Questions tagged [motherboard]

The motherboard or mainboard is the central printed circuit board (PCB) in many modern computers and holds many of the crucial components of the system.

Filter by
Sorted by
Tagged with
5 votes
2 answers
2k views

SATA-II motherboard and drives but only connected at SATA-I

I have an Abit AB9 QuadGT motherboard which has a SATA-II controller. Connected to it I have a Kingston SSDNow V Series 64GB as boot drive and a Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 as a data drive. I also ...
Shevek's user avatar
  • 16.6k
2 votes
2 answers
4k views

Which mother board is better, ATX or Micro-ATX?

What is the difference between ATX and micro ATX motherboard or in others? Which is better? If cost is not a problem which I should buy?
metal gear solid's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
3k views

FSB: Translating MT/s to MHz

When comparing a few motherboards, I noticed that some have their FSBs listed in MHz (as usual) but a few others have them listed in MT/s. Is there an easy way to convert or translate the value in MT/...
Wesley's user avatar
  • 1,268
6 votes
7 answers
10k views

Black Screen when Computer Boots

I'm having a serious problem with my computer; I think I've narrowed it down to the motherboard, but I'd like a second opinion before I spend the money. I have no idea what's wrong. Before I moved ...
BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
273 views

EATX mobo power slot too big?

I am putting some parts together for a friend and the power supply he gave me is too small for the mother board power. It leaves 4 slots left unused. Does he need a brand new power supply or what?
user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
4k views

Can we add more RAM sockets on a motherboard?

If a motherboard has only 4 RAM sockets, then can we add more up to 5 or 6 sockets?
user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
206 views

USB 2.0 Options for board with USB 1.1

I have a QDI Superb 4 board which by default supports USB 1.1. However, I want it to support USB 2.0. How can I go about doing this? I know there are PCI expansion cards with USB 2.0 and there are ...
Wesley's user avatar
  • 1,268
4 votes
2 answers
7k views

Processor with higher FSB than motherboard can support

I have an ECS P4VXASD2+ (V5.0) motherboard, which supports a 533 MHz FSB. I want to put in a Pentium 4 3.2 GHz processor (Socket 478) with an FSB of 800 MHz. Would this be possible? Would the FSB of ...
Wesley's user avatar
  • 1,268
4 votes
2 answers
2k views

Motherboard Wiring

I bought a new case to put a motherboard in. Everything fits, I have done this before, but not in a long time! The case has wires for Power SW Reset SW Power LED HDD LED On the motherboard (ASUS ...
user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

What motherboard for a Core i7 920 Processor? [closed]

I am wanting to build a really nice PC, price is not to important as I will buy pieces every week or whatever it takes until I get everything I need. I am not a gamer but I would like to watch video ...
JasonDavis's user avatar
  • 5,042
10 votes
2 answers
972 views

How can I re-program/flash a backup of the bios?

I have some computers that have a particular bios setting that keeps everything running smoothly. The setting is not the default setting for the motherboard. So, when the CMOS battery dies, the ...
user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
88 views

At what point do I give on on my existing motherboard

I built a machine with Linux on it about 6 or 7 years ago. I just use it as a fileshare, mainly. I know that's ages in computer years, but it's been great until I upgraded from Fedora 11 to 12. Then ...
99miles's user avatar
  • 767
3 votes
3 answers
310 views

P4 Freezes after few seconds, CPU fan is broken

I got an old P4 generic PC, I want to make a good use of it as a file server. When I opened the case I discovered that the CPU Fan plastic base is broke so it isn't fully attached to the motherboard, ...
Ben Orozco's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
100 views

is motherboard compatible with video card

is this motherboard http://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-GA-EP45-UD3P-LGA-Intel-Motherboard/dp/tech-data/B001HH2WE2/ref=de_a_smtd compatible with this video card http://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-Radeon-...
John Stimac's user avatar
1 vote
4 answers
2k views

Tool to determine motherboard in Windows or Linux

In Windows or Linux, is there a tool to determine the brand/model of your motherboard? Something like CPU-Z or GPU-Z but instead listing the motherboard information. Even when you open the case and ...
BobBanana's user avatar
  • 177
2 votes
3 answers
1k views

Gigabyte Onboard graphics card heating up and then crashing [closed]

5 minutes after I turn on my PC the onboard graphics card is usually over 80° celsius and then crashes (random colors on screen, only way to get out is to just plug out the pc). I haven't installed ...
user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
1k views

Blinking motherboard power LED

I was just rebuilding an old desktop PC to be used as a HTPC and the LED on the motherboard that indicates when there is power is blinking fairly rapidly. The only way I can get the machine to boot is ...
Corey D's user avatar
  • 407
3 votes
1 answer
668 views

What is the procedure for removing an AMD Athlon XP 2200+ CPU from the motherboard?

