard that meets all your requirements can be a daunting task. This guide will help you make a well-informed decision, so read on!
It is very vital that you ascertain the purpose for which you are buying a motherboard and also determine your budget, for this will enable you to shortlist your options from the many dozens to a chosen handful. This then raises a rather interesting question: what motherboard should I buy? And the simple answer is that you should buy one that meets all your needs and is within your budget. What exactly are these “needs” that we are talking about here? And this largely depends on what purpose do you intend to use your computer for. Are you looking for barebones basic computing and will be using your computer to surf the Internet and play movies and songs? Or is that while you like to game, playing the latest game at the highest possible settings isn’t the important for you? Or, do you want a computer system that is the best technology can afford at the moment so that you can game in all of graphics glory? Will you be using your computer to run calculation-heavy applications that tend to require tons of power? Depending on your answers to the above questions, you can ascertain your needs. Also, while up until very recently, if you were looking for basic computing, the on-board graphics card on your motherboard would do just fine. This, however, is not the case today for given the increasing complexity of operating systems (Windows 7 for example), even basic computing now requires an add-on graphics card. In other words, you need to buy a motherboard that boasts of an advanced integrated graphics chip or that boasts of a graphics card slots (which we will look into detail later).
Motherboards can be classified on the basis of their form factor (read size) and on the basis of the CPU manufacturer whose processor the motherboard supports. On the basis of their form factor, motherboards are classified as follows: ATX form factor motherboards (12 in x 9.6 in), MicroATX form factor motherboards (9.6 in x 9.6 in), and MiniITX form factor motherboards (6.7 in x 6.7 in). While the basics remain the same, MicroATX form factor motherboards and MiniITX form factor motherboards do come with lesser expansion slots and ports. However, PCs using such boards are not only smaller but these also consume less power and are cheaper. Those in the market for a mid-end computer should carefully ascertain their needs before taking a call between an ATX form factor motherboard and a MicroATX form factor motherboard. We will now classify motherboards on the basis of the CPU manufacturer whose processor the motherboard supports. At present, there are two main original CPU manufacturers in the market today: Intel and AMD. Obviously, a motherboard meant to be used with an Intel processor is not compatible with an AMD processor, and vice versa. While Intel and AMD do produce their own motherboards, they also allow third-party vendors (such as Asus, Gigabyte, etc.) to create their own boards using the original Intel and original AMD chipsets. Also, both original equipment manufacturers and third-party vendors have introduced motherboard-CPU combo packages. Further, both Intel and AMD produce motherboards that feature different types of processor sockets to cater to different price bands in the market. For example, Intel produces motherboards for LGA 1366, LGA 1156, and LGA 775 sockets. Similarly, AMD produces motherboards for AM2, AM2+/AM2, and AM2+/AM3 sockets. Also note that computer assemblers and retailers, such as HP and Dell, use motherboards manufactured by both original equipment manufacturers and third-party vendors.
Intel S5000PAL Motherboard
Intel Desktop Board Dg45fc (boxdg45fc) Motherboard
Intel DG41TY Motherboard
Purchasing criteria
In addition to the above, the following are some of the items you need to bear in mind when purchasing a motherboard:
1. Slots: Any motherboard is only as good as the number of slots it can boast of, for it is the number of slots that determine the capability of a motherboard when it comes to supporting numerous peripherals. Before we discuss further, we will look at some of the types of slots one can usually find on a motherboard. First up, we have the power cable slots that are used to connect to the power supply unit. Almost all motherboards feature multiple power slots of different types. Newer and older motherboards feature different combinations of power slots, and before buying a particular motherboard it is essential that you check whether or not your power supply is compatible with the chosen motherboard. Besides, a motherboard would also feature PCI and/or PCI-E expansion slots that can be used to attach multiple different types of peripherals such as sound cards, TV tuner cards, etc. While ATX form factor motherboards usually feature four to six such slots, MicroATX form factor motherboards and MiniITX form factor motherboards only feature two to three. In addition, most motherboards these days come with two to four SATA connectors that can be used to connect hard disk drives and CD/DVD/BD drives. Almost all motherboards also feature at least 2 RAM slots. While some basic low-end motherboards do not come with a PCI-E 16x slot (the slot that can be used to attach a graphics card), most motherboards feature only one. Some high-end motherboards also feature more than one PCI-E 16x slot. 2. Ports: Almost all motherboards these days feature one Ethernet port, multiple USB ports, a keyboard and a mouse port. It is necessary that this be checked. 