Motherboard connectors - CompTIA A+ 220-1101 – 1.13
Let’s have a good look at the common connectors on a motherboard. Shown here are the connectors that are covered in this video and the time code where they are talked about. If you are only interested in a particular connector, you can go to the time code shown. In this video, we cover content relevant for the A+ exam, although a lot of the material is also presented in other videos within the course. If you're solely preparing for the exam, feel free to bypass this video. This particular video is tailored for individuals aiming to master the art of assembling a computer and gain a comprehensive understanding of the typical connectors on a motherboard. A good starting point to gain a grasp of your motherboard's capabilities and to locate its connections is by looking at the motherboard diagram provided in the manual. This diagram will tell you where all the connectors are on the motherboard. Sometimes it can be hard to find the
connectors on the motherboard. Some look very similar, while others may be difficult to see. The Power Supply Unit or PSU comes in three main types. These are fully modular, semi-modular and non-modular or fixed. Modularity in a power supply indicates how many of the cables can be connected or disconnected, as opposed to being permanently fixed: non-modular will have none, semi-modular will generally have the main motherboard connectors fixed and cables for peripherals detachable, while with fully modular, all cables can be attached or detached. The power supplies work the same way, the main difference is that the more modular the power supply is, generally the higher its price. Although, the price jump is generally not that high. Shown here is a fully modular power supply. You can see all the connectors
are detachable and not fixed to the power supply. To connect one, it is just a matter of pushing the connector into the correct plug on the power supply. The power supply connectors have unique keying to prevent incorrect insertions. However, there isn't a universal standard across different power supplies. Consequently, while cables from one power supply might physically fit another, their wiring configurations can differ. This mismatch can lead to the wrong voltages being transmitted, risking damage to computer components. This can even occur with power supplies from the same manufacturer, so don’t
use cables from different power supplies unless you can be sure they are wired the same way. I will now have a look at how the cables plug into the motherboard. The main power connector to the motherboard, also known as the P1 connector, is a 24-pin connector. It was added in the ATX12V 2.0 revision. For any ATX system, the ATX12V standard will be used. There have been a number of revisions over the years to this standard. The revisions are mainly improvements for tighter control of power supplies
and for additional connectors. However, connectors have remained compatible with older revisions. Before this standard, there was a 20-pin connector. As computers started using more power, the 24-pin connector was also unable to provide the power required. Thus, in 2003 the standard was changed so the connector had 24-pins. Manufacturers were quick to start using this standard, thus nowadays, unless you are working on a very old computer, you are unlikely to come across the older versions. To help remain compatible with older computers, the power supply may have the last four pins detachable from the connector. Thus, if you are plugging it into an old computer, you can
detach these extra four pins. These connectors may be referred to as 20+4 pin connectors. Since 20-pin motherboards are so old now, a lot of power supply manufacturers are no longer providing a 24-pin connector where you can split the last four pins. If this is the case, you can always plug the 24-pin connector in and the extra pins will just hang unused outside the connector. The first step to plugging in the P1 connector is to first locate it on the motherboard. In the case of this motherboard, the ATX plug is near the memory modules which is a fairly common place for it, however, the manufacturer of the motherboard is free to put it anywhere they wish.
I will plug this P1 connector into the motherboard; notice that this particular connector does not have the ability to split the last four pins which is becoming more common nowadays. It is just a matter of plugging the cable into the motherboard. Notice that on the connector there is a plastic hook, and the plug has a protrusion. This prevents the connector from being plugged in the wrong way. It is now just a matter of pushing the connector in and you should hear a click. The connector is keyed so that it will only go in one way. If you are having trouble getting the connector to plug into the motherboard, you may have it around the wrong way. If you look at the connector, you will see there are two types of pins,
square pins and square pins with a bevel on the edge. These may be a bit difficult to tell apart at first, but once you start looking at a few cables it gets easier. You will find that all the power cables from the PSU use this method of keying. It is possible to force a connector into a plug the incorrect way. If you do this,
there is a very good chance that you will damage your motherboard if you switch the power on. If you are finding that the connector won’t plug in, check the keying to make sure it is correct. If you can’t tell, try it the other way. As CPUs started to use more power, the P1 connector became insufficient and additional power connectors were required. In order to provide additional power to the computer, a 4-pin power connector was added. The formal name was the +12 Power Connector or ATX12V. It was first added to provide additional power for the Pentium 4 processor, thus it was informally called the P4 connector. This connector provides two additional 12-volt wires to the motherboard. Let’s have a look at how to plug it in.
To start with, I will have a look at an older motherboard. The P4 connection provided additional power to the motherboard, but as time passed it disappeared and was replaced with the next connector I will look at. However, as we will see shortly, the P4 connector is returning on some newer motherboards. On this motherboard, the P4 plug is near the edge close to the CPU. The motherboard manufacturer can
place this plug anywhere they want; however, it is generally found in this area. You generally don’t find it close to the P1 connector, because if you think about it from an engineering point of view, if you already have a large connector like the P1 connector providing power, why would you put another power plug in the same place? It would be like putting all your power outlets in your house in the same location. You want to spread them around so they can be used in different areas, in this case, different areas of the motherboard. This plug can be a little difficult to find since it is small and things like CPU coolers, cables and other components can make it difficult. Once you find it, just like the P1 connector, it is just a matter of pushing it into the plug until you hear a click. Like the P1 connector, it is keyed to prevent it from being plugged in the wrong way; also it has a clip on the connector and a latch on the plug just like the P1 does.