I am trying to replace the CPU in this computer. Can anyone step me through the process?
user28503's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
260 views

How do I find the latest BIOS for my MB when the manufacturers provide the wrong file?

I have a BioStar M7NCG 400 7.x motherboard. (The 7.x is important, as it is physically a different board than other versions.) This is a legacy motherboard, but is still supported with official ...
Giffyguy's user avatar
  • 1,032
13 votes
2 answers
43k views

Why does RAM need to be installed in pairs?

Why does RAM need to be installed in pairs? What's the reason behind this?
SoftwareGeek's user avatar
  • 1,031
1 vote
3 answers
8k views

Computer suddenly shut down - won't start again

Last night my computer seemingly broke down completely. I wasnt looking at it when it happened, but I could hear the entire thing shut down. It was only idling in desktop at the time... Afterwards I ...
o01's user avatar
  • 303
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

Does my motherboard support dual-core processors?

Hi there! I'm very confused about my motherboard (ConRoe945PL-GLAN) It's manual says, that i can use only some kind of ConRoe processors. But some pages on internet says that i can plug in almost ...
Filip's user avatar
  • 187
1 vote
4 answers
705 views

How do I tell what motherboard I have?

My HP computer's motherboard just died and I don't know the model of my motherboard. I would like to know in the hopes that I can buy its replacement. I'm unable to run any programs on the machine ...
burnt1ce's user avatar
  • 1,237
0 votes
1 answer
572 views

SATA HDD stuttering on reads (LED on)

I hope I can get some new ideas to solve the issue. What I have: AMD Phenom II X4 905e Box, Sockel AM3 Gigabyte GA-MA790XTA-UD4, AMD 790X, AM3 ATX WD Caviar GreenPower 1,5TB SATA II 4GB Kit OCZ DDR3 ...
jdehaan's user avatar
  • 923
0 votes
1 answer
180 views

Integrated Graphics

I'm thinking of buying this motherboard, and it has integrated graphics, and I'm building a budget PC, £150 ish, so I'm wondering if it would be worth getting a graphics card? This one seems quite ...
Jonathan.'s user avatar
  • 2,614
0 votes
2 answers
1k views

Bad Intel DQ965GF motherboard? Fails memtest, but memory is good

I've got a machine with a DQ965GF motherboard. Two days ago it started locking up hard. Ran memtest 3.3, 1.7, and TestMem 4. TestMem just freezes, memtest failed on moving 8 bit inversions. ...
user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
128 views

Why are motherboards designed for servers generally larger than regular motherboards?

Why are motherboards designed for servers generally larger than regular motherboards? Usually servers come in larger form factors, why?
에이바's user avatar
  • 1,316
0 votes
1 answer
514 views

xfx 680i motherboard failure?

At some point last night we must have had a blip in our power, as the stove clock was blinking like it would had their been... a blip in the power. When I came into my office this morning, my desktop ...
Ian's user avatar
  • 387
2 votes
2 answers
3k views

Data cable types for internal DVD writers

What are the possible data cable types to connect DVD writer to motherboard? What are the differences between them? Do I have to use only one type for a writer or is it optional? My motherboard is ...
Mehper C. Palavuzlar's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
222 views

Strange behavior during POST

I have an asus P5B-E motherboard with four 1GB sticks of RAM. I had an E-VGA 7900GS video card installed. Last week, suddenly, the computer stopped responding and the display went dark (during ...
DCNYAM's user avatar
  • 163
1 vote
1 answer
3k views

Will RAID 0 array still work if I replace bad MOBO with identical model?

My motherboard, which is an Abit AA8XE recently failed. I had most of my data backed up but would like to recover the rest. The problem is my drives where set up in RAID 0. If I replace the bad ...
dustin 's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
2k views

System says memory controller not available and doesn't boot?

Recently I have had a MainBoard-problem. I've send my mainboard to service and today I got it back from the company. It is a Foxconn 520a mainboard. Now I have installed my exchanged mainboard. But ...
Martin's user avatar
  • 161
3 votes
1 answer
3k views

downsides to running RAID on unmatched drives?

I've got some generic RAID controller built into my motherboard and I want to build either a RAID 5 or RAID 0+1 array. What are the disadvantages of running unmatched drives? Like 4 different brand ...
NoCarrier's user avatar
  • 3,507
2 votes
1 answer
4k views

How do I identify the PLL-IC clock generator chip on a HP Compaq dc5700 MicroTower Motherboard HP 0A60h

How do I identify the PLL-IC clock generator chip on a HP Compaq dc5700 MicroTower PC The mainboard is reports itself as an HP 0A60h. This is the most information I can get back from the motherboard ...
user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
278 views

