Motherboards typically boast a wide variety of built-in features, and they directly affect a computer's capabilities and potential for upgrades. In this article, we'll look at the general components of a motherboard. Then, we'll closely examine five points that dramatically affect what a computer can do.

A motherboard by itself is useless, but a computer has to have one to operate. The motherboard's main job is to hold the computer's microprocessor chip and let everything else connect to it. Everything that runs the computer or enhances its performance is either part of the motherboard or plugs into it via a slot or port. The shape and layout of a motherboard is called the form factor. The form factor affects where individual components go and the shape of the computer's case. There are several specific form factors that most PC motherboards use so that they can all fit in standard cases. The form factor is just one of the many standards that apply to motherboards. Some of the other standards include:

•The socket for the microprocessor determines what kind of Central Processing Unit(CPU) the motherboard uses.

•The chipset is part of the motherboard's logic system and is usually made of two parts - the northbridge and the southbridge. These two "bridges" connect the CPU to other parts of the computer.

•The Basic Inpot/Outpot System(BIOS) chip controls the most basic functions of the computer and performs a self-test every time you turn it on. Some systems feature dual BIOS, which provides a backup in case one fails or in case of error during updating.

•The real time clock chip is a battery operated-chip that maintains basic settings and the system time.

The slots and ports found on a motherboard include:

•Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)- connections for video, sound and video capture cards, as well as network cards

•Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) - dedicated port for video cards.

•Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) - interfaces for the hard drives

•Universal Serial Bus or Firewire - external peripherals

•Memory slots

Some motherboards also incorporate newer technological advances:

•Redundant Array of Independent Discs (RAID) controllers allow the computer to recognize multiple drives as one drive.

•PCI Express is a newer protocol that acts more like a network than a bus. It can eliminate the need for other ports, including the AGP port.

•Rather than relying on plug-in cards, some motherboards have on-board sound, networking, video or other peripheral support.