How to buy a motherboard

Network administration - Creating a computer in your own way is much easier than guessing which computer manufacturer provides you with a set of features to satisfy your needs. Assembling a system together is a fairly simple task, this job certainly won't take more than an afternoon as long as you have all the necessary components.

Like cooking for a meal, preparation is an important issue. The most important decision you need to make for your computer is which motherboard to buy. Prices as well as the specifications of the motherboards on the market are quite different. And it can't be decided, because the motherboard really has a very important effect on the system, from the CPU to the hard drive storage device.

Panorama

In many ways, the motherboard is the heart of a modern computer system, because it affects most other components. Choosing a motherboard is a complicated task because you have 7 to 9 different coefficients to consider.

It takes time to think carefully about how you will use your system. People who want to use computers to connect with other measuring devices through serial ports will be more interested in peripheral features than average users, while gamers will definitely Pay more attention to GPUs, CPUs and chipsets, but forget about the peripherals and physical size problems for form-factors.

Main features

CPU: CPU, still often considered the brain of a computer, is one of the main components of a modern system. You have a few mainstream options for the CPU. Intel currently has a number of high-performance processors, with Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad (using LGA775 socket). As its name implies, Core 2 Duo is a dual-core CPU, while Core 2 Quad is a 4-core processor. AMD uses socket AM2 and AM2 + and supplies Phenom CPUs (quad- or triple-core) and Athlon 64 (dual-core). AMD products are often solid but they offer lower performance levels. A third company, Via Technologies, provides low-performance C7 microprocessors; C7 is a little-known option because it provides significantly lower performance than mainstream Intel or AMD line processors.

Chip set: If the CPU is the brain of the computer, the chip set is the spinal cord, responsible for binding all the different components in the computer and passing data between them. The set chip determines which CPU, memory and devices can be used, which strongly affects performance.

Chip set is the most important component of the motherboard. Since motherboards using the same chip set will often have the same performance (except for serious design errors), they are only different by features, such as expansion slots, storage options. and other discrete chips may be included.

Typical chip sets use two different chips and are often called north and south bridges. In general, the north bridge chip is responsible for handling high-performance equipment and less sensitive devices will be grouped to handle on the south bridge chip.

The north bridge chip usually includes a memory controller, plus it is integrated graphics or a discrete graphical interface. (Note that AMD has a memory controller built into the CPU, rather than a chip set). The south bridge chip includes networking devices, storage, audio, and peripheral peripherals in general. The image above is an example of an Intel X48 chip set with a partition between the north bridge chip (MCH) and the south bridge (ICH).

Major chip set options include Intel, AMD, and nVidia, plus SiS and Viahave.

Memory : Choosing a memory for your computer is usually a simple decision: You just need to choose a reliable company and the price is acceptable (unless you like overclocking, but that's a story. absolutely different). However, memory types often have to undergo a conversion process. Most chip sets using DDR2 memory have bandwidth up to 800 MHz (PC2 6400), but newer Intel set chips can also use DDR3. DDR3 provides more bandwidth (1066 to 1600 MHz), consumes less power and will be the next mainstream, but currently the cost of DDR3 is still quite expensive. However, we need to remember that DDR3 will almost certainly be useful for future upgrades.

Although DDR2 and DDR3 both use 240 pins, the difference is that, in DDR2, the lock (a small gap between the pins) is closer to the center of the DIMM (memory module), while DDR3 is closer to the edge of the DIMM more. Remember that if the memory module does not match the slot, we should not use force to force it.

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Graphics hardware : Graphics hardware (GPU) is the third most important component of a system, after CPU and chip set. Things to consider about graphics are cost, performance and upgrade.

The lowest cost option is a chip set with integrated graphics. The integrated graphics processor (IGP in this way of speaking) is intended for basic 2D and 3D functions and often uses system memory instead of dedicated graphics memory. All major companies such as AMD, Intel, nVidia, and VIA often provide integrated graphics with some set chips. An IGP is a good option for those interested in office jobs, multimedia and light-load workflows.

Integrated graphics will work well with light work, but not enough performance for gaming. For users who want to play games on their computers, choose a motherboard with a PCI Express x16 slot, followed by a discrete graphics card from ATI / AMD or nVidia.
PCI Express has two types: Gen 1 and Gen 2. The difference between them is that Gen 2 PCI Express slots run at 5 GHz, twice the speed of the previous generation. That difference doesn't matter with current GPUs (or most other peripherals), but it will be a problem in later upgrades. With a motherboard that you want to use longer than the GPU that came with it, consider the PCI-E slot for higher speeds in this case.

If price doesn't matter and gaming performance is your goal, then your choice may be a bit different. The support of multi-GPU is a very high feature and comes with a quite expensive price. Only some options for multi-GPU are SLI (for nVidia card) or CrossFire (for ATI card). Although many people believe that nVidia is at the forefront of performance, SLI is the better choice now; Note that SLI only works with nVidia chipsets and Skulltrail motherboards from Intel.

Another problem but still relevant is the graphical interface. You have three main options: VGA, DVI, and HDMI. VGA is a traditional 15-pin analog monitor connector, designed for CRT monitors. DVI is a digital connector intended for use with LCD monitors, and HDMI is a variant of DVI with DRM (digital rights management) technology required for Blu-ray and other high-resolution media. .