The P4 connector allows more power to be delivered to the motherboard, however, as computers started using more power this was not enough. The P4 was replaced by another connector and started to disappear from the motherboard. This motherboard is not that old, so notice that it has a P4 plug at the top right of the motherboard. Just as before, it is a simple matter to plug the P4 connector into the plug. Notice,
however, on this motherboard there is an 8-pin plug next to the P4, which is the next connector that I will look at. In order to increase power to the motherboard, an 8-pin connector was created. The official name for this connector is EPS12V. The connector is essentially two P4 connectors, however,
the keying is a little different. Once again providing 12 volts of power like the P4 connector does, you may be expecting this connector to have a name like P5. Keep in mind that P4 was never a formal or technical name for the ATX12V connector. EPS stands for Entry-Level Power Supply. EPS power supplies were created as an alternative to ATX power supplies. EPS power supplies provide more power than ATX could and thus when created were aimed at the server market. At that time, desktop computers were not using a lot of
power but servers required more. Thus, having a different power supply made sense. However, as time passed, desktop computers needed more power than an ATX power supply could deliver. To accommodate increased power demands while maintaining compatibility with the ATX standard, the EPS connector simply includes the ATX connector. The EPS connector can be expanded
to include more pins, but in the case of the ATX standard we only use the 8-pin version. If you compare it with the P4, you will notice that essentially it is two P4 connectors together with slightly different keying. It is difficult to see, but if you look at the pin out, it makes it easier to see. Essentially, the left side of the EPS connector is the same as the P4. After this,
the keying is the same, that is always using the square with beveled pins. As we will see later in the video, a beveled pin will go into a square hole, however, the square pin will not go into a beveled hole. The EPS connector is designed so more pins can be added to the right side; however, the left side is keyed preventing the connector being used in the wrong plug.
Since the P4 connector is still being used on motherboards, most EPS connectors can be split into two. Power supply manufacturers do this for backward compatibility and some newer motherboards use both the P4 and EPS connectors on the same motherboard. To plug in the EPS connector, like the other power connectors, it is just a matter of pushing it in the plug until it clicks into place. On older power supplies, there will probably be a dedicated 4-pin connector. In the case of newer power supplies, you will need to split the EPS connector into two in order to plug it into the motherboard. Once split, as before it is just a matter of plugging it in. You will notice that either of the split connectors will plug into
the 4-pin plug. Although the keying is different for the connectors, the beveled pins are designed to fit into the square pins. Thus, either of the split connectors can be used. Although most power supplies should have an EPS plug that can be split, if it does not, you are still able to plug in the connector and have the remaining four pins hang out. If you only have a 4-pin connector and your motherboard has an EPS plug, you can try plugging the 4-pin connector into the 8-pin plug, although this is not recommended. You will notice the 4-pin connector will only go into one side of the 8-pin plug. If, however, I use the split connector from the EPS connector, you will notice that it will plug into the right, middle and left side. The EPS connector was originally designed to allow different numbers of pins, so this is why it can be plugged in like this. I don’t recommend plugging it in this way.
On some motherboards, the computer might boot with just a 4-pin connection. However, this setup is not advisable. If the computer demands more power than what the 4-pin connector can supply, it might unexpectedly shut down or crash. Additionally, with fewer pins, the connector might experience a higher current draw. Therefore, even if it seems functional, this configuration is not recommended. This covers the basics on power for the motherboard, but as technology improved, additional processing started to be moved to expansion cards which increased the amount of power they required. In particular, graphics cards started to use a lot more power. In order to power these expansion cards, another power cable was required.
To provide additional power for expansion cards, a PCIe connector was added to the power supply. Like the P4 and EPS connectors, the PCIe connector provides 12-volts of power and comes in two different types, the 6-pin and 8-pin versions. As before, the connectors are keyed to prevent them being plugged in incorrectly. The 6-pin version may have a pin missing. Although this pin is not required,
it may still be connected. So don’t be concerned if the pin is missing or is present. In the case of the 8-pin version, the missing pins in the connector provide additional power. In order for the expansion card to determine if a 6-pin or 8-pin connector has been plugged in, certain pins called sense pins will detect which plug it is. The expansion card can then detect how much power it can draw from the cable: 75 Watts in the case of the 6-pin and 150 Watts in the case of the 8-pin. Thus, it is possible to plug a 6-pin connector into
an 8-pin plug. The expansion card should detect which has been plugged in, but don’t expect it to work. If the manufacturer has put an 8-pin plug on an expansion card, it is most likely the expansion card needs the extra power to operate and won’t work with a 6-pin connector.
For compatibility, 8-pin connectors can generally be split to form a 6-pin connector. This means that power supply manufacturers don’t have to provide both 6 and 8-pin plugs, but sometimes you will find they do. Let’s have a look at how to use the PCIe connector. For this demonstration, I will be plugging in the two PCIe power connections into a video graphics card. In the case of this graphics card, it has both 6- and 8-pin plugs.
In a lot of cases, your power supply will have two PCIe connectors on the same cable. Using the same cable on the same graphics card means all the power for that graphics card will go through the same cable. For low-powered graphics cards this won’t be a problem. If, however, you are using a high-power graphics card, it is recommended that you use a second PCIe cable to provide additional power.
