Chapter 06 Motherboards

A 200-MHz motherboard has its chipset chips all timed by a _______________ crystal.

200-MHz

The original PCI bus was _______________ wide and ran at 33 MHz.

32 bits

What are the maximum dimensions of a FlexATX motherboard?

9 × 7.5 inches

What are the usual dimensions of a microATX motherboard?

9.6 × 9.6 inches

In Device Manager, what does a black "!" on a triangle indicate?

A black "!" on a triangle indicates that a device is missing, that Windows does not recognize a device, or that there is a device driver problem.

In Device Manager, what does black downward-pointing arrow on a white field indicate?

A black downward-pointing arrow on a white field indicates a disabled device. This usually points to a device that's been manually turned off, or a damaged device.

The now obsolete _______________ form factor was invented by IBM in the early 1980s and was the predominant form factor for motherboards through the mid-1990s.

AT

The _______________ form factor is distinct from AT in the lack of an AT keyboard port, replaced with a rear panel that has all necessary ports built in.

ATX

What does ATX stand for?

Advanced Technology Express

Why are chipset component chips relatively centrally located on the motherboard?

Because the chipset facilitates communication between the CPU and other devices in the system, its component chips are relatively centrally located on the motherboard.

Pretty much every chip in your computer has a(n) _______________ wire and needs to be pushed by a clock chip, including the chips on your expansion cards.

CLK or clock

List the various types of motherboard cases.

Cases come in many sizes: slimline, desktop, mini-tower, mid-tower, tower, and cube. In addition, you can get specialized cases, such as tiny cases for entertainment systems or ones that fit the same format as a stereo receiver or DVD player. The latter case is called a home theater PC (HTPC).

Why do chipsets factor hugely in the purchase or recommendation of a particular motherboard?

Chipsets vary in features, performance, and stability; therefore, they factor hugely in the purchase or recommendation of a particular motherboard.

_______________ failure happens rarely and appears as flaky connections between a device and motherboard, or as intermittent problems.

Component

What hardware options do different chipsets support?

Different chipsets offer support for a lot of different hardware options, including the type of memory slot (DDR3 or DDR4), number and version of USB ports, various mass storage devices, integrated network connections, video support, and so on.

Which term refers to the millions of incorrectly formulated bulging capacitors that made it into computers in the mid-2000s and then failed at high rates?

Distended capacitors

_______________ the BIOS for a motherboard can fix a lot of system stability problems and provide better implementation of built-in technology.

Flashing

What is the smallest motherboard version in the ATX standard?

FlexATX

Which ATX form factor is essentially no longer in use?

FlexATX

Which term refers to industry-standardized shapes and layouts that enable motherboards to work with cases and power supplies?

Form factors

How does a form factor relate to air movement in a case?

Given that the term "form factor" applies to the case, motherboard, and power supply—the three parts of the PC most responsible for moving air around inside the PC—the form factor also defines how the air moves around in the case.

Which port is considered to be a newer video port?

HDMI

Around 2001, the chipset maker VIA Technologies started the process to create a small form factor (SFF) motherboard known as the _______________.

ITX

What should you do to fix an ethereal failure related to the motherboard?

If an ethereal, ghost-in-the-machine type of problem is finally determined to be motherboard-related, you have only a couple of options for fixing the problem. You can flash the BIOS in a desperate attempt to correct whatever it is, which sometimes does work and is less expensive than the other option, which is replacing the motherboard.

What should you do to fix a component failure?

If the computer has a component failure, you can often replace the component with an add-on card that will be as good as or better than the failed device. If the component failure is more a technology issue than physical damage, you can try upgrading the BIOS on the motherboard.

What should you do to fix a catastrophic failure?

If the computer suffers a catastrophic failure, you must replace the motherboard.

How should you troubleshoot a hard drive failure?

If the hard drive does not work as expected, check the settings on the drive. Try a different drive. Try the same drive with a different motherboard to verify that it's a good drive. Like every other troubleshooting technique, what you're trying to do with motherboard testing is to isolate the problem by eliminating potential cause.

What steps should you take to correct a downward-pointing arrow error in Device Manager?

If you get a downward-pointing arrow, first check that the device isn't disabled. Right-click on the device and select Enable. If that doesn't work (it often does not), try rolling back the driver (if you updated the driver) or uninstalling (if it's a new install). Shut the system down and make triple-sure you have the card physically installed. Then redo the entire driver installation procedure, making sure you have the most current driver for that device. If none of these procedures works, return the card—it's almost certainly bad.

Why must you pay attention to the location of the standoffs if you are swapping a motherboard?

If you leave a screw-type standoff beneath a spot on the motherboard where you can't add a screw and then apply power to the motherboard, you run the risk of frying the motherboard.

In what order should you install a device and its device driver?

