What are the three most popular form factors used for motherboards

ATX 12" x 9.6, Micro ATX 9.6 x 9.6, and Mini-ITX 6.7 x 6.7

Which type of Intel chip-sets was the first to support the graphics controller to be part of the processor

Sandy Bridge or second generation chipset

How many pins does the Intel socket B have? What is another name for this socket?

LGA1366

What type of memory does the LGA1155 socket work with? Which socket was it designed to replace?

Works with DDR3 and was designed to replace Socket H LGA1156

Does the Sandy Bridge chip-set family use two chip-set housings on the motherboard or a single chip-set housing? The Nehalem chip-set?

Sandy bridge uses 1 chip-set. Nehalem uses two

How many pins does the AMD socket AM3 have

941 pins

Which part of a Nehalem chip-set connects directly to the processor, the North Bridge or the South Bridge

North bridge

How does the throughput of PCI Express Version 3.0 compare to PCIe Version 2.0

The throughput doubles

What is the maximum wattage that a PCIe Version 2.0 expansion card can draw

300W

What type of power connector on the motherboard was introduced with PCIe Version 1.0? How much power does this connector provide

6pin PCIe connector provided an extra 75W

What type of power connector was introduced with PCIe Version 2.0? How much power does this connector provide

8pin PCIe connector provided an extra 150W

If you are installing an expansion card into a case that does not have enough clearance above the motherboard for the card, what device can you use to solve the problem

PCI Riser Card

Which chip on the motherboard does Windows BitLocker Encryption use to secure the hard drive

TPM Trusted Platform Module Chip

How can you find out how many memory slots are populated on a motherboard without opening the computer case

View on BIOS or UEFI setup screen

What are two reasons you might decide to flash BIOS

1. The system hangs at odd times or during boot. 2. Motherboard functions stopped working or gives issues. 3. You want new features

What is the easiest way to obtain the latest software to upgrade BIOS

From BIOS or motherboards website

What can you do if the power-on password and the supervisor password to a system have been forgotten

Use jumper on motherboard

How is CMOS RAM powered when the system is unplugged

It is powered by the CMOS battery

Describe how you can access the BIOS setup program

By pressing F2 or DELETE during boot or CTRL+ALT+ESC

Does Windows 7 support a secure boot in UEFI? Windows 8? Linux Ubuntu version 14

No, Windows 8, Linux Ubuntu do

Which partitioning method must be used for partitioning a 4-TB hard drive

GPT

If a USB port on the motherboard is failing, what is one task you can do that might fix the problem

Download and install updated drivers

What might the purpose be for a SATA-style power connector on a motherboard

To power PCIe cards

What is the purpose of installing standoffs or spacers between the motherboard and the case

Protect from ESD or short

When installing a motherboard, suppose you forget to connect the wires from the case to the front panel header. Will you be able to power up the system? Why or why not?

No, Power button wont work unless connected

Why don't all buses on a motherboard operate at the same speed

Because not all devices that the buses are connected to transmit data at the same speed.

When you turn off the power to a computer and unplug it at night, it loses the date, and you must reenter it each morning. What is the problem and how do you solve it

CMOS Battery is dead and needs replacing

Why do you think the trend is to put more control such as the graphics controller and the memory controller in the processor rather than in the chipset

Because the processor is faster than chip-sets and it cuts down on the distance of traveling

When troubleshooting a desktop motherboard, you discover the network port no longer works. What is the best and least expensive solution to this problem? If this solution does not work, which solution should you try next

Update motherboard drivers, if that doesn't work disable the network port and install a network card in an expansion slot

A computer freezes at odd times. At first you suspect the power supply or overheating, but you have eliminated overheating and replaced the power supply without solving the problem. What do you do next

Flash BIOS

Chapter Summary

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Motherboard Types and Features

The motherboard is the most complicated of all components inside the computer. It contains the processor socket and accompanying chipset, firmware holding the UEFI/BIOS, memory slots, expansion slots, jumpers, ports, and power supply connections. The motherboard you select determines both the capabilities and limitations of your system.

The most popular motherboard form factors are

ATX, microATX, and Mini-ITX

A motherboard will have one or more Intel sockets for an Intel processor or one or more AMD sockets for an AMD processor.

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The chipset embedded on the motherboard determines what kind of processor and memory the board can support.

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Major advancements in past Intel chipsets included the Accelerated Hub Architecture (using the North Bridge and South Bridge), Nehalem chipsets (using the memory controller on the processor), and Sandy Bridge chipsets .

(using the memory and graphics controller on the processor). All later chipsets use the memory and graphics controller in the processor package

Buses used on motherboards include conventional PCI, PCI-X, and PCI Express. PCI Express is replacing all the other bus types.

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Some components can be built into the motherboard, in which case they are called onboard components. Other components can be attached to the system in some other way, such as on an expansion card.

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Configuring a Motherboard The firmware that controls a motherboard and the boot is the older BIOS or the newer UEFI. Most UEFI firmware provides for backward compatibility with BIOS devices.

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Motherboard settings that can be configured using UEFI/BIOS setup include changing the boot priority order, enabling or disabling onboard devices, support for virtualization, and security settings (for example, power-on passwords and intrusion detection).

You can also view information about the installed processor, memory, and storage devices and temperatures, fan speeds, and voltages.

Maintaining a Motherboard Motherboard drivers might need updating to fix a problem with a board component or to use a new feature provided by the motherboard manufacturer.

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To flash BIOS, use a utility program in Windows, a USB flash drive, or a bootable CD.

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To update UEFI, you can boot from a USB flash drive that holds the updates, or Windows can receive an update during the normal

Windows update process and then pass it on to the UEFI firmware, which applies the update.

Jumpers on the motherboard may be used to clear UEFI/BIOS settings, restoring them to factory default.

The CMOS battery that powers CMOS RAM might need replacing.

Installing or Replacing a Motherboard When selecting a motherboard, pay attention to the form factor, chipset, expansion slots, and memory slots used and the processors supported.

Also notice the internal and external connectors and ports the board provides.

When installing a motherboard, first study the motherboard and its manual, and set jumpers on the board. Sometimes the processor and cooler are best installed before installing the motherboard in the case.

When the cooling assembly is heavy and bulky, it is best to install it after the motherboard is securely seated in the case.

Replacing a Laptop System Board For laptops, it's usually more cost effective to replace the laptop than to replace a failed system board.

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