Opinions can vary, depending on who you ask, when you need to use two cables but let me put it a different way. If your graphics card is using maximum power, this means 150 Watts of power going through each plug. If you are using one cable, that is 300 Watts going through the one cable. That is a lot for one cable, so if you are planning on doing this, I hope you purchase a good quality power supply with quality cables, otherwise if you are not sure, use two cables. The next step is to plug the cable in. For the 8-pin connector,
make sure all the pins are together and plug it into the graphics card. The process is the same as for the power cables, simply push it in until you hear a click. The process is the same for the 6-pin connector, simply push it into the plug until you hear a click. The next connection I will look at is not a standard connector, but I will have a look at it in case you come across it. With some Nvidia cards you may come across the Nvidia power connector. There are two different types of connectors, the 12-pin and 16-pin versions. The 16-pin should go into a
12-pin plug assuming nothing is blocking it. If you plug a 12-pin into a 16-pin plug, the graphic card will detect it is not the right connector and not start up. The difference between the two is the 16-pin connector has four sense pins. More on that in a moment. For the Nvidia connector, make sure that you insert it all the way in. While uncommon, early high-powered Nvidia cards using the 12-pin connector could experience the connector melting if it was not fully inserted. When the connector isn't fully inserted, it diminishes the contact surface area the electricity can flow over. The reduced
contact area leads to a concentration of electrical flow causing an increase in heat. To attempt to fix this problem, the four sense pins were added. These are designed to make sure the cable is inserted all the way in. If the sense pins do not connect, the graphics card won’t work. New video cards, if they use the Nvidia connector,
should use the 16-pin connector. If you have an old video card that uses the 12-pin version, make sure it is plugged in all the way and you should not have the problem where the connector starts melting due to heat. You will only come across the Nvidia connector on high-end Nvidia cards. To power devices inside the computer, the oldest connection type is the Molex connector. In the old days, this was the primary connection for powering hard disks, optical drives and fans. Nowadays, if it is used at all, it may be used for peripheral devices. The Molex connector has been slowly disappearing and you may find that some power supplies no longer include it.
The Molex connector has 5 and 12 volt options, however, it does not include 3.3 volts. 3.3 volts was included with the next power connector that I will look at for emerging technologies, but in reality, it did not get used by many. There was also a smaller version of the Molex connector used primarily for the floppy disk drive, this was called the mini-Molex or Berg connector. Floppy disk
drives are long obsolete. This connector is even less commonly used than the Molex connector. You may find that your power supply does not include this connector. Molex connectors are pretty simple to install. The connection can only be put in one way, so the main thing to do is make sure it is the correct orientation. It does take a little force to get the connector to go in, so if you are finding that it is not going in, you probably have it orientated the wrong way.
The mini-Molex connector is installed the same way. It is keyed so it will only go in the one way. It is possible, using a lot of force, to get it to go in the wrong way. If you do this, you will most likely damage the device. So, ensure that you put it in the correct way. The SATA connector replaces the older Molex connector. It uses an L-shape to prevent it being put in the incorrect way. The SATA connector also adds a 3.3 voltage option. 3.3 volts does not get used by many devices. You will more likely find it used
in enterprise storage devices rather than those designed for general use. SATA added hot swapping. It does this by staggering the pins in the connector. By staggering the pins, the outer ones connect first preventing the initial connection sending a power surge to the device. Essentially, since the outer pins connect first, any power surges in the connector are drawn away before the inner pins connect. The data connector for SATA is similar to the power connector, just not as wide. It uses the same L-shape to prevent it being put in incorrectly.
There have been three different versions of SATA released. The last version, version 3, was released in 2008, therefore, most motherboards you encounter with SATA are probably using version 3 given how long it has been available. The SATA connector supports one bi-directional data lane. With SATA 3, this gives a maximum speed of 600 Megabytes per second. There has never been another version of SATA. This is due to there being engineering problems trying to increase the
speed while keeping it compatible with older versions. The connector does not support any additional lanes, so it looks like we will be stuck with SATA 3. For modern Solid-State-Drives, 600 Megabytes per second is not enough. Therefore, SATA is not used for newer Solid-State devices. However, as hard disks are still not that fast, SATA is still used with them. For this reason, SATA is unlikely to disappear from motherboards anytime soon, but you won’t be using it for your fast storage devices.
To use the SATA data connector, first locate the SATA ports on your motherboard, then plug in the SATA cable. It is keyed in an L-shape, so you need to make sure that you have it up the right way. Some SATA cables feature a clip that securely locks the connector in place. You can see this SATA cable has a metal clip at the top that locks the connector when it is plugged in. To unplug, push down on the clip and pull out the cable. If you don’t unlock the cable before removing the cable, you risk damaging the SATA port.
On your motherboard, the SATA ports may be together, or in this example there is one SATA port positioned away from the other three to make a total of four. So don’t assume the SATA ports will always be in the one location. To plug in your storage device, the same process applies. Plug the SATA cable in the storage device making sure it is the correct way up. To plug in the SATA power cable, the process is the same. Plug the L-shaped connector into the storage device making sure it is the correct way up. There is not too much to know about SATA.
If you have trouble plugging in the cable, you probably have it the wrong way around. If your power supply does not have the required connectors or you need more, you can use an adapter. For example, you can use a splitter to split an existing power connector into two. There are convertors that will convert one type of connector to another.
