Andy Tang Administrator | Thu Jul 16, 2020 | 10:41 AM | Likes: 1 

Building a PC: Choosing the Right Motherboard

Categories: General, Tech | Pubby Cash Received:  0 |

A motherboard is the main printed circuit board in a computer. It's the computer's central communications backbone connectivity point, through which all components and external peripherals connect. Most computers made today, including smartphones, tablets, notebooks, and desktop computers, use motherboards to pull everything together, but the only kind you’ll typically purchase yourself are those made for desktop PCs. Most people hop right to the motherboard after deciding on their CPU, and there's a reason for that. You see, motherboards come in all shapes and sizes, and that means that some motherboards are designed specifically for Intel chips while others are meant for AMD chips. As you’re deciding on the right motherboard, you would want your choice to hold and last. If you want your PC the way it is, then you can choose a motherboard that provides exactly what you need to get up and running. But if you're thinking of upgrading some parts later on, then you’ll want to make sure your motherboard will support your needs as they grow.

Now that you've decided on the chip, you'll need to know a few things. You'll need to pick a motherboard that uses the right socket and the right chipset. In short, the socket is the mechanism through which a CPU is firmly attached to a motherboard. The chipset is the software and hardware that allows the various components to communicate. Here are some of the most common chipsets and sockets:

So after solving that problem the question now is, which size should I choose? Motherboards come in 3 main sizes, with the standard ATX being the largest, followed by the mini, and then the micro. Keep in mind that while the smaller the motherboard, the cheaper it is, it also offers fewer ports and memory slots, and that might or might not make a difference in your overall experience. Here are the three most common form factors:

So about some of the other components, there are also slots for storage, graphics, memory, power, fans, etc. The list would go on. A good motherboard should have more than enough to meet all of the above requirements. It can be seen that an ATX motherboard would be the best option for gamers and workers alike, despite being pricier, since it can support many components. Especially when it comes down to the RAM, it's crucial to choose the right RAM to fit your motherboard. Today’s RAM plugs into a motherboard via a rectangular slot that’s named for the kind of RAM in use today: the dual in-line memory module (DIMM). The number of DIMM slots in a motherboard determines how much RAM you can add, and it most commonly varies from two to eight slots. You can add one RAM module at a time, but you will get the best performance when you install RAM in matched pairs. Obviously, the larger your motherboard, the more RAM slots it will have.

Additionally, even if you have the right slots, you'll also need to consider whether your RAM will function properly. In DDR3 RAM chips, auto-refresh and self-refresh are performed to refresh its content. Generally self refresh is used for low power consumption and DDR3 consumes low power than DDR2. The clock speed of DDR3 vary from 800 MHz to 2133 MHz, where 2133 MHz is the its peak in some cases, generally clock speed is vary between 1600 to 1800 MHz. On the other hand, in DDR4, only self-refresh is performed to refresh its content that’s why it consumes less power. The minimum clock speed of DDR4 is 2133 MHz and it has no defined maximum clock speed. Be sure that the frequency of your RAM chip is compatible with your motherboard.

Though choosing the motherboard can sometimes be a pain, you will certainly be glad that your PC is still running like butter after many years of extensive work.