Week 2 – Motherboards

While there are many components within a computer, none bring all others together to function as one, like the motherboard. Acting like a nervous system, it links the CPU, RAM, storage drives, graphics cards, and other peripherals. Like your nervous system facilitating the sending of data from what you are touching to your brain, the motherboard acts the same in the computer, allowing data and power to flow from the hard drive to the CPU and then to the graphics card to be displayed.

Beyond physical connections, motherboards also determine compatibility, such as what type of processor (Intel or AMD) and memory (DDR4 or DDR5) you can use. Features like built-in WiFi, Bluetooth, and M.2 slots for fast SSDs add further value. With the vast array of manufacturers and component types, it’s very important to check and make sure each component is compatible with your motherboard. In many cases, it is best to take stock of what components you want to include in your computer and what they need, and then tailor your motherboard choice based on that.