The northbridge is a key component of a traditional computer motherboard chipset that handles high-speed
communication between the CPU and other critical components.
Key Functions of the Northbridge:
•Connects the CPU to:
• RAM (memory)
• AGP/PCI Express slot (for the graphics card)
Acts as a communication hub for performance-critical tasks.
An IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) drive connector is an interface used to
connect storage devices like hard drives and optical drives to a computer's
motherboard.
Key Facts about IDE:
•Also known as PATA (Parallel ATA).
•Was the standard interface for hard drives and CD/DVD drives from the late
1980s to the mid-2000s.
•Typically uses a 40-pin ribbon cable (sometimes 80-conductor for better data
integrity) to connect the drive to the motherboard.
•Supports two devices per cable: one set as Master and the other as Slave
using jumpers.
•Was eventually replaced by SATA (Serial ATA), which offers faster speeds,
smaller cables.
An AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) slot is a high-speed point-to-point channel
used for attaching a graphics card to a computer's motherboard, primarily to assist
in the acceleration of 3D computer graphics.
Key Facts about AGP:
•Introduced by Intel in 1997, AGP was designed specifically for graphics cards,
offering better performance than the older PCI slots.
•Direct connection to the CPU and system memory allowed AGP to deliver faster
graphics performance compared to PCI.
•Came in several versions: AGP 1x, 2x, 4x, and 8x, each offering increased
bandwidth.
•Was eventually replaced by PCI Express (PCIe) in the mid-2000s, which is now
the standard for graphics cards.
PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) slots are expansion slots on a
motherboard used to add internal components like sound cards, network cards,
modems, TV tuner cards, and older graphics cards.
•Usually white, shorter than modern PCI Express (PCIe) slots.
•Positioned below AGP (in older boards) or PCIe slots.
The southbridge is a chip on older computer motherboards that manages slower,
peripheral functions of the system. It works alongside the northbridge, which handles
high-speed tasks like memory and CPU communication.
The southbridge controls:
•USB ports
•SATA/PATA drives (storage)
•Audio interfaces
•PCI slots
•Network controllers
•BIOS/CMOS
A power connector on a motherboard is the interface through which
the motherboard receives electrical power from the computer's power
supply unit (PSU) to operate all components like the CPU, RAM,
chipset, and expansion cards.
• Types of Motherboard Power Connectors:
1. 24-Pin ATX Main Power Connector
• Primary power supply for the motherboard.
• Provides 3.3V, 5V, 12V, and ground connections.
• Plugs directly from the PSU to the motherboard.
2. 4-Pin / 8-Pin CPU Power Connector
• Delivers dedicated 12V power to the CPU (near the CPU socket).
• High-end boards use 8-pin (or even two 8-pins) for better stability and overclocking.
ROM (Read-Only Memory) on a motherboard is a non-volatile memory
chip that stores essential firmware, most notably the BIOS or UEFI. Unlike
RAM, the data in ROM is retained even when the computer is powered off.
CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) on a motherboard
refers to a small amount of memory that stores BIOS/UEFI settings, such as
system time, boot order, and hardware configuration.
Stores user-configurable BIOS settings
•Date and time
•Boot device order
•CPU and RAM settings
•Security passwords
