Wednesday, August 20th 2025

Wednesday – Motherboards, CPUs, RAM

Motherboards
- Form factors: ATX (standard), microATX (smaller, fewer slots), ITX (tiny, minimal expandability).
- Chipsets: Control USB ports, PCIe lanes, RAM limits, overclocking features.
- BIOS/UEFI: Low-level software for hardware configuration.
CPUs
- Sockets: Intel (LGA 1200, LGA 1700), AMD (AM4, AM5).
- Specs: Cores & threads (multitasking), GHz (clock speed), cache memory.
- Cooling: Stock vs aftermarket, air vs liquid.
- TDP (Thermal Design Power): Impacts PSU + cooling needs.
RAM
- DDR4 vs DDR5: Generation affects speed + motherboard compatibility.
- Dual-channel: Install matched pairs in correct slots for speed boost.
- CAS latency: Lower = faster response.
- Capacity: 8GB = minimum, 16GB = standard, 32GB+ = high performance.

Component	Spec / Detail	Why It Matters (A+ Test)
Motherboard	ATX / microATX / ITX	Impacts case compatibility + expansion slots
Motherboard	Chipset features (PCIe lanes, USB)	Determines CPU/RAM support + upgrades
Motherboard	BIOS/UEFI	Needed for booting + hardware config
CPU	Socket type	Must match motherboard socket
CPU	Core / Thread count	Impacts multitasking performance
CPU	TDP	Tells you cooling + PSU requirements
CPU	Cooling method	Prevents overheating
RAM	DDR type (DDR4/DDR5)	Must match motherboard support
RAM	Channel config	Impacts performance
RAM	Capacity	Impacts multitasking ability
RAM	CAS Latency	Lower = faster