You can also get angular connectors. These connectors can be useful if you want to improve your cable management. Your power supply may not have a Nvidia power connector as it is relatively new compared with the others. When
this occurs, you can use your existing connectors to power a Nvidia connector. Keep in mind that if you use an adapter, be careful not to overload the PSU. This is particularly important for a Nvidia connector since it draws a lot of power. Your power supply is designed to output a maximum amount of power. When you start adding splitters,
you can potentially draw more power from the power supply than it was designed to output. Higher current can increase heat and cause overloads. Modern power supplies when overloaded will cause the power supply to switch itself off without warning. The power supply will generally
use a resettable fuse, so after a short time period it can be switched on again. Make sure that your PSU supports any increased power drain when you start using splitters and adapters. If you are using SATA or Molex adapters or vice versa, keep in mind that Molex doesn’t include 3.3 volts. Most devices don’t ue this voltage, so it is generally not a problem,
but keep it in mind in case you come across a device that does use 3.3 volts. The next connector I will look at is the M.2 connector. The first formal name was Next Generation Form Factor. That is difficult to say,
so in 2013 it was renamed to M.2. It is essentially a small, printed circuit board or PCB designed to be a small expansion card. It replaces older standards such as mSATA. It is designed from the ground up to take advantage of the space on the PCB while minimizing the size. It is possible to use both sides of the PCB, but it is rare for a M.2 PCB to do that. Since it is designed as effectively an expansion card, it can have other uses beyond just for storage. For example, it is commonly used to add Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to a computer. It also can add adapters to other devices like adding a U.2 connection or additional SATA ports.
Since it is essentially an expansion card, the manufacturer is free to come up with some very creative uses for it. The main uses you will see for it will be storage and wireless. The edge connector for M.2 has 75 positions of which a maximum of 67 pins can be connected at once. This is done to determine which capabilities are available to the M.2 and also prevent the device being installed in a connection that it was not designed to run in. Let’s have a look at how this is achieved.
An M.2 connection has 75 pin positions. However, there will always be some pins missing, which is referred to as a notch. Where the notch is located, is referred to as a key. This key will determine what connection the M.2 will be able to plug into. M.2 uses 12 distinct notch locations, labeled A-Key through M-Key. At the time of the making of this video, only four of these keys are currently in use. Different features are available depending on which key is being used.
You will find on the market that most M.2 devices that are A-Key will also be E-key. It is not uncommon for M.2 boards to have two notches. This increases the number of devices the M.2 board can be used in, and thus the number of potential sales for the manufacturer. Since it reduces the pin count, it does reduce the amount of data that can be transferred. Thus, two notches are only found on slower devices.
A-Key supports PCI Express, USB, I2C and Display Port. I2C is a communication bus invented to connect to lower-speed peripherals and processors. Thus, when you look at an M.2 device, looking at the keying will give you an idea what it may be able to do. To utilize additional features, the M.2 board may need specific connectors. For example, the Wi-Fi M.2 board will have connector points for the wireless antennas. You can see why,
that even though there are a lot of features in the M.2 specification, only some get used as a lot of others are not really practical to use. The next commonly used key is B-Key. B-Key supports a lot of different protocols including audio-based ones. Given the challenges of attaching connectors to an M.2, it's unlikely we'll ever see an M.2-based sound card. Most B-Key devices on the market will also be M-Key. This means that they can be put
into a B-Key or M-Key connection. More on that later in the video. Notice that PCI Express is also supported; thus, B-Key can use PCI Express or SATA. I will look more into what this means later in the video. E-Key supports a lot of the same protocols as A-Key, but also supports additional minor protocols that don’t get used that much, so I have not listed them. You can see, with an overlap of protocols, that a lot of M.2 devices will be A and E-Key. Having an M.2 device that has two different keys means that it can be used in any motherboard or device that uses A or E keys. More
supported devices potentially mean more sales, thus you can understand why manufacturers do this. Lastly there is M-Key. M-Key devices are generally only keyed as such. You will notice that M-Key supports four PCI Express lanes. When the connector has multiple notches, you reduce the number of pins the connector can use. If an M-Key device had more notches,
this would reduce the number pins and thus the number of PCI Express lanes that could be supported. M-Key devices are generally used for high-performance devices, so you don’t want to reduce the number of PCI Express lanes going to such a device. You will also notice that M-Key supports SATA. So, we can see there is a lot of
overlap between protocols using different keying. The reason why M.2 devices with multiple notches can be used is, devices that use different keying still work as expected. As M-Key also supports SATA, it is common for there to be an overlap of protocols with different keying. This overlap is why M.2 devices with multiple notches can function in devices with different keying. To gain a clearer understanding, let's look at the protocols associated with M.2. There are two different types of M.2 Solid-State storage devices on the market. The first uses Advanced Host Controller Interface or AHCI and the SATA protocol to access the data on the flash memory. When SATA 3 was released in 2009 with a speed of 600 Megabytes per second, this was quite
fast. However, SATA was originally designed with hard disks in mind which utilize a drive head. A drive head can only access one part of the hard disk at once and thus is limited to one queue. Although the queue can handle 32 commands at once, flash memory can access data in parallel, unlike a hard disk, and thus having only a single queue created a bottleneck in performance. To address this, the protocol NVM Express, better known as NVMe, was created. NVMe uses PCI Express to communicate with the computer and thus is much faster. NVMe also addresses the queue problem by increasing it to a maximum limit of
64 thousand. The question is, how do you know which one your M.2 storage device supports? Most, but not all, B+M-Key storage will use SATA. In order to determine if your M.2 supports SATA, the label on the M.2 should have SATA printed on it, otherwise you can always check the packaging or the manufacturer’s website.
