Motherboard form factors explained guide to motherboard sizes. Motherboard form factors and types as computers advanced, so have motherboards. And one nice thing about these is, that there are some very small form factors they can fit almost anywhere. Chapter form factors, power supplies, and working inside a. Also known as usb standard a connector, the usb a connector is primarily be used on.
The most popular motherboard form factors are atx, microatx a smaller version of atx, and miniitx a smaller version of microatx. Standard atx most of the time referred to as simply atx standard atx specifies length to. May 23, 2017 whether you are looking for types of motherboard form factors mini atx motherboards atx motherboards micro atx matx motherboards eatx extended atx slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. Configured manually using jumpers, switches or both. It improves on the previous standard, the baby at form factor, by rotating the orientation of the board 90 degrees. The cpu connectors on the motherboard are either a 4 pin 2x2 or. Different types of motherboard formfactors explained. It holds, and allows communication between, many of the crucial electronic components of a system, such as the central processing unit cpu. Most laptops have the same type of components as in a desktop, just smaller. Limited to 1mb of memory has an eightbit isa bus atstyle form factor motherboard come in a variety of form factors and are designed with different clock speeds and. This is a big deal, since it means that a miniitx motherboard is able to pack as much as computing punch as its fullsized atx cousin provided youre not overclocking or going for top end cpus like intele.
Its dimensions are the most characteristic factor of this type of form factor. There are typically two types of sockets to install memory. Motherboard form factors without a doubt, the most important component in a pc system is the main board or motherboard. May 01, 2005 motherboard form factors have been on the move as of late, and with the recent introduction of the intel btx family, a new generation is upon us. To gain a ce mark, the viglen computer range has had to undergo many difficult tests to ensure it is. The succession of motherboard form factors the form factor of a motherboard determines the specifications for its general shape and size. Types of form factors at advanced technology form factor specified motherboard dimensions of 12x. Motherboard form factors explained guide to motherboard. Motherboard components, their purposes, and properties. The form factor of a motherboard determines the specifications for its general shape and size.
As long as they are of the same generation, all three form factors will have the same cpu socket. Cpu speeds, word size, data path, internal cache memory, slots and sockets, cisc vs risc processor, cpu chips preprocessors motherboard types form factors at, baby at, atx, lpx, nlx, btx 2. Types of computer motherboard the types of system board should not be confused with the form factors. The most popular motherboard form factors are atx, microatx a smaller version of atx, and miniitx. Initially these boards only supported the via processors. Motherboard types and features motherboard most complicated computer component one of the first items to consider when building a computer a motherboard sometimes alternatively known as the mainboard, system board, planar board or logic board, or colloquially, a mobo is the main printed circuit board pcb found in computers and. Form factors help prevent incompatibilities between multiple hardware manufacturers. A smaller form factor is itx, which comes in miniitx, nanoitx, and picoitx sizes. Some companies refer to the motherboard as a system board or planar. Sffs are available in a variety of sizes and shapes, including shoeboxes, cubes, and booksized pcs. Mini itx is a lowpower consumption motherboard format of 6. Motherboard form factors early pcs used the at form factor and 12in wide motherboards. Motherboard form factors recall from chapter 1 that a motherboard form factor determines the size of the board and its features that make it compatible with power supplies and cases. Socket refers to the type of processor zif socket used.
Using standard form factors enables companies to market their motherboards to a wider audience and thus thrive in the intensely competitive pc hardware market. In many cases the the style of processor is also listed. This chapter examines the various types of motherboards available and those components typically contained on the motherboard and motherboard interface connectors. Computers generally use highly integrated, miniaturized and customized motherboards. Its dimensions are the most characteristic factor of this type of form. Types of motherboards on the motherboard pearson it. Choosing the best motherboard is in many ways the most integral part of your pc build, although graphics cards and cpus often get more attention. Install and summarize the various motherboard types, form factors and processor installations. Motherboards come in different sizes, known as form factors. Ibms longstanding standard, at advanced technology, was superseded in 1995 by the current industry standard atx advanced technology extended, which still governs the size and design of the motherboard in most modern pcs. We are going to provide an intense and up to date study material and networking notes with pdf on basic computer networking where our users will find extremely easy to learn and explore the most important and advanced features of computer networking. Different types of motherboard form factors with definition the computer motherboard comes in lots of variety they differ in size, shape, dimensions, compatibility to hold cpus and power supply.
