Connectors of the motherboard of your PC – Types and characteristics

Motherboards have a large number of different connectors with a certain shape. These types of ports and connectors are intended for power supply, installation of basic hardware, and expansion devices. And it is that a computer in the end is a set of elements that are connected to a controller board or motherboard and that are managed (mostly) by the processor. So that you can easily distinguish them when you mount a computer, we have cataloged and explained them a bit. All the ports and connectors on the motherboard, both internal and external, give a lot of talk about them, that's why we give some touches of them. Each of the PC ports located on the motherboard has an image that allows it to be easily distinguished. Most common internal ports on a motherboard Socket for the motherboard Possibly this is one of the most important connection points in the system. This is where the processor will be installed. Most CPU sockets on a motherboard have an anchor system based on a lever that releases the anchor cap from the processor. This system makes it very easy to remove it to change a CPU. Although there are platforms such as workstations or servers that use more advanced systems. Additionally, in laptops the processor is usually soldered directly to the motherboard, so in these cases it is impossible to change it. We must take into account that the socket of Intel processors is not compatible with that of AMD and vice versa. We must also take the generation into account, since from one generation of processors to another the socket can be changed and it is only compatible with CPUs of between two or four generations. EPS + 12V Power connector for the processor. This connector is characterized by having 4 pins or 8 pins, which send the voltage to the VRM phases, from where they are distributed to the processor.High-end motherboards are designed for powerful processors or for overclocking and usually have an EPS of 8 pins and some models even 4 additional pins. On the other hand, mid-range motherboards can have a 4-pin or 8-pin connector, depending on the manufacturer's decision, and for the low-end, only a 4-pin connector is usually incorporated. Socket DIMM / Slot RAM They are the connection ports of RAM memory. This type of system is quite simple, since we only have to move the lateral anchors and 'puncture' the RAM unit. When we insert it, the lateral anchors press the RAM and prevent it from moving. When we are going to install RAM we must be careful, since the socket has an internal line to prevent us from installing it incorrectly. It also serves to avoid installing RAM modules of an incorrect generation, such as a DDR3 module in a DDR4 socket. If we notice that a RAM module does not fit on either side, do not force it because it does not fit directly and is not compatible. ATX 24 Pins This connector is intended to power the motherboard. Modern motherboards are based on the 20 + 4-pin connection, it is rare to see motherboards with the ATX 20-pin connector. It is used for chipset power, internal connectivity and external connectivity. It is also used to power other circuits such as the sound card, network cards or M.2 drives, among others. PCI Express (PCIe) connectors High performance communication bus that allows the installation of different expansion cards. It can communicate directly with the processor, although the chipset can also have support for this type of bus. We can find it in four formats: PCIe x16, PCIe x8, PCIe x4 and PCIe x1. The number tells us how many delineas the connection port has. Some x16 size PCIe slots may have only 8 lines or less, something that we must take into account and that the manufacturer specifies in the manual. 3-pin and 4-pin fan connectors (PWM) Special connections for fans built into the motherboard. Modern motherboards usually implement the 4-pin PWM connector that allows to regulate the speed of the fan. The 3-pin connector makes the fan run at the rated speed constantly. Modern motherboards usually have a specific connector for the processor fan that is 4-pin. Additionally, they have other connectors for the rest of the fans that we want to install. Some motherboards even implement a special one for liquid cooling pumps. SATA connectors The data bus interface of modern computers that allows the connection of storage devices and optical disk drives, among others. This type of interface offers high transfer speeds, supports longer data cables and connection and disconnection of drives The SATA 3 interface offers us transfer speeds of up to 600MB / s (in the best case) U.2 Hybrid port between SATA and M.2 that has never been very successful. It was developed as an improvement to the SATA port, but with the advent of the M.2 port for SSDs, it has fallen out of favor. It should be noted that most manufacturers of motherboards and hard drives have never finished trusting this. It is usually found together with SATA ports and on mid-range or high-end motherboards. This U.2 connection interface offers read speeds of about 2.000MB / s and about 1.000MB / s write. M.2 connectors Data bus mainly used for the installation of storage units. This type of bus supports different lengths. In addition to storage units, other systems can be installed, such as wireless network cards or USB controllers. Within the storage there are two versions: PCIe and SATA. M.2 drives via PCIe interface offer high transfer speeds. M.2 drives over SATA are limited to the transfer speeds of this port, I feel slower. Under the SATA standard it offers average speeds of 600MB / s, through the PCIe 3.0 standard it can offer average speeds of 3000MB / s and through the standard PCIe 4.0 can offer average speeds of 6000MB / s USB connectors Special connection PC connectors that are usually found in the lower part of the motherboard. This type of port is designed for the USB ports that we usually find on the front of computer towers, motherboards usually have two of these connectors. Modern motherboards offer support for the USB 3.0 standard or higher. Audio Like the USB connection port, this is located on the bottom of the motherboard. This is usually in the lower left corner, near the sound card. This is where the microphone input and sound output jack connections of the computer chassis are connected. RGB Modern motherboards usually implement the same RGB-type lighting. Normally, motherboards that have this type of lighting have a special connector to connect additional RGB strips. This connector offers us the possibility of synchronizing the lighting of the motherboard with the strips, creating a unique effect. Thunderbolt This type of port is intended for chassis that offer USB Type-C connectors and Thunderbolt compatibility. It is characterized by offering greater electrical power than USB, supporting more devices. Its great advantage is that it is based on the PCIe interface, so the transfer speeds are very high. In addition, it allows the parallelization of data transfer, hence it supports several devices simultaneously with a single