In the current market of M.2 storage, most B+M keys will be SATA, however, there are some that use NVMe. On the M.2 label it should have printed on it NVMe, otherwise, you can always check the packaging or the manufacturer’s website. Since B+M-Key has two notches removed, this reduces the number of pins that are available to transfer data. For this reason, these M.2 devices can only utilize two PCI Express lanes. In order to utilize more lanes, the M.2 device needs to use M-Key. This
increases the number of PCI Express lanes that can be used to four. As before, somewhere on the label will say NVMe. If you want the best performance, you should consider purchasing M.2 using M-Key if your motherboard supports it. Using PCI Express version 3.0, NVMe has a maximum speed of around 3.9 Gigabytes per
second. This gets even higher for PCI Express version 4 and version 5. Thus, there is a lot of room for speed improvements in the future. It is possible for a manufacturer to make an M-Key only device that utilizes SATA. B+M-Key provides greater compatibility, which means it can be used with more devices, which potentially means more sales. Since there's no distinct advantage to using M-Key
for SATA over B+M-Key, manufacturers only use B+M-Key for M.2 SATA devices. The last consideration you need to take into account before installing an M.2 device is size. There are a number of different defined sizes for M.2, which are referred to as
form factors. The sizes are defined by width and length in millimeters. The width and length are combined together to give a single number. This number indicates the size of the M.2 device. For example, 2280. Motherboards will generally support a few different sizes. Nowadays,
the most common sizes are 2280 for storage devices and 2230 for wireless devices, however, it is possible to get M.2 devices of different sizes, but they are not very common. Let’s now have a close look at how M.2 connections work. Shown here is an adapter that allows an extra M-Key storage device to be installed and accessed using PCI Express. It also has a second connector that allows a M.2 B-Key storage device to be connected and accessed using a SATA cable. I have used
this adapter to explain a few points as it is easier to see how M.2 works rather than using a motherboard as an example, but I will look at some motherboards shortly. This adapter has two M.2 connectors. When they are side by side like this,
it is easy to see the different keying in the connector which prevents the wrong M.2 device being put into the connector. The B-Key connector was generally used on some laptops and other devices, generally, the cheaper laptops. Nowadays, you probably won’t come across B-Key used in a computer but will find that a lot of adapters will support it.
Nowadays, for computers, M-Key is the most common connector used for M.2. Since an M-Key connector could support SATA and PCI Express and space on a motherboard is limited, it makes sense to use M-Key. I can only assume that adapters generally don’t support both SATA and PCI Express due to the extra components required to do so. You will notice the numbers on this adapter to indicate the size of the M.2. 2280 is a very common size for M.2, so you will notice that the mounting nut is put in this position by the manufacturer. In order to use smaller sizes, the nut would need to be moved to a different position, for example, the 2260, 2242 or 2230 positions.
I will now have a look at how to install an M.2 Solid-State-Drive. In the case of this computer, there are two M.2 slots. On this motherboard they are both under a heatsink. As these storage devices get faster and faster, they also get hotter and hotter. Thus, it is starting to become commonplace for M.2 slots to have heatsinks. In the case of this motherboard, I will use the second M.2 slot. The reason for this is, the first M.2 is PCI Express 5 whereas my storage only supports PCI Express
4. The second slot is PCI Express 4, so I will keep the first slot free in case I get storage later that supports PCI Express 5. Your motherboard will determine which slots support what. Have a look at your manual to determine which slot is best depending on what storage you are using. For motherboards with M.2 slots, not all of them may support SATA M.2 drives. It is becoming commonplace for high-speed M.2. slots to not support SATA.
I will first need to remove the heatsink. To do this, there are two screws on either side that need to be removed. Once the screws are removed, I can remove the heatsink. You will notice the extra holes in the motherboard if you need to use a smaller M.2. In your motherboard box, there will be a set of screws. In the case of this motherboard, if you are using the largest M.2 form factor, the slot supports the screw in the heatsink and therefore doubles as the retaining screw.
Before I can put the heatsink back, I first need to remove the protective film from the back of the heatsink. It is important to do this, otherwise it may melt when the M.2 gets hot. To finish installing the M.2, push it into the slot at an angle, push the M.2 down so it is flat and put the heatsink back and screw it back into place. That’s it,
you don’t need to do anything else. Installing M.2 is pretty simple. I will now have a brief look at the U.2 connector, although there is a good chance you won’t come across one. The U.2 connector was designed to support multiple protocols.
It supports PCI Express, NVMe, SATA and SAS. The big advantage with the U.2 connector is it supports hot swapping. The U.2 connector saw some enterprise use and some high-end consumer motherboards had it. However, in the home market it never really took off.
The biggest reason for this is probably because the home market decided to use the M.2 connector. The M.2 connector does not support hot swapping, but it is very fast. With USB being very fast, if people need hot swapping, they often go for that instead. We probably won’t see the U.2 connector used much except in some rare cases for enterprise use. On your motherboard there will be a CPU socket. In the case of Intel sockets, they are named LGA followed by the number of pins in the socket. Before purchasing a CPU or a motherboard,
check that the motherboard supports the CPU including the model number of the CPU. With Intel sockets, motherboards with a particular socket don’t support all CPUs of that socket type. This comes down to a number of factors. Different motherboards have different chipsets, the power delivery to the CPU may have changed and generational differences can cause the CPU not to work with the motherboard. When Intel makes significant changes to a CPU, they release a new generation of it. A new generation of CPU may have significant architectural changes which make it incompatible with older motherboards. Before installing a CPU, make sure it is supported by the motherboard. The
manufacturer will provide a list of CPUs that the motherboard supports. AMD CPUs are generally more compatible with motherboards that use that socket. However, this is not always the case, so it is best to check. If there is a big difference between the CPU age and motherboard, you are more likely to have compatibility problems. The most common AMD sockets in the consumer market are the AM4 and AM5. For your high-performance CPUs like the Threadripper, the TRX4 socket is used. There is also a newer socket called
the sTRX4. Although this socket is identical to the previous socket, it is electrically incompatible. Thus, if you get one of these CPUs, make sure you get the correct motherboard for it. For this demonstration, I will install an AMD CPU. Regardless of whether the CPU is Intel or AMD, the
process is the same. In later videos I go into it in more detail. The motherboard should be shipped with a plastic protective cover to protect the pins in the socket. To start with, I need to push down on the retention lever and open the retention plate. This will expose the pins in the socket. To install the CPU, locate the triangle on the CPU socket. Next locate the triangle on the CPU. When installing the CPU, these two triangles need to line up. If they don’t, the CPU won’t go in.