On my motherboard 4 SATA drives work but the 4 others don't

I have this motherboard Intel® Desktop Board D975XBX2, for which here is the manual . The manual says it has: Eight Serial ATA channels (one device per channel): Four RAID capable Serial ATA (...
Mirage's user avatar
  • 3,183
2 votes
2 answers
3k views

How can I upgrade my MSI 790GX-G65 BIOS

I have just installed a new MSI 790GX-G65 and my Windows XP freezes a few seconds after it comes out of any sleep mode (S1, S3 or S4). My mobo has BIOS 1.4; it looks like there was a 1.5 version, a 1....
Lawrence Dol's user avatar
  • 2,086
1 vote
1 answer
290 views

Will Intel® Desktop Board D975XBX2 fit inside Thermaltake Armor+ Case

I have this motherboard Intel® Desktop Board D975XBX2 CPU Quad Core I want to Buy Thermaltake Armor+ case With powerSupply Aerocool E85-700 Will those three work because i have put components from ...
Mirage's user avatar
  • 3,183
1 vote
1 answer
450 views

Do I need to have 3 RAM chips on a Supermicro C7X58 MB

i have a servergrade MB and wonder if i MUST have 3 memory chips to get it to work? i only got one stick with 4 Gb DDR3 Ram. The MB is a Supermicro C7X58 Cpu: intel core i7-950 i tried to put in ...
Undeadsoul's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
2k views

Hard Drive Disk IO makes a strange noise?

Very strange this one! Short version Computer makes a high pitched noise whenever data is read from my SSD The noise doesn't come from the SSD - it comes from the motherboard. What is causing this ...
Greg's user avatar
  • 2,766
2 votes
5 answers
8k views

What parts I need to assemble my own computer?

I want to assemble my own computer. I think I need the following parts, correct me if I am wrong. CPU cabinet Power supply -- 500 watt Motherboard Processor RAM Hard disc And then Monitor Keyboard ...
Mirage's user avatar
  • 3,183
3 votes
2 answers
8k views

how much max RAM will be supported by intel Core i7-860 Processor (8M Cache, 2.80 GHz)

I have the requirement of about 32 GB RAM. I i use intel Core i7-860 Processor (8M Cache, 2.80 GHz) WIll that be OK with intel S5520SC Server Motherboard
Mirage's user avatar
  • 3,183
2 votes
1 answer
3k views

How expensive is a motherboard with more than 10 DDR3 slots? [closed]

I want to build a powerful server. How expensive is a motherboard in which I can have 40GB RAM?
Mirage's user avatar
  • 2,903
1 vote
1 answer
989 views

ASUS M2N-SLI Deluxe problem

hi i'm having trouble with my computer so I thought I'd post and see if it isn't the former,I'll try to detail the symptoms as well as possible. I've an asus m2n-sli deluxe motherboard with 2 ddr2 ...
user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
665 views

Replaceing/upgradeing a Motherboard/CPU

So now that my computer is 4 years old I think its time to upgrade. I have replaced the video card, and upped the ram, but also want to increase my processor. I have an HP Media Center m7248n with a ...
Joshkunz's user avatar
  • 576
1 vote
4 answers
341 views

PC Upgrade: Is upgrading the CPU only worthwhile in this case? [closed]

I'm getting ready to upgrade my PC, but I don't have the money to upgrade the entire system. However, I think I'm in a position that will allow me to upgrade the CPU and upgrade the rest later. ...
th3dude's user avatar
  • 9,461
0 votes
2 answers
248 views

Does a SATA cable with three connectors exist?

I have the this motherboard: Intel Desktop Board DX38BT - Mainboard – ATX - iX38 – LGA775 Socket – UDMA 100, Serial ATA 300 (RAID), eSATA I have two data outputs which connect to my hard disks. I ...
Sergio del Amo's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
2k views

Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD4P won't boot from USB drive with RAID enabled

I've got a Windows 7 installation image on my USB hard drive, which is set up to be bootable. I know it works because I've used it on several computers, and it works on the computer I'm trying to ...
Daniel Schaffer's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
2k views

Windows 7 - Network slow to wake up

This is a pc running windows 7... ISP: Comcast Cable Router: Linksys WRT54G (running tomato) Processor: intel i7 (i7-860) Motherboard: Asus P7P55D EVO The motherboard has two nics on it. (not ...
Kirby's user avatar
  • 211
1 vote
1 answer
323 views

What is the difference between the SK1366 and K1156 Core i7?

I want to build a Core i7 computer, but im not really sure of what is the difference between them. I am want to build a comptuer that is going to be used for 3d design/ render, CAD, photoshop, ...
bangoker's user avatar
  • 419
1 vote
2 answers
2k views

PSU is not the problem, is it the motherboard?

I think my motherboard is broken. First I thought the PSU was broken, but after I replaced the PSU, I only see that the cpu fan makes a little movement and then nothing happens. I also checked if the ...
Chris's user avatar
  • 1,123