In almost all cases, you should install the device driver after you install the device. Without the device installed, the driver installation will not see the device and will give an error screen. The only exceptions to this rule are USB devices—with these you should always install the driver first.

_______________, which are included on the motherboard, are lights that have positive and negative sides.

LEDs

Describe how motherboards support video.

Many motherboards sport one or more video ports for attaching a display. These vary a lot, from the older VGA ports to newer HDMI ports.

PCI made it into laptops in the specialty _______________ format.

Mini PCI

Describe how motherboards support networking.

Most motherboards come with one RJ-45 jack for attaching a network cable. The networking support is built into the chipset or comes as an additional chip soldered to the motherboard.

Modern CPUs incorporate the memory controller on the processor rather than locating it on the _______________.

Northbridge

How many wires does a PCIe connection use for sending and receiving data?

One for sending and one for receiving

What are the benefits of ITX small form factor (SFF) motherboards?

One of the great benefits of these small form factor (SFF) motherboards is the tiny amount of power needed to support them. ITX power supplies are quite small compared to a typical power supply. Lower power usage produces less heat, thus enabling passive cooling on many SFF systems. The lack of fan noise makes them ideal for media center PCs.

Briefly describe PCIe.

PCI Express (PCIe) is the latest, fastest, and most popular expansion bus in use today. As its name implies, PCI Express is still PCI, but it uses a point-to-point serial connection instead of PCI's shared parallel communication. A PCIe device has its own direct connection (a point-to-point connection) to the CPU, so it does not wait for other devices.

How does the PCI standard fit into a laptop?

PCI made it into laptops in the specialty Mini-PCI. Mini-PCI was designed to use low power and to lie flat—both good features for a laptop expansion slot.

What is the latest, fastest, and most popular expansion bus in use today?

PCIe

_______________ motherboards enable companies to create systems that stand out from the generic ones.

Proprietary

Most desktop motherboards come with one _______________ jack for attaching a network cable.

RJ-45

Most motherboards come with one _______________ jack for attaching a network cable.

RJ-45

Flashing the BIOS entails running a small command-line program to write a new BIOS in the flash _______________ chip.

ROM

Briefly explain what is meant by the term daughter boards.

Riser cards on some proprietary systems plug into a unique socket or slot on the motherboard. These are also called daughter boards.

Explain the reasoning behind proprietary motherboards.

Several major PC makers make motherboards that work only with their cases. These proprietary motherboards enable these companies to create systems that stand out from the generic ones and, not coincidently, push you to get service and upgrades from their authorized dealers.

What steps should you take to correct the "!" symbol error in Device Manager?

The "!" symbol is the most common error symbol and usually the easiest to fix. First, double-check the device's connections. Second, try reinstalling the driver with the Update Driver button. To get to the Update Driver button, right-click the desired device in Device Manager and select Properties. In the Properties dialog box, select the Driver tab. On the Driver tab, click the Update Driver button to open the updating wizard.

What is the most common PCIe slot size used for video cards?

The 16 lane (x16) version

How do an expansion bus and its slots connect to the rest of the PC?

The expansion bus and its slots connect to the rest of the PC through the chipset. Exactly where on the chipset varies depending on the system. On older systems, the expansion slots connect to the chipset. Finally, many systems have more than one type of expansion bus, with slots of one type connecting to the CPU and slots of another type connecting to the chipset.

How is the speed differential between an expansion slot and CPU controlled?

The expansion slots run at a much slower speed than the frontside bus. The chipset acts as the divider between the two buses, compensating for the speed difference with wait states and special buffering (storage) areas. No matter how fast the motherboard runs, the expansion slots run at a standard speed.

In the ATX form factor, what enhanced performance is provided by placing the RAM closer to the northbridge and CPU as compared to AT boards?

The shorter the wires, the easier it is to shield components and make them capable of handling double or quadruple the clock speed of the motherboard.

What is the importance of the motherboard book?

This book is your primary source for all of the critical information about the motherboard.

Why are the connections and capabilities of a motherboard sometimes different from those that the chipset of the motherboard uses?

This disparity happens for a couple of reasons. First, a particular chipset may support eight USB ports, but to keep costs down, the manufacturer might include only four ports. Second, a motherboard maker may choose to install extra features—ones not supported by the chipset—by adding additional chips.

In modern CPUs, what is the advantage incorporating the memory controller on the processor rather than locating it on the chipset?

This move has facilitated even further increases in the speed at which the processor can fetch data from RAM.

Explain burn-in failure.

This sort of problem happens to brand-new systems because of manufacturing defects—often called a burn-in failure—and to any system that gets a shock of ESD. Burn-in failure is uncommon and usually happens in the first 30 days of use. Swap out the motherboard for a replacement and you should be fine. If you accidentally zap your motherboard when inserting a card or moving wires around, be chagrined. Change your daring ways and wear an anti-static wrist strap!

