Parts of a Motherboard

For my students who need reference.

I. EXTERNAL PARTS (I/O Ports)
1. PS/2 Port for Mouse
2. PS/2 Port for Keyboard
3. Serial Port
4. Parallel Port
5. Game Port
6. VGA Port
7. DVI
8. HDMI
9. S-Video
10. USB Port
11. FireWire
12. Thunderbolt
13. Ethernet LAN Port (RJ45)
14. Modem (RJ11)
15. Microphone Jack
16. Line-In Jack
17. Speaker Jack

II. INTERNAL PARTS
1. CPU Holder
2. Memory Holder
3. IDE Controller for Hard Disk Drive and Optical Disk Drive
4. IDE Controller for Floppy Disk Drive
5. SATA Connector
6. Chipset
a. North Bridge
b. South Bridge
7. CMOS or BIOS Chip
8. CMOS Battery
9. AGP Slot (Accelerated Graphics Port)
10. PCI Slot (Pheripheral Component Interconnect)
11. ISA ( Industry Standard Architecture)
12. AMR (Audio Modem Riser)
13. CNR (Communications Network Riser)
14. CPU Fan Header
15. Case Fan Header
16. Power Supply Connector
17. 12V Power Supply Connector
18. Auxiliary-in (CD-in)

Descriptions:

I. EXTERNAL PARTS (I/O Ports)

1. PS/2 Port for Mouse
2. PS/2 Port for Keyboard
>>  The PS/2 connector is a 6-pin Mini-DIN connector used for connecting some keyboards and mice to a PC compatible computer system. Its name comes from the IBM Personal System/2 series of personal computers, with which it was introduced in 1987.

Prior to 2010, the most commonly used connection for keyboards and mice to a PC compatible computer system. Its name comes from the IBM Personal System/2 series of personal computers, which replaced the even older 5-pin DIN connector for an AT keyboard. Some newer PCs may have a single combo PS/2 port that is half purple and half green. If present, these combo ports can accept either a PS/2 keyboard OR mouse. In any configuration, these ports carry a small electrical charge and the PC should be completely powered off before (un)plugging anything from/into them.

3. Serial Port

A Serial Port is a serial communication physical interface through which information transfers in or out one bit at a time (in contrast to a parallel port). Throughout most of the history of personal computers, data was transferred through serial ports to devices such as modems, terminals and various peripherals.

While such interfaces as Ethernet, FireWire, and USB all send data as a serial stream, the term "serial port" usually identifies hardware more or less compliant to the RS-232 standard, intended to interface with a modem or with a similar communication device.
Modern computers without serial ports may require serial-to-USB converters to allow compatibility with RS 232 serial devices. Serial ports are still used in applications such as industrial automation systems, scientific instruments, point of sale systems and some industrial and consumer products. Server computers may use a serial port as a control console for diagnostics. Network equipment (such as routers and switches) often use serial console for configuration. Serial ports are still used in these areas as they are simple, cheap and their console functions are highly standardized and widespread. A serial port requires very little supporting software from the host system.

4. Parallel Port or Printer Port

>> A Parallel Port is a type of interface found on computers (personal and otherwise) for connecting peripherals. In computing, a parallel port is a parallel communication physical interface. It is also known as a printer port or Centronics port. It was an industry de facto standard for many years, and was finally standardized as IEEE 1284 in the late 1990s, which defined a bi-directional version of the port. Today, the parallel port interface is seeing decreasing use because of the rise of Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices, along with network printing using Ethernet.
The parallel port interface was originally known as the Parallel Printer Adapter on IBM PC-compatible computers. It was primarily designed to operate a line printer that used IBM's 8-bit extended ASCII character set to print text, but could also be used to adapt other peripherals. Graphical printers, along with a host of other devices, have been designed to communicate with the system.

5. Game Port

>> The traditional connector for video game input devices on x86-based PCs.

 

 6. VGA Port

>> Acronym for Video Graphic Array. The most common connection for external monitors, but not necessarily the most preferred as it carries an analog signal. 

7. DVI 

>> Digital Video Interface is a video interface standard designed to provide very high visual quality on digital display devices such as flat panel LCD computer displays and digital projectors. Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to carry audio over a DVI connection provided both terminations support audio and they are connected via a 24+1 DVI (or DVI to HDMI) cable. 

>> Mini-DVI: This connector is used on Apple computers as a digital alternative to the Mini-VGA connector

>> Micro-DVI: This port is a video connection port used by some Apple MacBook Air laptop computers produced between January-October 2008

8. HDMI

>> High Definition Multimedia Interface is a compact audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed digital data. HDMI (currently at revision 1.4) is required for the complete transmission of audio streams exceeding 5.1 channels. 

9. S-Video 

>> Separate Video (not Super Video) carries the video data as two separate signals, lumen (luminance) and chroma (color)

10. USB Port

>> USB-A: This kind of plug is most frequently seen on cables that are permanently attached to a device, such as one on a cable that connects a keyboard or mouse to the computer. 

>> USB-B: Typically plugs into an upstream receptacle on a device that uses a removable cable, e.g. a printer. 

