What is a motherboard I/O for and why is it used?

The I/O shield is a metal plate that has various cut-outs for the different input/output ports on the back of your computer. Most cases come with a couple of generic shields, but most builders use the custom plate that comes with the motherboard. This is an I/O shield. read more

Motherboards vary greatly with respect to the types of components they support. For example, each motherboard supports a single type of CPU and a short list of memory types. Additionally, some video cards, hard drives, and other peripherals may not be compatible. read more

However, the motherboards used in IBM-compatible systems are designed to fit various case sizes. As of 2007, most desktop computer motherboards use the ATX standard form factor — even those found in Macintosh and Sun computers, which have not been built from commodity components. read more