Audio : Integrated audio can meet all needs for all, but not all users like it. AC97 is an old audio standard that has been replaced by HD Audio (or "Azalia"). There really is no reason to set an old standard, newer technology is not too expensive. For those who really like to enjoy music, the solution is to choose a removable sound card, the fully expandable PCI-E slot is a completely easy-to-find requirement.

Storage : Like memory, this is a fairly simple option, but there should be some tricks with a number of options and transitions of different platforms. A few years ago, storage devices experienced the transition from Parallel ATA to Serial ATA (SATA) and then to 3-gbps SATA. 1.5-gbps with 3-gbps SATA can make a little difference in performance, but only in video editing and media-intensive workflows.

Most hard drives use SATA, while some older DVD +/- RW drives use Parallel ATA. Motherboards usually support up to 4 or more SATA ports (even up to 10), providing enough ports for users.

eSATA is a relatively new standard for connecting external hard drives via SATA instead of FireWire or USB. eSATA provides higher performance levels than the other two standards and also supports management and reliability features such as SMART (Self Monitoring And Reporting Technology). eSATA is not as widely available as USB 2.0, but it will certainly become widely accepted and will become a better interface.

Another option for really different storage related to RAID, this is a standard for modern motherboards. You can use RAID 0 or 1 with two hard drives; The former is to increase the read and write performance, the latter is to increase the stability and reading performance. RAID 5 requires a minimum of three hard drives, RAID 6 (really necessary for the enterprise sector), requiring at least four hard drives; Both aim to increase reliability and read performance, acceptable write performance and reduce overhead over RAID 1. Most systems do not need to be hard-disked, so in many cases ways 6 is an interesting option but it is a harsh requirement. With video editing and other rich multimedia tasks, basic RAID 0, 1 or 5 is probably a reasonable requirement.

Networking : Wired networking is a solution not to mention because most chipsets will have at least one integrated gigabit ethernet port. For the most part, Wi-Fi is not needed for desktop computers, and most motherboards avoid this for simplicity and can cut costs; It is an optional feature.

Mixed peripheral : On motherboards, peripherals may include USB 2.0, FireWire, PS / 2, serial and parallel ports and floppy drives. Among these options, USB 2.0 is a really necessary option, FireWire is an interesting option, the rest is quite outdated unless you need a specific peripheral.

Size for system components : The last aspect of the motherboard that we need to consider when choosing is the size for the system components. This is an aesthetic choice. Most motherboards use microATX design dimensions, the design meets the requirements for users. However, there are still a few other variants (problems not covered by this article) that are available to users with specific requirements.

Explain technical details

Finally, the key to building a proper system is knowing how you will use your computer. As mentioned before, the needs of an office worker are often far from the requirements of a video editor or game player.

Processor : When it comes to performance, an option quite suitable for most users is the dual-core CPU of Intel, the reason is that there are still no advanced applications that require quad-core . We recommend that you choose a 3-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, especially the E8400, unless you use applications (such as montages), applications that are suitable for quad processors -core.

Chip set : The best companion with Intel E8400 is a P35 chip-based motherboard. You should choose the motherboard according to your device's storage options, audio, and desired memory.

Memory : A modern computer needs to have at least 2GB of memory, maybe 4GB for applications that require more memory (not Windows Vista).

Graphics: Even gaming must be a target, but you may want to spend a bit more (about $ 100) on a mid-level GPU such as the ATI Radeon HD 3650, a GPU that offers many video options - interesting output. To play games, a more powerful graphics card, such as a certain brother in the nVidia's 8800 GT family, will be an appropriate choice.

Storage device: Building an interesting system but not having enough storage space is a problem. With the current price, a 500GB hard drive is absolutely possible. Larger models are usually much more expensive, while smaller models don't save you much. Make sure your DVD can use SATA standards so you can use it in the future.

Tips for buying motherboards

Here are some of our tips:

Select the previous set chip, then select the motherboard: The difference between the chip set is significant, but the two motherboards with the same chip set will have nearly equal performance. First point out which chip set will work for your system, then compare other motherboards with that set chip.

Know what type of system you are building: Your ultimate goal is a media computer, office computer or a heavy computer to play games? These usage models will suggest the different features you need to have. He focuses on features that are important to you.

Avoid SLI / CrossFire unless you really need it: SLI and CrossFire technology is for those who require high machine configuration. Buying a new video card instead of a multi-GPU graphics card will be the wisest action.

Use DDR2 memory unless you need performance and expandable bandwidth: DDR2 is cheaper than DDR3. Since you plan to upgrade or reuse memory in the future, you should buy DDR2 now and wait for the price of DDR3 to drop for future systems.

Unless you really know what you're doing, don't avoid overclocking features : Many motherboard vendors try to make a difference for their products by providing them with fast memory support. more or other periodic features. However, remember that such motherboards target only a few people with high configuration requirements.

Guaranteed at least one high-performance PCI Express slot : Even if all you want now is an integrated graphics system, you should still choose a board with an x16 PCI-E expansion slot.