Some of the information is considered legacy and provided for form factor reference. Types of computer cases and motherboard factors utilize windows. This stepbystep, highly visual text provides a comprehensive introduction to managing and maintaining computer hardware and software. To help you compare the difference in motherboard sizes, we have laid out all three standard motherboard form factors side by side in the. Permission is granted to copy, distribute andor modify this document under the terms of the gnu free documentation license, version 1. Several common form factors are used for pc motherboards. While there are dozens of form factors for desktop computers, most of them are either obsolete or developed for specialized purposes as a result, almost all consumer motherboards sold today belong to one of these form factors. The current and betterknown form factors are listed in table 41. A typical atx motherboard with nothing connected chapter 4. This file is licensed under the creative commons attributionshare alike 3. One series of smaller motherboard is the itx form factor. Power supply design guide for desktop platform form factors intel. Although it is a slower process, form factors do evolve regularly in response to changing demands. Jun 26, 2017 this video contains the hardware components of a computers explained stay tuned for the rest remaining part of this videooo computer hardwares explained part2.
Types of motherboards on the motherboard pearson it certification. The approximate size of the board is listed after the common name. The motherboard form factor describes its general shape, the type of case and power supply it can use, and. Mother board is the major component of the computer since all of the other hardware within the cpu, including the processor is attached to it. Standard atx most of the time referred to as simply atx. Below is a listing of the various motherboard form factors and links to additional information about each of them. Just as the motherboard defines a pc, the chipset defines a motherboard. Choose from 500 different sets of motherboard form factors flashcards on quizlet. The chipset determines the main characteristics of the motherboard. For comparison purposes, the size of an sff case is usually measured in litres.
However form factors are different per laptop models and brands. The atx form factor dominates the current pc landscape, so a tour of the typical placement of ports, connectors, and so forth on an atx mother. The manufacturer thus produces motherboards which have some common features like their shape,size, and dimensions. This allows for a more efficient design, with disk drive cable connectors nearer to the drive bays and the cpu closer to the power supplyand cooling fan also see from at to btx. What type of motherboards do laptops use, form factors etc. This form factor can be employed for small sized and extremely low power computers. The miniitx is one that is compatible in the screw sets with atx and the microatx. If an operating system supports the feature, it can turn off the power to a system after the shutdown procedure is done. Determines general layout, size and feature placement on the motherboard. This board maintains the electrical pathways that enable all other components to communicate with each other. Free online computer hardware and networking tutorials.
Below is a list of the various motherboard form factors and additional information about each, including atx, which is the most common. Motherboards and bios 85 inside information the motherboard manual theres no way that a single book like this can show you all of the. The most common form factor in desktop computers was the at, based on the ibm at motherboard. The name of the bios backup file can be anything you want, though it. Alternatively referred to as the mb, mainboard, mboard, mobo, mobd, backplane board, base board, main circuit board, planar board, system board, or a logic board on apple computers. Also what fits in one hp laptop may not fit in another hp.
Without a doubt, the most important component in a pc system is the main board or motherboard. Form factor is a hardware design aspect that defines and prescribes the size, shape, and other physical specifications of components, particularly in electronics. Motherboard form factor guide to increase general awareness of pc users on motherboard sizes and form factors, the following outlines most known atx motherboard form factors in a simple guide. Form factors such as physical size, shape, component placement, power supply connectors etc. Put the motherboard and peripherals back into their antistatic bags when not in use. New form factors are developed all the time, this list may not cover all of them.
