14.11.2012 Views

PC Architecture. A book by Michael B. Karbo

PC Architecture. A book by Michael B. Karbo

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from Intel, there is one line of motherboards you can choose between. If you choose an AthlonXP,<br />

there is another line. And the difference lies in which chipset is being used in the motherboard.<br />

Fig. 53. A typical (technical) advertisement for a motherboard.<br />

Once you have decided on a processor, you should try to get a motherboard with the latest chipset<br />

available, because new versions of chipsets continue to be released, with greater functionality. At the<br />

time of writing, for example, chipsets often include these functions:<br />

● USB version 2.0.<br />

● Dual channel RAM.<br />

● Support for 400 and 533 MHz DDR2 RAM.<br />

● Integrated Firewire ports.<br />

● Serial ATA.<br />

● Surround sound.<br />

● Gigabit Ethernet.<br />

You will most likely want to have these facilities (which are described later in the guide) on your <strong>PC</strong>.<br />

That is why it is important to choose the right motherboard with the latest generation chipset.<br />

Extra facilities<br />

In addition, it can sometimes be worth choosing a motherboard which has extra facilities. For example,<br />

all manufacturers have “luxury models” with built-in RAID controllers, making it possible to install<br />

several hard disks. There are motherboards around with loads of extra facilities, such as:<br />

● Built-in RAID or (seldom) SCSI controller.

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