Questions about desktop computer parts?

Question

I want to buy a motherboard but there is one thing I do not get. When you buy a motherboard, does it only come with the motherboard itself or is it supposed to come with the little chip also called as "cpu" or processor thingys attached? I thought u were supposed to buy them separately like ATX motherboard and a Intel Core 2 Duo separately. Also, does it come with the video and sound cards attached to it? Do u have to buy them separately and put it together? If yes, does any video card or sound card go with any motherboard? I have just recently gained interest on computer parts and I am going to build my own desktop. I want to know more about computer hardwares to become better at it. Please help me understand motherboards and if they come together or not?

Answer 1

You will need a list of parts.
Motherboard
Processor
Case
Power Supply
Fans
Heat Sink
RAM
Hard Drive
CD/DVD Drive
Operating System

Your motherboard may come with onboard video, audio, etc. But if not, you will need to buy separate video and audio cards. It can be tricky to match your motherboard with the exact cpu and accessories sometimes. Most of your slots on your new board will probably be PCI, but you will likely have an AGP for your video.

The easiest way I have found is to buy what is called a "Bare Bones Kit." I have built all of my last few computers that way. A good place to buy them that I have found is Tiger Direct. See the link below for bare bones kits.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Generally, if you buy a motherboard, you won't get any processor or memory. Some stores will put together "kits" which consists of a motherbord, processor, and sometimes memory.

As far as video cards go, right now, there are two different kinds, AGP, and PCIe. AGP is starting to become obsolete, but you will still run into motherboards and video cards that use it.

You can't use a AGP video card in a motherboard that has a PCIe slot, and vice versa. Right now, I'd go with a motherboard that has a PCIe slot and PCIe video card.

Sound cards are easy, most motherboards have the sound card circuitry built onto them, and if you buy a good motherboard, you shouldn't have to buy a soundcard, but that really depends on what you are going to do with the computer once you have built it.

Answer 3

When you buy a motherboard you just get the board, no CPU, no sound card, no video card, no nuthin. However, a lot of motherboards now come with video and sound and network chips built in, but it depends on the board. Also, some vendors will sell the motherboard and CPU together as a bundle so you can be assured that the parts are compatible.

The best way to purchase parts for a system is to determine what your budget will be and select parts that will be affordable. When you select a motherboard research its specs and see what parts it needs. Not all parts will work with all motherboards so be careful to buy the things that will work together.

Answer 4

The Motherboard and the CPU are separate ... some boards come with "Onboard" or Integrated graphics but those usually come with an AGP or PCIe slot to fit a dedicated graphics card ... sound will be also Onboard but again you can purchase sepatate sound cards .... decide the features you want in a Motherboard and the brand you want ..then you can better decide the CPU that you can afford ... bigger faster is always better but it will depend on your budget

Answer 5

Some motherboards come with onboard Video and sound but it is always better to buy an after market one because the onboards useally suck. And no they don't come with the prosesser (CPU). But i would recommend you learn a little more before you go buying and building one yourself or at least have a proffesional with you. The main thing you have to know with a motherboard when you buy it is like....just E-Mail me at [e-mail] and i will walk you through EVERYTHING you need to know. Happy Holiday's!!

Answer 6

Motherboards come usually with onboard sound and LAN and thats about all. Some have onboard graphics but ewwwww dont want that. CPUs, hard drives. video card, ram, DVD drives etc have to be bought separately plus they have to be compatible.

Answer 7

MOBO's do not come with a processor or video but some sites offer MOBO CPU combos you can buy with the processor already installed. Most MOBO's have a built-in sound card but check the specifications on it to make sure. The latest MOBO's use PCI-Express slots for installing video cards so you need to make sure your video card is PCI-Express compatible. It's also important to check the specs on the MOBO to see what type of memory is compatible with it.

Answer 8

IF YOU ARE BUYING A NEW ONE COMPUTER, THEN YOU BUY THE ALL PARTS SEPARATELY GIVEN BELOW (THESE PARTS ARE UN ASSEMBLED AND IN THEIR PACKING); MOTHERBOARD, PROCESSOR, RAM, CASING, HARD DRIVE, CD/DVD ROM, KEY BOARD, MOUSE, MONITOR, ETC.
BUT IF YOU BUYING A USED COMPUTER, THEN YOU CAN GET THESE ALL PARTS IN ASSEMBLED STATE.

Answer 9

when you replace the mobo you have to replace almost everything else in your computer which at that point you might as well buy a new computer unless you enjoying tinkering with electronics.