HOW IT WORKS
The CPU is the Central Processing Unit, or simply, the processor. Since the processor is considered the "brain" of the computer, the motherboard can be compared to the "nervous system." Nearly every component relies on the motherboard and is connected to it in some way. It is essentially a circuit board with paths or "traces" that transmit power and relay commands to the other components to tell them what action is needed. The motherboard links everything together, and helps the different components communicate.
When you execute any function on your computer, it requires a specific action. For each action an electronic impulse is sent to the motherboard. The board determines what the impulse is, what is needed, and which component must be implemented to complete the function. It then sends that component a signal. The component establishes what needs to happen and sends that information back to the motherboard. The motherboard then determines what action comes next and what other components are necessary to complete the task, sending them the appropriate command or impulse.
For instance, when you hit the "A" on the keyboard, an impulse is sent to the motherboard. The motherboard sends the impulse to the video card (or onboard video system). The video card determines that the letter "A" is needed and sends that information back through the motherboard. The board then determines where the information goes from there, in this case to the monitor, where the "A" seems to appear instantly even though many processes have occurred in order to get it there.
Another example is when you click an icon to open a program. Again, an impulse is sent to the motherboard. The motherboard then signals the hard drive to load the information into RAM, which stands for Random Access Memory. RAM is basically temporary memory. It is like a temporary storage space for your operating system, current information, and programs, so the CPU has easy access to them. It is temporary because once you shut down your system, this information is deleted.
The motherboard then sends a command to the video card so it can calculate what needs to be drawn (text, colors, images, etc), and the video card sends that information to the back to the motherboard, which sends it to the monitor. All of these things take place so quickly that the information goes from a click of the mouse to an image on your monitor in mere nanoseconds. As you can see, the motherboard is one of the most important parts of your system, so be sure to choose wisely. Make sure it is compatible with your other components and make sure it is a good stable board.
The CPU is the Central Processing Unit, or simply, the processor. Since the processor is considered the "brain" of the computer, the motherboard can be compared to the "nervous system." Nearly every component relies on the motherboard and is connected to it in some way. It is essentially a circuit board with paths or "traces" that transmit power and relay commands to the other components to tell them what action is needed. The motherboard links everything together, and helps the different components communicate.
When you execute any function on your computer, it requires a specific action. For each action an electronic impulse is sent to the motherboard. The board determines what the impulse is, what is needed, and which component must be implemented to complete the function. It then sends that component a signal. The component establishes what needs to happen and sends that information back to the motherboard. The motherboard then determines what action comes next and what other components are necessary to complete the task, sending them the appropriate command or impulse.
For instance, when you hit the "A" on the keyboard, an impulse is sent to the motherboard. The motherboard sends the impulse to the video card (or onboard video system). The video card determines that the letter "A" is needed and sends that information back through the motherboard. The board then determines where the information goes from there, in this case to the monitor, where the "A" seems to appear instantly even though many processes have occurred in order to get it there.
Another example is when you click an icon to open a program. Again, an impulse is sent to the motherboard. The motherboard then signals the hard drive to load the information into RAM, which stands for Random Access Memory. RAM is basically temporary memory. It is like a temporary storage space for your operating system, current information, and programs, so the CPU has easy access to them. It is temporary because once you shut down your system, this information is deleted.
The motherboard then sends a command to the video card so it can calculate what needs to be drawn (text, colors, images, etc), and the video card sends that information to the back to the motherboard, which sends it to the monitor. All of these things take place so quickly that the information goes from a click of the mouse to an image on your monitor in mere nanoseconds. As you can see, the motherboard is one of the most important parts of your system, so be sure to choose wisely. Make sure it is compatible with your other components and make sure it is a good stable board.
