Your motherboard is the heart of your computer. It relays all the signals among other computer components. Without a motherboard, your computer is essentially useless. Testing your motherboard early can help you diagnose any problems it's having before they're too severe to fix. It can also help you figure out why your computer is being buggy, if you're having system problems. User-friendly programs are available to help you test your motherboard and determine which repairs are necessary.

Instructions

1. Select a program to help you test your motherboard. Free programs are available, but other options that cost money offer more choices and more control over your test. Decide which one is right for you by considering your budget and reading about what each program offers. Even a free program can help you get a basic idea of how your motherboard is functioning.

2. Log on to the website of the program you've decided to use, then download the program. You may have to pay a fee if you've selected a commercial program.

Tips & Warnings:

How to Test Your Computer Motherboard Circuits:

A computer motherboard is a central piece of hardware that oversees various functions in the PC. A failing or malfunctioning motherboard can crash a computer and prevent it from functioning in any manner. Typically, such computers must be sent to a repair shop to be scanned and fixed. However, proactive testing can foresee a motherboard problem and guide you to a solution before it becomes a problem. Learn how to test your computer motherboard and keep your PC running longer.

1. Understand some of the symptoms of a motherboard problem. One of the most visible hints that your PC's motherboard is having trouble is an inability to keep accurate time or a failure to save system settings. Peripheral devices that fail to work may also point to motherboard issues.

2. Check that your computer's power supply is functioning properly. If you are using a power source that did not originally come with the computer, review its wattage and volts to ensure that it matches your computer's requirements. Discrepancies between your computer's needs and the power supply of your cable may cause problems that mimic motherboard errors.

3. Contact the original manufacturer of your computer's motherboard to obtain software that can test the stability of the motherboard circuitry. Every motherboard is different. Hardware developers possess specific tools that allow consumers to test the motherboard circuits. Most manufacturers allow individuals to download the software from their website, while others require you to pay a shipping and handling fee to have a disc mailed to you. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on running the diagnostic tools.

4. Remove all peripheral devices, video and graphic cards, and extra memory (if extra RAM is installed in the computer). Restart the computer in safe mode by clicking Start and selecting Restart, then holding down the F8 key. Gradually reconnect peripheral devices and hardware to see if any of these devices or hardware are causing motherboard-like problems.

How to Replace the Motherboard in a Toshiba Laptop

Replace your Toshiba laptop's motherboard.

motherboard image by Falk from Fotolia.com

How Motherboards Are Made

Preparation

1. Motherboards hold all of the main components of your computer. From the CPU to all of the peripherals, they all connect to the motherboard. The motherboard is basically one large printed circuit with all of the appropriate components plugged in and soldered into place.
   
   The first step in making a motherboard is to create the printed circuit. According to pcstats.com, Gigabyte, a motherboard manufacturer in China that assembles motherboards, has the printed circuit boards made somewhere else with pre-drilled holes and then shipped to its factory for assembly.
   
   Printed circuits are made by layering copper or another conductive material on top of a non conductive material (called a dielectric). Printed circuits may be made using either "additive" or "subtractive" processes. In additive processes, the conductive material is laminated to the dielectric in the form of the circuit. In subtractive processes, the whole dielectric may be covered with copper or another conductive material, and then the unwanted copper can be removed by milling, etching or engraving.

The Assembly Process

2. Most of the assembly of motherboards at Gigabyte is done by SMT (surface mount technology) machines. The motherboards are assembled in sections as they travel along conveyors to different stations. Machines can put the proper components into place in just a few seconds with minimal error. But before the components are put in place, the circuit board is covered with a special soldering paste that will later be used to solder the components into place.

Finishing Touches

3. After all of the components are in place on the motherboard, they are then permanently soldered in place. But this isn't done with a typical soldering iron. The almost-completed motherboards are placed into a convection oven, which heats and melts the soldering paste. This makes the solder permanent. After the components are soldered into place, the finished circuit board moves to an automated optical inspection machine that visually inspects it for any obvious soldering defects. Then a human will further visually inspect the motherboard for missing or misaligned components. If the motherboard passes visual inspection, current is applied to its different components, and they are checked for proper function. Once all quality checks are passed, the circuit boards are sent out to be put into computers.