3. Bus speed: Bus speed is the speed with which the motherboard facilitates the flow of the information among the processor, RAM, and other peripheral devices. Obviously, the higher the bus speed, the faster (and by extension, the costlier) the motherboard. Thus, it is necessary that you ascertain your needs and then go in for an appropriate motherboard. 4. RAM capacity: The RAM capacity of a motherboard is the maximum amount of RAM that the motherboard can support, and is measured in gigabytes (GBs). Obviously, the higher the RAM capacity of a motherboard, the better it is. While some basic motherboards can support a maximum of 4 GB of RAM, other high-end motherboards boast of support for a maximum of 6 GB or a maximum of 8 GB of RAM. Though not a very important factor for users who are buying a motherboard for basic computing, the RAM capacity of a motherboard is important for gamers for it allows them to increase the performance of their PC by merely increasing the available RAM. 5. RAM type: Another thing to consider when buying a motherboard, beside the maximum amount of RAM a motherboard can support, is the RAM type the motherboard can support. At present, there are two main RAM types that can be found in the market: DDR2 RAM and DDR3 RAM, with the former being increasingly replaced by the latter. DDR2 RAM is slower than DDR3 RAM, so much so that DDR3 RAM is twice as fast as DDR2 RAM when it comes to transmitting data. Further, by extension, DDR2 RAM is also much cheaper than DDR3 RAM. However, once DDR3 RAM becomes mainstream in the market, things will change. Hence, it is advisable that one goes in for a motherboard that features support for DDR3 RAM, even if one is not interested in going in for a DDR3 RAM right away. The RAM type can be checked by a mere glance on the motherboard’s spec sheet. 6. Multiple graphics cards support: Both Nvidia and ATI, the two primary graphics cards original equipment manufacturers in the world today, have introduced technologies into the market that allow one to install two (and in some extreme cases, three) graphics cards on his/her system, given a compatible motherboard. While Nvidia refers to its technology as SLI, ATI likes to call it CrossFire. Multiple graphics cards support comes in handy if you want a rather high-spec system but would not like to spend a bomb on the latest graphics card in the market, for you can simply attach two graphics card to get blazing performance. If going for such a set-up, it is essential that you check as to whether or not your motherboard is SLI or CrossFire compatible. Motherboards that feature two or more than two PCI-E 16x slots are the ones that are capable of supporting two (or more) graphics cards. While the premium on SLI and CrossFire compatible motherboards is not that high, this feature is essentially useless if you are not into gaming or can make do with a single graphics card. Also, the installation of two or three graphics cards would entail a larger power supply, which would require further expenditure. 7. Warranty: Motherboards often run at full capacity while gaming, and are prone to damage due to voltage fluctuations. Hence, it is always recommended that you buy one that offers the maximum warranty. Furthermore, given that almost all peripherals of a computer are directly connected to the motherboard, any problems that might develop in these devices may also end up harming the motherboard. Hence, a long warranty period is a rather important factor. 8. Bundle: Some manufacturers also offer many freebies with their motherboards, such as multiple cables, extra screws, small handy tools, etc. At times, the manufacturers also include the latest gaming titles and software. If buying the same motherboard but from different manufacturers, this might be a difference maker. 9. Performance test results: Many websites and reviews post the performance of motherboards (while comparing or reviewing them) in certain high-end games, benchmark 3D performance tests, mathematical computing tests, data sorting capability tests, etc. These, while offering a direction toward the relative performance of a motherboard, are in no way definitive. This is because while the motherboard is the most central component of any computer, the performance of a computer is also dependent on other components.
Summary
- 1. The motherboard is the core circuit board that houses many of the crucial components of the system (such as the CPU and the RAM), and also provides connectors for the other peripherals of the computer.
- 2. On the basis of their form factor, motherboards are classified as follows: ATX form factor motherboards, MicroATX form factor motherboards, and MiniITX form factor motherboards.
- 3. When classified on the basis of the CPU manufacturer whose processor the motherboard supports, the motherboards can be classified into Intel-processor compatible motherboards and AMD-processor compatible motherboards.
- 4. Both original equipment manufacturers and third-party vendors have introduced motherboard-CPU combo packages.
As you can see, the most important factor when buying a motherboard is your budget. Also, the compatibility of the motherboard with latest technology is another major factor to keep in mind. More so, since motherboards already have a short shelf life and it can be further shortened by the lack of compatibility with advanced technology which will make your motherboard extinct in much quicker time forcing you to go for a new system.
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