History

• Motherboards first came into existence in the mid 1980s as the more traditional birdcage method of construction for massive mainframes began to become obsolete. As computers shrank, it became more sensible to consolidate more functions onto a single circuit board. The modern motherboard developed along with the first personal computers; it made the organization of hardware components that we take for granted today possible. Although motherboards have changed substantially over the years, the basic architecture remains the same.
  
  

Function

• The most important two functions that the motherboard provides are a seating for the primary processors and main memory. It also contains slots for storage components--both IDE and SATA (on newer boards). The motherboard connects to graphics cards through AGP, PCI and PCI Express slots and other miscellaneous peripherals via other PCI slots. Motherboards contain integrated internal software stored on a BIOS chip. Modern motherboards also often have seatings for fans and heatsinks to keep everything cool.
  
  

Considerations

• When purchasing a motherboard, it's wise to ensure that it will work with all of the other components in a computer. Manufacturers do not have time to test every motherboard with every possible computer configuration. See the Motherboard Compatibility Checklist link below in Additional References for more information. Avoid purchasing equipment that you can't install because of an incompatibility with your motherboard.
  
  

Features

• Determine what integrated features you would like on a motherboard before purchasing it. Most often, integrated hardware features--like graphics cards--that are integrated into the motherboard are less expensive, but less powerful as well. Integrated hardware is less likely to suffer from any incompatibility problems, so it saves headaches in that area.
  
  

Expert Insight

• Upgrading a motherboard without swapping out the rest of the components is rarely a cost-effective computer upgrade. For gaming and other resource-intensive computer activities, it's often best to start with the graphics card, memory and processor before turning toward a new motherboard. Keep your motherboard in good shape--trouble in the electrical system can destroy everything in your machine.