In the 1980s and 1990s, motherboards were often a dull mixture of blacks, whites, browns and greys. Most modern motherboards, however, are color-coded, making it easier for users to build their own PCs. However, not all boards share the same color code; excluding the peripheral sockets on the back of the PC, which follow a color scheme created in the late 1990s, manufacturers use different slot colors from product to product.
RAM
Most motherboards that support dual-channel designs color the RAM slots on the motherboard to indicate which module should be installed to which bank. For example, if a motherboard has four RAM slots, slots one and three share one channel -- and one color -- and slots two and four share another channel -- and another color. Higher-end motherboards can use tri-channel, a setup in which three identical modules install to one bank. Tri-channel is organized in the same manner as dual-channel. Most motherboards use some combination of black, blue, red or gray to color-code RAM slots.
SATA
Most motherboard manufacturers use red, black, blue or orange for Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) slots. Like motherboards, SATA cables come in a variety of colors. SATA cables don't have to match the color of the SATA slot on the motherboard; a red SATA cable works just fine with a blue SATA slot, and vice versa. Some motherboards use a different color for the first SATA slot -- often labeled "SATA0" or "SATA1" -- to indicate where the primary boot device should be installed.
Video
On the back of the computer are the video slots, used to connect monitors to the computer. The most common video slot, the Video Graphics Array (VGA) socket, transmits analog signals to connected devices. Computers with better graphics support either come with a digital video interface (DVI) or a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), used to transmit digital signals. VGA slots are colored blue, while DVI slots are colored white. HDMI slots have no color code.
Other Ports
The audio ports and the function ports are all color-coded. Pink is assigned to the microphone jack, light blue to the stereo line-in jack and lime green to the headphones and speakers jacks. Computers with high-end sound cards also use the following colors: black for surround speakers, silver for side speakers and orange for subwoofers. The PS/2 mouse port is colored green, and the PS/2 keyboard port, purple.
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