You will notice this AMD CPU does not have any pins on the bottom. To increase the number of connections on the CPU, the pins need to be on the motherboard to increase reliability. To install the CPU, lower it into the socket carefully trying your best to keep it level.
Don’t use any force – if it is the right way round, it should fall into the socket. To finish the CPU install, pull the retention lever down, lock it in place and remove the plastic socket cover. Since this video is about motherboard connections, I won’t look at attaching the CPU cooler. That, I will leave to another video. There have been a lot of different memory modules over the years. For the A+ exam, the ones you need to know are DDR3, DDR4 and DDR5. DDR4 was released in 2014. Thus,
the most likely memory modules that you will come across will be DDR4 and DDR5. You will notice that the memory modules have a notch removed from them. This prevents the memory module from being put in a slot that does not support it. DDR gets its name from the bus it uses, called Double Data Rate. Double Data Rate
means that data can be sent on the rise and fall of the clock. This effectively doubles the amount of data it can send in the same time period, which explains where it gets its name. Let’s have a look at how to install a memory module. To start with, I will look at how to install DDR3. Given that DDR3 was released in 2007 and DDR4 in 2014 there is a good chance you won’t come across DDR3 nowadays, however, it is still listed as an exam objective. All the DDR memory modules are similar in design including the slots they are put into. For this memory module, there are locking clips on either
side. Before installing the memory module, they need to be in the unlocked position. Since there is a gap in the connector that is offset from the middle, the memory module will only go in one way. You will notice that when the memory module is put in the wrong way it will not go in. It is crucial not to force a memory module if it doesn't fit easily. Applying excessive force can damage both the memory module and the connector, especially if it is orientated incorrectly.
I will now rotate the memory module around so it is orientated the correct way. DDR3 memory modules have a flat-edged connector. Since it is flat, the memory module can be installed by pushing down on each side. When installing the memory module, it needs to be pushed down until the locking clips lock into place. You should hear a click when this happens.
In the case of DDR4, the process is very similar. The only difference is that DDR4 has a slightly curved connector. You can see in the middle of the connector it is curved rather than being straight across. This has been done to allow the memory module to be inserted more easily. This becomes more important with later DDR because the number of contact points on the connector increases. As before, make sure the clips are in the unlocked position and place the memory module so the gap in the connector is in-line with the block in the memory connector. Since the block is in different
places for different revisions of DDR, you won’t be able to put an earlier memory module in. Since the connector is curved, push down on both sides with equal pressure to install the memory module. This is the only real difference when installing newer DDR. If you are having trouble getting the memory module to go in, you can rock it back and forth a little bit to loosen it up , but not too much. Unlike the straight connector, you don’t want one side to go in before the other, instead you want it to go straight down when it is installed. If it won’t go in, it is probably in the wrong way, so remove it
and check the gap in the memory module is lined up with the block in the memory module slot. In the case of DDR5, the process is the same as before. You will notice that on this motherboard, one side of the memory module is fixed rather than having a clip that can be locked or unlocked. This is done so when large expansion cards like graphic cards are installed, the physical card will be directly above the edge of the memory module. This means that unless you remove the expansion card,
it will be very difficult to unlock the clip. Thus, motherboards where this can occur, will often have a fixed edge rather than a clip that can be locked and unlocked. As before, it is just a matter of putting the memory module in the socket with the correct orientation. In the case of DDR5, the gap in the memory module is pretty close to the center, so it is harder to tell if it is correctly orientated. In the case of this motherboard, the block in the memory module is very easy to see. I will now push the memory module down on both sides until it clicks into place. Thus,
you can see the process of installing memory is the same regardless of which DDR memory modules you are using. Connecting the CPU to the memory module requires at least one memory channel. A memory channel is a communication channel between the CPU and memory.
Depending on the CPU and the motherboard, there can be multiple memory channels. The simplest example is single channel. Here, a single channel connects to one or more memory modules. In consumer motherboards, each channel normally connects to a maximum of two memory modules. In certain server motherboards, a single channel can connect to more than two memory modules.
A lot of motherboards on the market are dual channel. This is where there are two channels going from the CPU to the memory modules. It is pretty common for a motherboard to have four memory slots, with each single memory channel going to two of the slots. On high-end motherboards, you may have triple channel. This is where three channels go to the memory modules, or, you may even have quad channel where there are four channels. When
installing memory modules, which slot you install the memory module in determines which channel it will use. In some cases, the computer will not start up unless a memory module is installed in a certain memory slot. Your choice of slot also determines how many channels are used. To understand better how memory channels work, I will consider an example for dual channel. If you are using triple or quad channel, the same process applies. This information
applies to most memory controllers; however, it is possible that some memory controllers may be able to handle memory modules of different speeds without dropping the clock speed to that of the lowest memory module in certain circumstances. Sometimes, you just need to give it a go and see what happens and check if the system is stable. When installing memory modules, usually the second memory slot from the CPU should be installed first. Although there is no guarantee this will always be the case, the vast majority of modern motherboards follow this convention. This will connect to the first memory channel. A channel provides a 64-bit bus for transferring data to and from the CPU.
