Mainboard, motherboard or motherboard: all three terms mean the same thing. It is one of the most important hardware components of your PC, laptop or server. The mainboard is like the brain. All important components are connected here so that the system functions properly. All processes come together on the main board and are processed. Therefore, a high-quality motherboard is of great importance if you want to work comfortably or play games.
We from Mindfactory.de tell you in this guest post on windows-faq.de why a mainboard is so important for the system and what features the different models bring. Furthermore, we explain what you have to pay attention to when building your own PC, which brands offer motherboards and give a final conclusion.
That is why a mainboard is so important
Most hardware components of a system are always connected to the main board. This center has various slots and connections to attach or connect all components to the mainboard. These include, for example, the main memory, the processor, the graphics card, hard drives, one or more coolers and others. The peripherals such as loudspeakers, keyboard and mouse are also connected indirectly to the mainboard via a connection.
With modern motherboards, you can also expect already integrated components such as a sound card, a simple graphics card and a network card. These are, so to speak, onboard.
Since a motherboard for the computer is like the heart for a person, it always has to be in good condition for the system to run smoothly. A defect ensures that you can no longer use your PC. Working or playing with the computer is only possible again after an exchange with a faultless model. Therefore, your motherboard should always be up to date. With an outdated version it can happen that individual hardware components are no longer addressed correctly or become completely incompatible.
Building a motherboard
The main boards are available in different sizes, also known as form factors. The standard size is ATX. The E-ATX format is larger in size and can therefore accommodate more components. Smaller versions such as Micro ATX or Mini ITX are predestined for notebooks and cubes, where there is less space. However, these also have fewer connections than the larger formats. A BIOS chip is integrated in each mainboard. The Basic Input Output System (BIOS) is the basis for the operating system. It tells it the built-in hardware and how to work with it.
The slots and connections on a motherboard decide which equipment can be used for your PC. The scope of this also allows you to expand your computer: for example by more RAM or an additional hard disk for data storage.
SATA connections are a prerequisite for data exchange with hard drives and other storage devices. In general, it can be said that more SATA connections with high data throughput optimize the processing of your data. In addition, USB interfaces with the latest USB standard belong on every mainboard. Some hardware components are connected via this. Therefore, they should be available in sufficient numbers.
All necessary components can be connected via integrated slots for the processor, the main memory, cooler and plug-in cards such as the sound, video, graphics, network, TV or ISDN card. Some motherboards already contain some of these cards; they are onboard.
Like the processor, the main memory is one of the most important components on the motherboard. These must always fit together. The current standard here is DDR4, but many motherboards with DDR3 are still common. Older versions even only have DDR2.
Build your own PC: the ideal system for every requirement
If you want to assemble your computer yourself, pay special attention to the mainboard. Because this ultimately decides which components you can integrate into your system. This has a significant impact on the scope and performance.
First, think about what you want from your new PC, what your requirements are. A PC for the office usually does not need a high-end mainboard, as is used for modern computer games. The size of the motherboard also determines the size of the case. Basically, the following can be said: The more components you want to install, the more space must be available in the housing.
Furthermore, the mainboard is crucial for the processor and the performance of the working memory. The more slots and connections a motherboard has, the more options you have regarding equipment and expansion. An integrated onboard graphics card is not enough, especially in the gaming sector or for professional image and video editing. It is therefore worthwhile to have a more powerful graphics card that is integrated into the system via a PCI Express slot.
You get motherboards from these brands
Mainboards at Mindfactory meet every requirement – from the office PC to the extensive work computer to the gaming station. Among other things, we offer high-quality products from the manufacturers Fujitsu, Intel and Supermicro. If you need more performance and higher performance, take a look at MSI, Asus, Gigabyte or ASRock. These brands develop suitable motherboards especially for gaming enthusiasts and creative people.
Conclusion: The heart of the mainboard gets your system up and running
In summary, it can be said that a mainboard is absolutely necessary for the functionality of your system. It determines the components that can be integrated and the possible performance of the computer. Not all hardware parts can communicate with the selected motherboard. Inform yourself in advance about the options you have with the selected model.
If you want more power, but the expansion options of your mainboard are exhausted, a more extensive mainboard must be installed. The general rule here is: the more expensive the motherboard, the more connections and power are included.
