The form factors for Motherboards are important to know
Below are some of the most popular form factors, as well as their most frequently used specifications:
These are the general guidelines for the most commonly used motherboard elements. There are many more and they differ in terms of their capabilities. One of the most crucial things to do is choose the right size PC that you’d like to build. Purchase as well as the number of components you’ll want to set up now and in the future. You should choose the motherboard type which best suits your needs.
Motherboard Expansion Options
Shielded motherboard bays Motherboards connect to various components, in addition to the CPU, such as audio cards, graphics card, network cards connections and storage devices as well as a variety of others. There’s been a variety of expansion ports in through the decades, but things have become much more simple. Today, you’ll mostly deal with Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) ports, but certain motherboards also have PCI slots for devices that are older.
PCIe is the primary port, and is the one you’ll connect to most devices in the present. There are four different sizes of PCIe slots that are available. And the most current standard that is in use today is PCIe 3.0 and PCIe 4.0 is available on the newest Ryzen as well as Intel Comet Lake compatible boards. The four sizes determine the performance of the connection as well as its size . You’ll need to ensure there are enough slots for expansion, and ensure that they’re of the appropriate sizes to accommodate all of your current and future requirements.
The four sizes of slots include x1, x4, 8 and x16 with the x4 and x16 slots being the most popular. Motherboards differ in the many slots they contain as well as their location. It is important to ensure that there is enough space and also that they have enough space to accommodate all the required components.
GPU support
A GPU on a motherboard with liquid cooling All PCs require the ability to display information in a format that humans are able to use. In simple definition, it’s displaying images on a display. The device that performs this task in a standard PC can be described as the graphic card, also known as GPU. You’ll need to ensure that your P5kpl-vm/s motherboard is able to support the GPU required for your desired use.
Certain Intel Core CPUs come with integrated GPUs, which provide the capability to show output on monitors. And AMD offers an own model of this technology called the accelerated processing unit (APU) which combines two GPUs and a CPU in the same package. They are comparatively low-powered GPUs that are perfect for everyday tasks however they are not able to support visually demanding games (like games that require a lot of graphics).
If you’re looking for the most powerful GPU whether for gaming or more demanding programs like video editing that makes use of a GPU to facilitate more efficient processing, you’ll probably need a separate GPU. If so it is important to know which types of GPUs can join to the motherboard and the number of GPUs your motherboard can handle.
Connecting your GPU
Today, the majority of GPUs are connected via PCIe slots. The majority utilize PCIe slots with x16 capacity. Additionally, the majority of modern GPUs need PCIe 3.0 or greater. The last condition is the size of the space that each PCIe slot can have. Some GPUs need the width of two slots. This may cause some PCIe slots to be blocked and render them inaccessible. This is fine as you don’t let it surprise you. Most GPUs require more power through the eight-pin or six-pin connectors that come from the power source that is sufficient.
When selecting your motherboard, it is important to make sure it is compatible with the appropriate type of PCIe slot. This involves examining the GPU specifications thoroughly and then checking them against the specifications of your motherboard. If you’re looking to connect more than two GPUs. Also known as “Scalable Link Interface” or SLI by NVIDIA and Crossfire by AMD and Crossfire by AMD. You’ll need two PCIe slots that are available and a motherboard that is compatible with it.
We’ll reiterate this because it’s vital to ensure that you check your GPU specifications against the ones your motherboard will be able to offer to ensure that all components are able to work together.
This article doesn’t cover the specifics of your power supply in this tutorial but it’s important to ensure that you select the right power supply capable of meeting the demands of your GPU when it’s fully loaded together with the other components.
RAM
RAM slots Your CPU requires a place to keep information when your computer is powered on and running. It’s known as “random access memory,” or RAM. Today’s PCs usually have at the very least four GB RAM. The amount of RAM you require for your PC is contingent on the manner in which you plan to use it. 8GB is a good choice for the majority of lighter users. With 16 or more GB being the best option for those who are heavier.
Modern RAM is connected to the motherboard using the rectangular slot. Which is called after the type of RAM that’s in use nowadays: the dual-in-line memory module (DIMM). The number of DIMM slots within a motherboard determines the amount of RAM can be added to it, and typically ranges from two to eight slots. It is possible to add only an individual RAM unit at a given time. However, you’ll get maximum performance when the RAM is installed in matching pairs.
RAM on the motherboard
Capacity can range from 1GB DIMMs to 128GB DIMMs. The latter of which are very expensive and are usually purchased for servers. A majority of PCs for consumers will be equipped with 4GB-64GB of RAM. RAM is generally bought in kits comprising 2 or 4 DIMMs. For instance. If you planned to outfit your computer with 16GB RAM. You’d normally buy a set of two 8GB DIMMs or four DIMMs of 4GB.
