Sockets (or slots) in which PCB one or more microprocessors may be installed. In the case of CPUs in BGA packages, such as the VIA C3, the CPU is directly soldered to the motherboard.
Slots into which the system's main memory is to be installed (typically in the form PCB of DIMM modules containing DRAM chips)
A chipset which forms an interface between the CPU's front-side bus, main memory, and peripheral buses.
Non-volatile memory chips (usually Flash ROM PCB in modern motherboards) containing the system's firmware or BIOS
A clock generator which produces the system clock signal to synchronize the various components
Slots for expansion PCB cards (the interface to the system via the buses supported by the chipset)
Power connectors, which receive electrical power from the computer power supply and PCB distribute it to the CPU, chipset, main memory, and expansion cards. As of 2007, some graphics cards (e.g. GeForce 8 and Radeon R600) require more power than the motherboard can provide, and thus dedicated connectors have been introduced to attach them directly to the power PCB supply. Most disk drives also connect to the power supply via dedicated connectors PCB.
Additionally, nearly all motherboards include logic and connectors to support commonly used input devices PCB, such as PS/2 connectors for a mouse and keyboard. Early personal computers such as the Apple II or IBM PC included only this minimal PCB peripheral support on the motherboard. Occasionally video interface hardware was also integrated into the motherboard; for example, on the Apple II and rarely on IBM-compatible PCB computers such as the IBM PC Jr. Additional peripherals such as disk controllers and serial ports were provided as expansion cards PCB.
Given the high thermal design power of high-speed computer CPUs PCB and components, modern motherboards nearly always include heat sinksand mounting points for fans to dissipate excess heat PCB.
