Maximize Your PC: Motherboard
Learn about your Motherboard and how to get the most from it's unique set of features. (Index Below) This is one of the most important parts of your build because everything is plugged into the Motherboard and the features can make or break the purpose of your build(Gaming, Casual Browser, Server, Content Creation, etc.) due to the features' ability to sate your ambitious desire for breakneck speeds, or lack thereof.
Motherboards Featured Here:
Bottom Line: Your Computer's Processor, RAM, Graphics Card, number of Drives, and other small factors are controlled by the Motherboard's ability to deliver the right functions to your build's other components.
Here's the breakdown, and potential bottlenecks:
CPU - Your choices for Processors area firstly limited by Socket Type(AM for AMD, LGA for Intel) and secondly by the chipset(varies by generation), but both must match in order for the processor to work at all. Higher Chipset = higher speed.
RAM - Each motherboard specifies a type of RAM(DDR2, DDR3, DDR4) which is the only kind the motherboard will use, and along with the processors Max frequency speed(1333Mhz, 1866Mhz, 2133Mhz, etc.).
Graphics Card - Your GPU and anything else that uses PCIe slots will be helped or hindered by the number(1, 2, 3, or 4 usually), Speed(1x, 4x, 8x, or 16x), and the length of the the slots. Usually more of these area better, but you pay for the premium. So, if you plan to use only one GPU or PCIe slot device, you can usually find cheaper motherboard by opting for less PCIe slots.
SATA ports - These affect the number of drives you can connect to the computer via SATA, instead of eSATA or USB. Some Motherboards even allow you to setup a RAID configuration from the bios(RAID will be addressed in an upcoming video. Stay Tuned!)