Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
The latest chipsets integrate support for even the newest I/O components, such as USB 3.0 and SATA
RAID, but chipsets that are only a year or two old that might be found in many systems might also
include an additional Super I/O chip and additional interface components (such as a chip for USB 3.0
or SATA RAID support). Adding the optional video and sound interfaces directly to the motherboard
saves both money and the use of an expansion slot, especially important in the less expensive systems
sold today. In the case of integrated video, however, you're likely to incur a performance hit as
compared to having a separate PCI Express video card. Depending on the type of system you're
building, integrated video might be suitable (as with a Home Theater PC, Home Server PC, or
standard thick and thin PC clients).
If these devices are not present on the motherboard, various Super I/O or multi-I/O boards that
implement all these ports are available. Again, most of the newer versions of these boards use a
single-chip implementation because it is cheaper and more reliable.
See the
Chapter 4
section, “
Super I/O Chips
,
”
p.
228
.
The primary drawback of having functions such as video and networking built in to the motherboard
or CPU, of course, is that you have little or no choice about the features or quality of the integrated
adapters. Integrated components such as these are nearly always of serviceable quality, but they
certainly do not push the performance envelope of higher-end expansion cards. Most people who
decide to build a system do so because they want optimum performance from every component, which
you typically do not get from integrated video and sound.
Buying a motherboard with integrated adapters, however, does not preclude you from adding
expansion devices of the same type. You usually can install a video or sound card into a system with
integrated video or sound without major problems, except that in most cases the integrated devices
have to be disabled and cannot be used in conjunction with the card. If you want the convenience of
integrated video but want to maintain the option of installing a faster PCI Express video card later,
look for systems that provide both integrated video and the PCIe x16 slot you need for a video card,
and two or more PCIe x1 slots for use with high-performance audio, TV tuners, and high-performance
wired or wireless networks.
See the
Chapter 12
section, “
Integrated Video/Motherboard Chipsets
,”
p.
611
.
Almost all recent desktop systems have at least eight USB 2.0 ports, and most of these are available
in the port cluster on the back of the motherboard. Header pins on the motherboard enable additional
USB ports to be connected from the front of the case or on a card bracket used in a empty slot. Front-
mounted USB ports make temporarily connecting devices such as flash drives, digital cameras,
gamepads, wireless input device receivers, USB headphones, portable media players, or smartphones
easier.
Note that if your motherboard has integrated devices, such as video and sound, in some cases, you
must go into the BIOS Setup to disable these devices if you want to add a card-based replacement
device. Check your BIOS Setup menus for an Enable/Disable setting for any integrated devices.
Note
Some chassis support only USB 1.1 (12Mbps) maximum speed in their front-mounted USB
ports. If you plug a USB 2.0 or 3.0 device into a port that runs at USB 1.1 speeds and you use
Windows XP or later, you will see a
This device can perform faster
warning
displayed. Similarly, if you plug a USB 3.0 device into a USB 2.0 port, you will receive the
