Basics

Motherboards are printed with circuits that are multiple layers thick, and are, therefore, often difficult to see. Every motherboard is at least two or more layers thick. The printed wires are called traces, and they carry and transmit the data and commands between the CPU, Northbridge, RAM and other hardware devices. The motherboard also needs to connect to the power supply in order to provide the proper power for the computer. Therefore, the motherboard and power supply must have matching connector slots. Characteristics

There are three common related characteristics that help to define modern motherboards. The first is form factor. Form factor is what designates the actual physical size of the motherboard, as well as the location of the ports on it, airflow and other components. The second characteristic is the chipset, which defines the type of RAM and how much RAM the computer will support, as well as the processor that is required for the motherboard. The third characteristic includes the built-in components, which define the basic function capabilities of the entire computer system.

Types

There are numerous types of motherboard form factors, according to http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/m/mothboar.htm. Each one comes with different features and components. There are many popular motherboard manufacturers, and depending on your computing needs, you can have a custom motherboard designed for you. Chipsets

Chipsets on the motherboard determine the types of hardware, memory capacity and other external devices that the computer can support without adding expansion cards to the computer. In general, modern computers are composed of two main chips, called the Northbridge and the Southbridge. Northbridge chips do a lot of work on the motherboard; they require their own heat sink and fan. The Northbridge assists the CPU in working with the RAM. On some motherboards, the Northbridge actually provides communication with the video card instead of the memory, as the memory controller on those

types of motherboards is built directly into the CPU. The Northbridge is generally located under the fan on the motherboard. The Southbridge handles expansion and mass-storage devices. Its main job is as a controller hub on the hard drive. Modern motherboard manufacturers usually add a third primary chip called the Super I/O chip, or system ROM chip. This chip provides part of the support for the system BIOS at a basic level. Additional Components

Other basic motherboard components include USB/FireWire ports, onboard sound chips, RAID (redundant array of independent devices) and audio, modem, and communications and networking riser slots. Some motherboards are designed to offer support for older technologies, such as floppy drives, modems, infrared connections and parallel ports; yet most modern chipsets on newer motherboards do not support those older devices.