I will now install a second memory module. When installing the second memory module, this should be connected to the second channel. This means that there are two 64-bit buses that can be used to transfer data to the CPU. So now 128-bits can be transferred at once. Usually, the second channel will be the memory module furthest from the CPU. You can see that, for best performance, make sure both channels are used. In the real world,
although using dual channel makes things faster, in reality only certain memory intensive applications will benefit from any noticeable difference. I will now install the next memory module. This memory module will also use the first channel. This occurs because the second slot is daisy chained to the first slot. Since the first slot is linked to the second and the second directly to the CPU, it is preferable to use the second slot first, as it's the initial slot in the sequence. Some motherboards require the first slot in the daisy chain to be populated. With others,
the motherboard will still work regardless of which slot you use. Each channel in the motherboard has two slots daisy-chained together. If different memory modules are used with differing speeds, the speed will drop to that of the slowest. Using different memory modules may cause compatibility problems, so it is recommended to use identical ones. This includes memory modules on the same channel and when using dual channel. Dual-channel memory
utilizes interleaved access, where contiguous memory addresses are distributed across both memory modules, optimizing bandwidth by allowing simultaneous access to both modules. Thus, you can see that installing just one slow memory module can affect all the other memory modules, as they will need to slow down to the speed of the slowest. I will not install the last memory module. This memory slot is chained to the second channel. If you are using triple or quad channels the process is the same. Consumer motherboards
typically feature two slots per channel; however, server-grade motherboards with a large number of memory slots, might chain more than two slots to a single channel. Thus, it's important not to assume that memory channels will always consist of just two slots. Additionally, some motherboards with only two memory slots may support dual-channel operation, others might not. Check the specifications of the motherboard to find out for sure.
The Peripheral Component Interconnect Express or PCIe is a high-speed interface standard for connecting add-on cards like graphics cards and network cards. It can also be used to connect components to the motherboard, for example, the M.2 interface. It uses one or more lanes to transfer data. A lane is a high-speed bi-directional transmission path from the device to the CPU or chip like the South Bridge. If you consider a single lane going to the CPU, a single lane has an input path and an output path. This allows it to transmit in both directions at the same time. PCIe is serial-based communication that communicates by sending data in packets.
It is similar in some respects to how data is sent over a network. Having multiple lanes is similar in concept to having multiple network cards. Data can be transmitted over each lane independently. You could also break up your data into segments and dispatch it across all available lanes simultaneously. Historically, parallel transmission was employed to increase data transfer capacity, but it necessitated synchronization of all data lanes. In contrast, lanes facilitate parallel data transfers by segmenting the data into packets, eliminating the need for synchronization. PCI Express has various lane configurations, including x1, x4, x8 and x16. The maximum number of physical lanes the slot can support is determined by
the size of the slot. The physical slot may support a maximum number of lanes, but for a number of different reasons, there may be less lanes connected to the physical slot. It is essential to understand that not all available lanes might be utilized. The actual usage often depends on two primary factors. An expansion card might physically fit into a larger lane slot, but only use a subset of the available lanes. For instance,
a PCIe x4 card can fit into a PCIe x16 slot but will only utilize four of the sixteen available lanes. Even if a slot on a motherboard is physically x16 in size, the motherboard or CPU might not provide support for all sixteen lanes. This can be due to architectural constraints or because other devices are using the available lanes. I have here four different expansion cards. A x1, x4, x8 and x16. I will have a look at how to install them using this motherboard. This motherboard has three PCI Express slots:
Two x16 and one x1. Different motherboards will have different numbers of PCI Express slots. On consumer motherboards, it is pretty common to have only x16 and x1 slots. I will first install the x1 card in the x1 slot. To install, it is just a matter of pushing it into the slot. When installing expansion cards, try not to handle the expansion card by the edges and don’t touch the components.
If you have an available x1 slot, it's advisable to utilize it for x1 expansion cards like this one so you are not wasting lanes. The expansion card, however, can also go into the x16 slot. Even though the connector does not fill the whole slot, PCI Express is designed to work this way. As long as the slot supports the same number or more lanes, the expansion card will go into it. This does, however, mean that of the 16 lanes, 15 lanes are not being used. I will now install the x4 card. It won’t be able to go into the x1 slot since it is too large, however, it will go into the x16 slot. As before, if you have a x4 slot, it is best to use that slot.
The x8 expansion card is the same as before. However, there is a bit of a problem with installing it in this slot. To understand what the problem is, I will have a look at the manual for the motherboard. You will notice that the second PCI Express slot is x16 but only supports four lanes. So, this presents a problem for us since the expansion card supports eight.
In some cases, your expansion card may be able to use less lanes and still work, but just at a slower speed. You will need to check the specifications for your expansion card to see if it can work with less lanes. To use this expansion card with eight lanes, I will need to move it to the x16 slot. This will mean eight lanes will be wasted, but sometimes this is the price you need to pay to fully utilize all the lanes in the expansion card. You may be wondering if the previous slot only supports four lanes, why is it a x16 slot and not a x4 slot. To understand why this is the case, I will remove this expansion card and install the last remaining card, the x16 in the x16 slot.
