Building a PC from scratch requires a detailed evaluation of each and every one of the components that will lead it to be the best among all. The center of the proper functioning of a CPU is the motherboard or motherboard, where each and every one of the elements that make up a computer are connected. Since the beginning of this century, advances in technology have occurred very quickly compared to the season of the 80's and 90's. With what getting to acquire a good motherboard has become a challenge, due to the range of models and existing brands. But to reach the point of modernization that we have today, it is necessary to know where all this wonder that we also call motherboard was born and that offers us the possibility of making or developing a world of ideas on a screen.
What is an AT motherboard?
Advanced Technology (AT) is the motherboard format used by the IBM AT in full desktop and full tower format. Then there's the AT power supply, which is a device that fits into the computer case. It takes charge of converting the alternating current from the power line into direct current. The
AT motherboard was released in XNUMX to replace the technology called eXtended Technology (XT), with which each manufacturer generated the computer differently, making it impossible to carry out part exchanges, hardware upgrades and other operations. It was the first successful attempt at standardization for motherboard shapes. However, over time new shortcomings were discovered that led to its replacement. Its significant size played against it since it was quite difficult to introduce new drives. An AT motherboard has dimensions of around a hundred millimeters, so large that it does not fit on a mini desktop. Thus, the term 6-pin connectors had to be created to function as the power connectors of this type of motherboard. In the age of IBM-compatible personal computers, the AT form factor referred to the
motherboard dimensions and layout for IBM AT. Many third-party manufacturers generated motherboards compatible with the IBM AT form factor, just as they did previous models (IBM computer, IBM XT), in this way users updated their computers with faster processors.
Cloned model
By the years of nineteen eighty, the
IBM AT model was the most copied by IBM clones which began to use AT-compatible designs, increasing its popularity. Even in the XNUMXs, AT motherboards and their components were procured. He
original design measures one hundred thirty eight x twelve inches, this means that it does not fit in mini desktop racks and that it takes up space behind the drive bay. With which, as already mentioned, this prevents the addition of new units. Clone manufacturers also took notice of power connectors. Those on AT motherboards are virtually identical 2-pin and 6-pin plugs.
IBM designed the mechanically coded connectors so that each of them can only be inserted into your situation correctly. However, some clone manufacturers played to cut costs at this point and used connectors without coding, that is, interchangeable. Unfortunately, the 2 power connectors it requires are not easily distinguished, causing many people to damage their boards by not connecting it properly. This motherboard design lasted a long time, from the pentium p5 to the years when pentium XNUMX began to be used, letting in new technologies that have facilitated the exchange of components and also the integration of more units.
Baby AT motherboard
In XNUMX IBM released a smaller and cheaper motherboard design, the Baby AT, which no doubt also caused other manufacturers to switch to this variation as well. The specification of this model is very similar to that of the IBM XT motherboard, but with certain modifications such as the location of the screw holes in order to fit into an AT-type case.
Baby AT motherboards fit all types of cases except low-profile or extra-slim. As improvements, it presents the flexibility of its design, this point being the center of its success and also drawbacks at the same time. The expansion slots are located, as a general rule, in the left rear part of the board, putting the microprocessor in front of them. It was a valid point when the chips were slow and dissipated little heat, however the increase in speed of the microprocessors forced the integration of components with the capacity to cool them as much as possible. The new components tend to prevent the installation of larger expansion cards, blocking certain slots. Exactly the same design of the Baby AT motherboard
makes it difficult to integrate other components such as local network support, graphic supervisor or sound supervisor. Another factor against it is the maintenance or updating of certain components. It is inconvenient to have to disassemble half a PC until you can get to any component in a more accessible way. It becomes somewhat hard and also uncomfortable having to untie a plate to keep it in perfect condition. Normally this maintenance non-conformity happens with the memory sockets, since they are covered by a confusion of cables or even by the storage units. Years of experience have helped certain manufacturers successfully address these drawbacks. However, there are still boards that present strange behavior failures against certain programs or operating systems.
Domain of a decade
After its launch, many manufacturers opted for this motherboard design. What attracted the most attention was his
size of two hundred twenty x three hundred thirty millimeters. With what prevailed in the market for a decade beyond the difficulties that it produced with the advancement of microprocessors. This variation of the AT form factor was in the personal computer market from the Intel XNUMX series of processors until the introduction of the Pentium. It was standard on personal computers until XNUMX when it was replaced by the ATX form factor. Among the peculiarities that its domain highlights is that the motherboards built according to this design were the first to include connectors for different integrated ports, on the back and connected internally. In addition to this, let's remember that the AT form factor was the first successful attempt at standardization for motherboard shapes. From there the doors to a planet of technological couplings were opened. Be the
form AT or Baby AT (in improved version), this factor created by IBM continued to lead until 1997. Since then, other more advanced models have emerged, not only from IBM, other manufacturers took on the task of creating their motherboards and are usually compatible with other components from different brands. Since that was the intention from the beginning for clone manufacturers.