Technicians were required to set jumpers on older motherboards. Why?

Very old motherboards used to require techs to set jumpers to determine the bus speed for the motherboard. This enabled these motherboards to accommodate CPUs that needed a 100-MHz bus, for example, and other CPUs that needed a 66-MHz bus.

How many PCB layers are on a motherboard?

You can see some of the traces on the board, but every motherboard is four or more layers thick.

Briefly list the four steps one would take when selecting a case and motherboard.

You first have to figure out the type of motherboard you want, such as AMD- or Intel-based. Then you need to think about the form factor, which of course influences the type of case you'll need. Third, how rich in features is the motherboard and how tough is it to configure? You have to read the motherboard manual to find out. Finally, you need to select the case that matches your space needs, budget, and form factor.

Briefly describe two ways to install a new device driver on Windows systems.

You have two ways to install a new driver in Windows. The first option is to let Windows detect the new hardware and find the proper device driver. The second method is to install the drivers manually by downloading them from the manufacturer or using the installation disc. Most installation media give clear options so you can choose what you want to install

Why should you document your troubleshooting efforts?

You should take notes on the individual components you test so that you do not repeat efforts or waste time. Plus, taking notes can lead to the establishment of patterns. Being able to re-create a system crash by performing certain actions in a specific order can often lead you to the root of the problem.

To install drivers in Windows, you need _______________ permissions to install drivers.

administrative

Optimally, an expansion card should always be in one of two places: in a computer or in a(n) _______________ bag.

anti-static

A brand new system failing due to manufacturing defects is often called a(n) _______________ failure.

burn-in

With a(n) _______________ failure, the computer just will not boot.

catastrophic

If you need to upgrade the memory, it is best to know how many _______________ the new RAM interface supports, because performance is best when all channels are populated.

channels

A(n) _______________ defines the type of processor and RAM the motherboard requires and determines to a degree the built-in devices the motherboard supports, including the expansion slots.

chipset

As an improvement of the ATX form factor over AT, shorter wires made it easier to shield them and made them capable of handling double or quadruple the _______________ speed of the motherboard.

clock

Riser cards on some proprietary systems plug into a unique socket or slot on the motherboard. These are also called _______________.

daughter boards

For almost all expansion cards, their BIOS comes in the form of _______________—software support programs—loaded from an optical disc provided by the card manufacturer.

device drivers

A Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) displaying in the midst of heavy computing is an example of a(n) _______________ failure.

ethereal

A buggy device driver may cause _______________ symptoms.

ethereal

A(n) _______________ symptom is the most difficult symptom to diagnose.

ethereal

A(n) _______________ determines the physical size of the motherboard as well as the general location of components and ports.

form factor

Many motherboards have a port for connecting to audio jacks on the front of the case, which is an example of a(n) _______________.

front panel connector

The AT form factor _______________.

is now obsolete

Each pair of wires between a PCIe controller and a device is called a(n) _______________.

lane

RAID _______________ is the process of using two drives to hold the same data, which is good for safety, because if one drive dies, the other still has all of the data.

mirroring

All motherboards come with a technical manual, better known as the _______________ book.

motherboard

Modern motherboards are layered _______________, in which copper is etched onto a nonconductive material and then coated with some sort of epoxy for strength.

printed circuit boards (PCBs)

The acronym RAID stands for _______________.

redundant array of independent disks.

Some of the features in proprietary systems are_______________—part of a motherboard that is separate from the main one but connected by a cable of some sort—and unique power connections.

riser cards

PCI Express is still PCI, but it uses a point-to-point _______________ connection instead of PCI's shared parallel communication.

serial

Cases come in many sizes; _______________ and desktop models generally sit on the desk, beneath the monitor.

slimline

If you plug a hard drive controller card into an expansion slot, it functions just as if it were built into the motherboard, albeit with one big difference: _______________.

speed

The motherboard mounts to the case via small connectors called _______________.

standoffs

RAID _______________ refers to making two drives act as one drive by spreading data across them, which is good for speed.

striping

Every device soldered to the motherboard is designed to run at the speed of the _______________.

system crystal

The motherboard contains the wires—called _______________—that make up the buses of the system.

traces

In reference to point-to-point connections between devices and the motherboard, the _______________ rate describes the number of operations happening per second.

transfer

The last of the 32-bit versions of Windows had support for _______________ drivers, which were essentially drivers that had not gone through the Windows Certification Program (as it was called then) such that their software did not get a digital signature from Microsoft.

unsigned

What are some of the causes of an ethereal failure?

· Faulty component · Buggy device driver · Buggy application software · Slight corruption of the operating system · Power supply problems