1) Motherboard Diagram, (Proper computer speak for motherboard is Mainboard. I just use Mobo.
MOtherBOard)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Motherboard_diagram.svg2) Soyo SY-KT400 Dragon Ultra - motherboard diagram,
http://techreport.com/articles.x/4139CPU = Central Processing Unit. Another term is Microprocessor, or simply Processor for short.
The 'Brain' of the computer.
The Processor sits in a processor socket.
The processor socket for the Soyo SY-KT400 is a Socket A. Also known as Socket 462.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socket_462The motherboard chipset is the Northbridge chip, and Southbridge chip.
The motherboard chipset for the Soyo SY-KT400 is the VIA KT400 - Northbridge chip, and the VIA VT8235 - Southbridge chip.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_VIA_chipsets#Slot_A_and_Socket_AThe Northbridge chip handles the Faster capabilities of the computer.
The Northbridge chip determines what Processors can be supported, what Ram Memory can be supported, and High-Speed graphics.
High-Speed graphics being AGP and PCI Express, not a graphics card installed in a PCI slot, nor Integrated Graphics.
The Processor communicates with the Northbridge chip through the Front Side Bus. (FSB)
Think of the FSB as an 'Information Highway'.
The Northbridge chip communicates TO the Southbridge chip through the Internal Bus.
The Southbridge chip handles the Slower capabilities of the computer.
The Southbridge chip handles IDE, SATA, USB, Ethernet, Integrated Graphics, and the PCI bus.
(As in a graphics card installed in a PCI expansion slot, for one example)
Also handles information from the Super I/O chipset.
The Soyo SY-KT400 - Super I/O chipset is a VIA VT1211
There are 5 PCI slots. All connected to the PCI bus, which is connected to the Super I/O chipset.
Click on this link,
http://techreport.com/articles.x/4139/2Scroll down a little bit to the photo of the Soyo SY-KT400 motherboard.
A) At the top middle is the Processor socket. White in color, rectangular in shape, square hole in the middle, and socket holes on it.
To the immediate left of the Processor socket are 8 Electrolytic Capacitors in a row.
These capacitors are Radial Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors. (Used all over the motherboard)
These particular 8 are part of the motherboard voltage regulator circuit.
Specifically, voltage regulation for the Processor.
B) To the right of the Processor socket are three long Black Ram Memory slots. (Proper computer speak for Slot, is Bank. 3 Ram Memory Banks)
C) The Blue and the White connectors to the right of the Ram Memory slots are IDE connectors.
One for the Harddrive, the other one for the optical drive/s.
D) Underneath the Processor is the Northbridge chip. There is a clear fan sitting on it.
E) The large square Black chip with VIA on it, below the Ram Memory slots, and to the right of the purple PCI slots, is the Southbridge chip.
F) The 5 purple long slots are PCI expansion slots.
G) To the right of the bottom purple PCI slot is the CMOS battery.
H) Above the purple PCI slots is a brown AGP slot.
Uses AGP 8X graphics cards
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