Chapter form factors, power supplies, and working inside. The different types of atx are known as microatx sometimes shown as atx, miniatx, flexatx, eatx, watx, nanoatx, picoatx, and mobileatx. This cumbersome size led to the development of smaller form factors. For grounding purposes, make sure your computer chassis provides excellent conductivity between the power supply, the case, the mounting fasteners and the motherboard. Copies of documents which have an order number and are referenced in this document may be. Different types of motherboard formfactors, dimensions. Content provided on this page contains information and standards formerly located on the website. The terms motherboard, main board, system board, and planar are interchangeable, although i prefer the motherboard designation. It allocates power and allows communication to the cpu. The picoitx is the motherboard form factor announced by the via technologies in january 2007. Small form factor sff or sfx refers to various computer form factors designed to minimize the volume and footprint of a desktop computer compared to the standard atx form factor. We use your linkedin profile and activity data to personalize ads and to show you more relevant ads.
The at motherboard can be up to approximately 1 foot wide. Atx form factor atx advanced technology extendedis the most commonly used form factor today. Chipsets are so named because they usually comprise two relatively large chips. Most of them if not all of them are called the same thing. Complete guide to understand motherboard by ganesh prabhakaran updated june 22, 2018 the motherboard is a printed circuit boardpcb it holds all the major components such as ram slots, cpu slot, bios, sata and ide slots, expansion slots video, audio, pci cards etc. Types of computer cases and motherboard factors utilize. Motherboard of a computer definition and components. Small form factor sff, a more loosely defined set of standards which may refer to both motherboards and computer cases. In computing, the form factor is the specification of a motherboard the dimensions, power supply type, location of mounting holes, number of ports on the back.
It also specifies what type of case and power supply will be supported, the placement of mounting holes, and the physical layout and organization of the board. Form factor motherboard size description microbtx up to 10. What motherboard fits in an hp specific model may not fit in a dell etc. This guide can be a pdf file stored on the cd or dvd.
A form factor may represent a broad class of similarly sized components, or it may prescribe a specific standard. To increase general awareness of pc users on motherboard sizes and form factors, the following outlines most known atx motherboard form factors in a simple guide. Various form factors of motherboards are at, baby at, atx, miniatx, microatx, flex atx, lpx and mini lpx and nlx. The terms motherboard, main board, system board, and planar are interchangeable, although i prefer the motherboard. For example, an atx case will usually accommodate a microatx motherboard. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. This is a listing of personal computer mother board form factors. Motherboard types and features motherboard most complicated computer component one of the first items to consider when building a computer a motherboard sometimes alternatively known as the mainboard, system board, planar board or logic board,or colloquially, a mobo is the main printed circuit board pcb found in computers and.
A motherboard alternatively known as the mainboard, main circuit board, system board, baseboard, planar board or logic board, or colloquially, a mobo is the main printed circuit board pcb found in general purpose computers and other expandable systems. Learn motherboard form factors with free interactive flashcards. The sheer size of an at motherboard caused problems for upgrading pcs and did not allow use of the increasingly popular slimline desktop cases. The eps12v specification is a power supply form factor for the server market. Computer form factors comprise a number of specific industry standards for motherboards, specifying dimensions, power supplies, placement of mounting holes and ports, and other parameters. The motherboard is the main board in your computer that contains the bios chips, ram, io ports, and cpu. Motherboards are of great importance in a computer. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in.
Form factor processor socket for cpu and chipset buses and number of bus slots speed other power connectors, slots, and ports on the motherboard motherboard types and features. Information is provided to help in the design and development of related motherboard form factor compliant computer systems. Slot refers to the processor residing in a daughter card at. There are huge benefits of using such types of network in small and huge setups which we will. The motherboard is a printed circuit board that is the foundation of a computer, located on the back side or at the bottom of the computer chassis. The material in this manual is subject to change without notice. Various form factors exist for motherboards, as shown in this chart. A cases motherboard and power supply unit psu form factor must all match, though some smaller form factor motherboards of the same family will fit larger cases. This type of motherboard form factor supports both intel and amd processors.
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