>> Mini-A & Mini-B: Mini-A is now deprecated, but both these plugs are plugs are approximately 3 by 7 mm. These are used in PDAs, mobile phone and cameras. 

>> Micro-B: Micro plugs have a similar width as the Mini’s but approximately half the thickness. These enable integration into thinner portable devices. 

>> Micro-AB: This receptacle is capable of accepting either a Micro-A plug or a Micro-B plug

11. FireWire 

>> Firewire 400MB/s: Can transfer data between devices at 100, 200, or 400 Mbit/s half-duplex data rates 

>> Firewire 800Mb/s: Can transfer data at a rate of 786.432 Mbit/s full-duplex

12. Thunderbolt

>> Thunderbolt (codenamed Light Peak) is a hardware interface that allows for the connection of external peripherals to a computer. It uses the same connector as Mini DisplayPort (MDP). It was released in its finished state on February 24, 2011. Thunderbolt combines PCI Express (PCIe) and DisplayPort (DP) into one serial signal alongside a DC connection for electric power, transmitted over one cable. Up to six peripherals may be supported by one connector through various topologies. Data transfer rate speed of Thunderbolt is 10GB/s, double the speed of USB 3.0.

13. Ethernet LAN Port (RJ45)

>> Most people consider this their network jack, internet connection or hardline. 10/100 (or Fast Ethernet, which replaced 10BASET/2/5) is slowly being replaced by 1000Mbit/s or Gigabit (GbE) ports. Technically, these ports are properly known as 8P8C (8 Position 8 Contact.) These ports are typically used to connect twisted pair (more commonly referred to as Cat5e) cable (or we could just say, "Plug in a network cable that gets you onto the internet"). 

14. Modem (RJ11)

>> A physical interface often used for terminating telephone wires. Once standard issue with every desktop PC and laptop, new computers will often be without a modem/RJ-11 port unless specifically ordered that way.

 

15. Microphone Jack

>> Connection for Microphones

16. Line-In Jack

>> Connection for instruments or devices that produces music or sound

17. Speaker Jack or Line Out Jack

>> Connection for Earphones, Headsets and Speakers

18. S/PDIF 

>> Sony/Phillips Digital Interconnect Format. More commonly referred to as an optical interface, and uses a TOSlink cable. The digital signal is limited to 5.1 Dolby Digital and/or DTS streams and cannot carry the additional audio streams found on Blu-Ray (in other words, 7.1 would be downmixed to 5.1 over S/PDIF).

II. INTERNAL PARTS
1. CPU Socket
Socket Types
° PGA
° LGA

A note in History: (CPU Holder Slot type)
Early designs of motherboard has a different CPU holder back then. This was called a Slot Type. looks like a Memory holder and a CPU resembles a shape of a RAM today. 


2. RAM Slot
>> A memory slot, memory socket, or RAM slot is what allows computer memory (RAM) to be inserted into the computer. Depending on the motherboard, there may be 2 to 4 memory slots (sometimes more on high-end motherboards) and are what determine the type of RAM used with the computer. The most common types of RAM are SDRAM and DDR for desktop computers and SODIMM for laptop computers, each having various types and speeds. In the picture below, is an example of what memory slots may look like inside a desktop computer. In this picture, there are three open available slots for three memory sticks.

When buying a new computer or motherboard, pay close attention to the types of RAM the memory slots, so you are familiar with what type of RAM to buy for your computer. It is also important to note how many available memory slots are available in your computer. It is not uncommon for some computers to have all memory slots occupied, which means if you wanted to upgrade your computer memory some or all of the memory currently installed would need to be removed first.

3. IDE Controller for Hard Disk Drive and Optical Disk Drive
>> Connects to old Hard Disk Dives and Optical Disk Drives that uses IDE Cable or PATA Cables. New HDDs and ODDs uses now a faster and slimmer SATA cable and port.

Connects to older hard drive disks and optical drives for data transfer. - See more at: http://www.buildcomputers.net/motherboard-components.html#sthash.50ZclbmY.dpuf

Connects to older hard drive disks and optical drives for data transfer. - See more at: http://www.buildcomputers.net/motherboard-components.html#sthash.50ZclbmY.dpuf

4. IDE Controller for Floppy Disk Drive
>> Smaller than the IDE Controller for HDDs is used for Floppy Disk drives. Cables used for this has a twist in the cable as a distinguishing mark for easy reference.

5. SATA Connector
a. V1
b. V2
c. V3

6. Chipset
a. North Bridge
b. South Bridge

7. CMOS or BIOS Chip

8. CMOS Battery
  - Battery used for motherboards are CR2032

9. AGP Slot (Accelerated Graphics Port)
 - old slot version for video cards.

10. PCI Slot (Peripheral Component Interconnect)
a. PCI
b. PCIe
c. PCIX

11. ISA ( Industry Standard Architecture)

12. AMR (Audio Modem Riser)

13. CNR (Communications Network Riser)

14. Fan Headers

15. ATX Power Connector

16. 12V Power Supply Connector

17. Auxiliary-in (CD-in)

References:

http://www.fusion-design.us/faq4.html
http://www.computerhope.com

http://en.wikipedia.org