When you build your own computer, one of the most important decisions you need to make is selecting the best motherboard for your computer system; the motherboard is a critical operating component. Building your own computer means saving money and it also means that you can build a custom-designed and custom-specified system; you’ll get exactly what you want and need.

The motherboard is a very key part of the overall system; a number of system components connect to the motherboard (mobo). In selecting the best motherboard for your computer build, you need to have a good understanding of your needs: what type of system you want; what kind of demand you will place on your computer (heavy use; heavy graphics; fast operating speed; etc.); and how what you choose affects the operation of your system.

When selecting the mobo, consider which CPU you will be using in your computer build. For example, AMD CPUs require a different motherboard than Intel CPUs because each uses a different socket type. Also understand the impact of processor speed: your motherboard needs to support the chosen CPU.

There are a wide variety of socket types in use; and with the frequency and rapidity of technological changes that will continue to change and evolve. With these changes, come improvements (aka changes) to the number of pins in processors – this results in motherboard sockets needing more pins to provide more power and support new features and benefits. New processor designs have started to put pins on the socket instead of the CPU, which does allow for an easier set-up. So make sure you do your homework and match the right CPU configuration and socket type to the right motherboard; the CPU needs the socket to communicate with motherboard components through the chipset. A number of suppliers offer motherboard and CPU bundles check into those carefully – they can be a good buy but you want to make sure that the bundle provides what you need and want.

Once you’ve decided on your motherboard and CPU package, you will need to decide on your BUS, RAM and chipset. Your chipset needs to be fast for efficient data transfers and power management. BUS size is important because the BUS circuit width or size determines how much, and how efficiently, data can be transmitted. BUS speed is measured in MHz and it determines communication speed; with a fast speed allowing faster running applications and data transfer. The need for speed is driven by new, upgraded applications that typically demand more speed; luckily technology has evolved along with the speed demands. Make sure that your BUS speed is not a constraint issue in your system; you don’t want it to become a bottleneck for your whole system.

You need to consider memory and the need for memory when you select your motherboard for building your own computer. 2 GB of RAM is enough unless you are a heavy user, such as a gamer, or someone who works a lot with graphics or videos. Motherboards today will come with at least two memory slots, and many come with four slots. Buy a motherboard with four slots to ensure you have enough expandable memory capacity for the future (even if you start with 2 GB of RAM). When selecting the motherboard for your system, don’t forget other considerations such as, webcam, digital camera, external drive, flash drive, printer, keyboard and mouse. If you plan on adding additional cards (such as a wireless network card, graphics card, or sound card), the peripherals will require enough PCI slots. Most motherboards have four USB slots and two more that connect to the USB ports on the case. About every four to five years, it is likely that you will need to change the battery in your motherboard and don’t forget the preloaded BIOS which boots up your computer.

The most important aspect of selecting components for your computer system build is to ensure that you build not just a system for today’s needs, but for your future needs. It is very rare for you to be satisfied with a basic, minimal system for more than a short (six months to one year) period of time. Specify and select your components to build your computer system to last you for a minimum three to five years (my last system worked very effectively and efficiently for seven years because I over-built for my needs at the time); in other words, buy as much speed, power, memory, and features and benefits as you can afford – even if you don’t think you’ll need it. As technology progresses and changes, you will find you need the advanced system to sustain your needs.

Kris Bovay and Christian Bovay are co-owners of Build Your Own Computer; a resource guide to build your own computer system. Christian is an electronics technician with more than 30 years experience in computer building and troubleshooting with several telecommunications companies. Copyright 2008-2009 Voice Marketing Inc.