connector. ARGB Evolution of RGB lighting. The ARGB (Adressable RGB) is a lighting system that allows each led to be controlled independently. Its connection port is different from RGB, although the purpose is the same. It allows the synchronization of the led strips with the illumination of the motherboard. External motherboard USB connectors The USB port has remained a universal standard and all modern motherboards implement a large number of these. Usually black USB ports are based on the 2.0 standard. The blue colored USB is based on the 3.0 standard. Additionally we can find them in red, indicating the USB 3.2 interface or in yellow / orange, intended for charging devices. It should be noted that later each manufacturer may decide not to follow this color range, such as Razer that implements green USB in their laptops. With the arrival of USB Type-C (or universal connection), the 'normal' USB is also called USB Type-A. RJ45 Communication interface for computer networks and internet connection. It is characterized by having eight electrical connections that are used as ends of twisted pair cables (UTP). All motherboards have this type of connector, in some cases with two of these connectors. Intel Thunderbolt in 2018 released this connection standard that previously could be installed by paying royalties to the company. This means that more and more manufacturers choose to implement it, especially on high-end motherboards, it can easily be confused with a USB Type-C, because they share a physical interface. It is distinguished by the lightning bolt symbol next to the connector, which identifies the Thunderbolt port. HDMI PC video connector developed specifically for video output. This connector usually appears in a large number of motherboards to take advantage of the integrated graphics in the processor that integrates it. The latest update is HDMI 2.1 which roughly offers 8K @ 60FPS or 4K @ 120FPS video support. Additionally, this type of interface adds support for Game Mode VRR Technology DisplayPort. A more advanced video interface that is characterized by allowing the transfer of not only video, but also audio and data. It is also characterized by being a free and license-free connector. The most modern version is the DisplayPort 2.0 offering support for 8K @ 60Hz resolutions with HDR. It can be used, as we indicated, for data transfer, but using the Thunderbird 3.0 standard. DVI Normally, motherboards intended for mid-range and input gaming tend to integrate this video connector. It is implemented to take advantage of the graphics integrated in the processor, as long as the processor integrates graphics. This type of connection has different versions. The most common are Single Link with a resolution of 1920x1200 @ 60Hz, Dual Link with a resolution of 2560x1600 @ 60Hz and Analog Video with a resolution of 1920x1200 @ 60Hz. Audio connectors The motherboards integrate sound cards natively, and may be of lower or higher sound quality. We can even find three types of rear connector blocks. Mid-range motherboards usually have three (blue, green, and pink). The mid-range and high-end models can differentiate between the six-connector system or the five-connector system with digital audio output (S / PDIF, also known as SPDIF). Functions of each 3.5mm jack connector: - Top left (blue) : 3.5mm stereo input- Top right (black): rear channel stereo output- Center left (green): stereo output for front channels- Center right (orange): dual output for center and subwoofer- Bottom left (pink ): mono input for microphone - Bottom right (gray): for side channels Note: all connectors may be the same color USB Type-C Dual rotation symmetric PC connectors, also referred to as reversible USB connector. This connector can offer support for the DisplayPort, HDMI and DVI video interfaces, depending on the type of connector. This type of connector also allows the connection of different devices, as long as it allows it. It is a fairly universal type of connector that offers great connectivity and compatibility. S / PDIF Digital audio connection used to broadcast audio over relatively short distances. This signal is transmitted through a coaxial cable with RCA connectors or through a fiber optic cable with TOSLINK connectors. It is used to transport compressed digital sound for surround sound systems. It can be used to connect outputs from optical drive players or computers to a home theater receiver that supports Dolby Digital or DTS. SMA connectors These PC connectors are used to connect WiFi antennas on high-end motherboards. It is used as a screw-type coupling system that offers great hold and security. The connector offers an impedance of 50 ohms and is especially suitable for high frequencies. The frequency bands of WiFi networks move in 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz. Additionally the antennas offer a higher power than in decibels than most integrated antennas. VGA Classic video output that is being deprecated. One of its main characteristics is that it can be screwed to ensure the correct clamping of the connector. Occasionally it can be seen on low-end motherboards and on graphics cards it has already completely disappeared.One of the lesser known curiosities is that this connector does not allow hot swapping, or what is the same, while it is working. In practice there is usually no corruption or damage to hardware. This is because most systems do not usually carry surge protection. Additionally, it may be the case that the monitor is not detected when a hot connection is made. COM port It is commonly known as a serial port and this port is no longer used or usually implemented on motherboards. This port was replaced by the USB port, which offered better transfer rates and versatility. Parallel Port An interface used in home computers to connect a large number of peripherals. This type of connector is also known as a printer port, since it was used by printers for many years. Its main characteristic is that it could send several bits of data simultaneously, which offered greater versatility compared to serial ports. This port was also replaced by the USB port. Game Port or Game Port This PC connector was introduced in IBM PC-compatible computer systems during the 1980s and 1990s. It was traditionally used for joystick connection and occasionally for MIDI devices. Initially it was on a dedicated expansion card, but later it was integrated into sound cards, to finally be integrated into the motherboard itself. This connector was also replaced by USB. FireWire (IEE 1394) Serial bus for high-speed communications and asynchronous data transfer in real time. Although it was developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was not until the 2000s that it was integrated into computers at the user level. It was never successful in the general market because the USB port was already highly standardized. It remained as a port for professional photo and video cameras, but ended up being discontinued in 2013. It was replaced by USB 3.0 interface and Thunderbolt interface. [irp]

No products found.