You will notice that when I install the card, there is a clip on the end of the slot to hold the expansion card in place. When you remove the expansion card, you will need to unlock this clip to remove it. If you don’t unclip it, you risk damaging the slot or the expansion card. This particular graphics card is x16, however, it only uses eight lanes. So,
we have a x16 slot that only uses four lanes and a x16 graphics card that uses eight lanes. To understand why it is done this way, we need to move on to the next topic. In the computer setup, you might come across the term 'PEG'. PEG is an acronym for PCI Express Graphics and refers to the primary PCIe x16 slot on the motherboard. On most motherboards, this is the closest x16 slot to the CPU. On some rare motherboards, the closest slot to the CPU may have only a small number of lanes. When this occurs,
the second PCI Express slot will generally have a lot more lanes and will be the PEG slot. The PEG slot is optimized for graphics cards. This gives better performance and power delivery. Keep in mind, it is still a standard PCI Express x16 slot,
so is compatible with any other expansion card. So, what is the difference? Since graphics cards require a lot of power and transfer large amounts of data, the slot is optimized for this. For example, the CPU will prioritize traffic from that slot over other slots. Since graphics cards use a lot of power, the slot can provide a bit more power if needed than the other slots can. Thus, it is best to install your graphics card in the PEG slot.
The PEG slot also has one more advantage, which is, installing a graphics card in the PEG slot will disable integrated graphics by default. So, this brings us to the reason why graphics cards use x16 slots. To remain compatible with older PEG slots, graphics cards need to use the x16 connector. Now you know the reason why graphics cards that support less than 16 lanes still use the x16 connector.
As graphics cards need to use the x16 connector for backwards compatibility even if they use less than 16 lanes, the motherboard needs to allow for graphics cards to use it. Thus, any connector that may get used for a graphics card needs to use the x16 connector even if it does not support 16 lanes. Thus, the PEG slot on the motherboard also needs to use the x16 connector even if the motherboard is not providing 16 lanes to the physical slot. Motherboards often have multiple x16 slots even if they don't support all 16 lanes. This is so they can be fitted with graphics cards having x16 connectors. Graphics cards use x16 connectors
for compatibility with older PEG slots, even if they don't need them all. Other expansion cards do not need to use the x16 connector for backwards compatibility, and this is the reason why you only see this done with graphics cards. Now you know why graphics cards use the x16 connector and motherboards use the x16 slot even though they don’t support 16 lanes. In short, when it comes to graphics cards for compatibility reasons, everything needs to be x16 in size. The last thing to consider when installing an expansion card is the PCIe version. An expansion card supports up to a particular version number. Usually,
an expansion card can use a lower version with reduced performance. Expansion cards such as graphic cards will often drop to a lower version when the card is idle to reduce power usage. The expansion card, however, may require a minimum version number to operate. Usually this is not a
problem since modern motherboards support at least version 3.0 which was released over ten years ago. The PEG slot in your motherboard will support the highest version number that motherboard supports. For example, with some motherboards currently on the market, the PEG slot will support version 4.0 or version 5.0, but the other slots will support the next version down.
When installing expansion cards, several factors come into play. Typically, it's advisable to place the graphics card in the PEG slot and other cards in the remaining slots. If you're adding a high-performance card, such as a high-speed network adapter, ensure it's in a slot that supports its required PCIe version; otherwise, you might not harness its full potential. Even if a graphics card supports a newer PCIe version, it might not utilize all the available bandwidth. In a basic setup this may not make much of a difference, for higher performance setup selecting the right expansion slots for your high-performance cards can make a big difference.
Combining multiple graphics cards to boost performance is termed SLI for Nvidia and CrossFire for AMD. How many graphics cards you can combine together depends on what the graphics card and motherboard support. There are a lot of graphics cards on the market that do not support combining together. Adding an additional graphics card typically provides a modest performance gain. For instance, pairing two cards might yield a 30-40% improvement, rather than doubling performance. Incorporating a third card offers diminishing returns.
Given these reasons, it is often more cost-effective to invest in a single, higher-performing card instead of a second one or a third one. SLI currently only supports up to two graphics cards whereas CrossFire supports up to four. If you do opt for a multi-card setup, it's advisable to use identical cards. If there's a mismatch in performance, the faster card will typically adjust down to match the pace of its slower counterpart.
Also, you may have compatibility problems if you mismatch graphic cards. To facilitate this multi-GPU setup, a bridge connector may be required. In the old days this connector was always required, nowadays some graphics cards may not require one. For SLI configurations, this connector usually comes with the motherboard, while for CrossFire it's included with the card. Originally, connectors were provided with motherboards, allowing manufacturers to decide the spacing between slots. For CrossFire, however, compatibility with motherboard slot spacing is assumed, given most motherboards adhere to universal standards. This tradition has persisted, primarily due to convention.
The next connector I will look at is the Peripheral Component Interconnect or PCI connector. This was the predecessor to the PCIe connector. Although there were other connectors used, the PCI connector is the legacy connector you are most likely to come across today. Like the PCIe connector, it is just a matter of pushing the expansion card into the PCI slot. The PCI slot is different to the PCIe slot; thus, you won’t be able to plug a PCIe card into a PCI slot by mistake. The PCI connector was introduced in 1992. It was replaced by PCIe in 2003. So,
you can see by today’s standards it is a very old connector. Since it is a legacy connector, it is becoming rare on motherboards. If you need this connector
2024-12-31 23:58
