The motherboard contains the electronic circuitry required to pass data to each device installed to the computer. The processor, memory, power supply, hard disk, optical drive, expansion cards and all other peripheral devices connect to the motherboard. Dell Dimension is a line of desktops designed for consumers and small businesses. Although Dell replaced the Dimension with the Inspiron in 2007, high-end Dimension desktops are still on the market. If you are intend to buy a Dell Dimension desktop, comparing the motherboard specifications will allow you to get the most out of your purchase.
Instructions
1. Compare the processors. Dell Dimension desktops use Intel or AMD processors. The CPU (central processing unit) performs basic logical and mathematical operations, while carrying out the bulk of the computer's data processing. The speed of a processor is measured in gigahertz (Ghz). A 2.0 GHz processor performs 2 billion cycles per second. The higher the processing speed, the faster the computer can carry out instructions.
2. Compare the chipsets. Chipsets determine which memory modules, storage devices and expansion cards you can install to your computer. Chipsets also support a variety of features, such as high-definition audio, RAID and high-performance graphics. Chipsets that support PCI Express (PCIe) x16 and Serial ATA (SATA) are superior to chipsets that support IDE or AGP. Look up the chipset on the Intel or AMD site to see which features the chipset support.
3. Compare the RAM (Random Access Memory). The greater the amount of RAM, the better the computer's performance. RDRAM and DDR2 perform better than DDR; DDR performs better than SDRAM. Motherboards will only recognize a maximum amount of RAM and will not register anything higher than the pre-determined maximum. If you intend to upgrade your system down the line, check how much RAM the Dell Dimension desktop will recognize.
4. Compare which graphics cards the motherboards support. The best graphics cards use PCIe x16 connections. If you're looking to eventually upgrade the desktop to a gaming or graphics machine, choose a motherboard with PCIe x16 support.
5. Compare the storage controllers. Motherboards support either SATA or IDE (also referred to as ATA, PATA or EIDE). IDE can transfer data at a maximum speed of 1.33 gigabytes per second. SATA 1.0, on the other hand, transfers speeds at 1.5 gigabytes per second. SATA 2.0 and SATA 3.0 perform significantly better than SATA 1.0.
6. Determine which peripheral devices the motherboard supports. All modern computers require USB 2.0 support. Motherboards may also offer connections for devices using technologies such as PS/2 or FireWire.
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