Tips To Select Proper Motherboard

Selecting motherboard is really simple. As name suggests "Motherboard" acts as a protective mother of CPU, RAM and other add on cards since these

components stand firmly on motherboard.

Number of devices have been integrated on motherboard

over a period of time. Now a days motherboard with onboard features is more popular in Branded PCs. Onboard integrated peripherals are offered by many branded PC manufacturers to

provide you latest technology if you buy a system from

a big computer manufacturer recently.

It is recommended to select motherboard with maximum

number of ports preferably with 2 serial, 1 parallel

and 4 USB ports. Most of the recent devices have USB

port. Also check the upgradation options such as

memory support and number of available PCI slots etc.

Technology changes so rapidly that manufacturers add

the new features such as serial ATA, USB 2.0 and RAID

on the motherboard to stay ahead of the competition.

Many manufacturers even provides FM radio on the

motherboard to survive in the race making it fully

entertainment machine.

Important Motherboard Tips:

1) Do the survey by reading the reviews on

motherboards and then look for either same motherboard

or compare it with it's competitors product in the

market.

2) Don't buy the costliest motherboard if you are not

going to use additional features. Always check cost to

benefit ratio and make the selection just by assessing

the utility value.

3) If you are dedicated gamer or fan of overclocking,

verify whether the space around CPU is spacious enough

for you to install a larger heat sink-fan combination

for cooling. Go for motherboard, which has the

facility to overclock FSB in steps of 1 MHz and core

voltage adjustment.

4) Confirm that chipset on the motherboard is

compatible with the speed of the processor and speed

of FSB. It is very important to check the

compatibility to improve the system performance.

5) Select feature rich motherboard for future up

gradation. Also ensure that it has enough PCI and

memory slots for future expansion.

6) If planning for expensive motherboard go for the

motherboard with onboard video chipset and an AGP

slot. Don't forget to check whether AGP slot supports

latest transfer rate.

7) Also see whether motherboard has onboard sound and

integrated Ethernet.

8) Check the type of memory that supports motherboard.

9) DDR RAM is the most popular option today. Most

motherboards have at least two slots. But expensive

motherboards have 4 slots. The total amount RAM you

can install is also dependent on the motherboard

chipset.

10) The smooth transfer of data without errors is the

most important function of the chipset. This function

of the chipset decides overall performance of the

system. That is why the maximum speed a processor that

the chipset supports is very important. In case of

future upgrades you will need to change only the

processor. This will save your time and money.

Krishna Pai is a webmaster and a writer. Get Computer Tutorials, reviews, Hardware & Software Tips, How to guides at http://www.cheapest-computer-hardware-software.com/

For more Computer tips join his "Build Computer ezine" at http://www.cheapest-computer-hardware-software.com/build_computer_ezine.html

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How to Select the Best Motherboard For Your Computer

While it's relatively easy with today's technology to build your own computer; selecting the best motherboard is critical to building the computer that best fits your own unique needs. 

Building your own computer can mean saving money and also building a custom specified system - it means getting exactly what you want.  All computer components are important (the computer can't run without them) but the motherboard is a very important part of your computer system and you need to have a clear understanding of what you want, why you want it, and how what you've selected affects the operation of the computer once built. You need to know how to select the best motherboard for your computer.  All components in your computer system connect to the motherboard; it is the key component and therefore you need to understand it.  For the purposes of this article, we'll assume that you are building your own computer rather than replacing the motherboard in an existing computer system.  But in either case, learning what to look for and how the motherboard affects the performance of your computer is important.

First, consider which CPU you will be using.  For example, Intel and AMD CPUs both use different motherboards because each uses a different socket type.  Then, you also need to understand the processor speed; your motherboard needs to support the selected CPU. With the rapid technology changes in today's environment, there are a wide variety of socket types in use.  Processors used to have the same number of pins, with technology driving fast changes, the motherboards sockets need more pins to provide more power and support new features. New processors are starting to put the pins on the socket instead of the CPU, allowing for easier set-up. You must match the right CPU (and socket type) to the right motherboard.  The CPU needs the socket to communicate with motherboard components through the chipset.

The CPU drives the decision on which chipset to buy and use.  A fast chipset allows efficient data transfers and power management; the chipset controls all the communication between CPU, the memory, and the local bus. There are two major parts of the chipset: the northbridge and the southbridge. The CPU communicates through the northbridge with the system RAM (the AGP graphics card) or the PCI-E (graphics card).  The CPU also uses the northbridge to communicate with the southbridge.  The northbridge is closer to the CPU and faster; the southbridge is further from the CPU and slower. The communications to USB ports, PCI slots, SATA connections, and other components is handled by the southbridge.

The bus is a circuit through which data is transmitted; it connects parts of the motherboard. Bus size is important because size, or width, determines how much data can be transmitted. Bus speed, measured in MHz, is relevant when selecting a motherboard.  Speed determines the components communication speed and data transfer; therefore a fast bus speed allows fast data transfer and faster running applications.

The circuit connecting the CPU to the northbridge is the Front Side Bus (FSB).  The top end of FSB speed is 1666 MHz - the higher, the faster and, typically, the more expensive. Speed is evolving and being upgraded with new technology, not just because faster is better but to synchronize with demand for speed from upgraded and new applications. As with most equipment and technology, the slowest component will be a speed bottleneck for the whole operating system - with a slow FSB speed, your computer will also operate at slow speed.

When selecting your motherboard you need to consider memory and how much memory you want for your computer system.  Unless you are a gamer, or do a lot of graphics or video work, 2 GB of RAM should be enough. Most motherboards today come with at least two memory slots, and many come with four.  To ensure you have enough expandable memory capacity for the future (even if you start with 2 GB of RAM), buy a motherboard with 4 slots.

Other considerations when selecting the motherboard for your computer build are the peripherals, such as keyboard, mouse, printer, flash drive, external drive and digital camera. If you plan on adding additional cards (such as graphics card, wireless network card, sound card), you will need enough PCI slots to handle the peripherals. Most motherboards have four USB slots and two more that connect to the USB ports on the case. You also need to consider the battery (you'll likely need to change the battery in your motherboard every four to 5 years - if you keep your computer that long) and the preloaded BIOS (which boots up your computer).

People who have not yet built their own computers are often concerned that they will not be able to build the system they want, accurately, efficiently and cost effectively.  However, the best way to learn, to save money, and to get a custom built system, is to just build it!

To find out more information on how to select the best motherboard for your computer build, visit best motherboard for more information.

Kris Bovay is owner of Voice, the business and marketing services company with a difference and is a publisher of a small business website. She has 25 years experience in leading small, medium and large business.
Christian Bovay is an electronics technician with more than 30 years experience in the industry. He learned about computers and technology initially in the Canadian military, and subsequently, with several telecommunications companies.

Kris and Christian are co-owners and publishers of Build-Your-Own-Computer; which is a resource guide for building your own computer system. Copyright 2008-2009 Voice Marketing Inc.

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