These ports are located at the back of the computer and are often color-coded.
I/O Ports
This is where all the information and settings for the motherboard are stored
BIOS
Supplies power to store BIOS settings and keep the real-time clock running. Responsible for keeping all the information intact when the entire system is shut down
CMOS Battery
This is where your CPU (processor) is installed
CPU Socket
This is where the RAM (Memory) is inserted.
Memory slot
Alternatively known as expansion bus. It provides an installation point for a hardware expansion card to be connected.
Expansion card slot
It connects a power supply to an ATX style motherboard. It has 20 or 24-pin female connectors
ATX power connector
Connects to the 4-pin power cable of a power supply unit which supplies power to the CPU
4 pin power connector
Supply power to the CPU fan and computer case fans
Fan header connectors
Connects to older hard drive disks and optical drives for data transfer.
IDE Connector
Connect to modern hard disk drives, solid state drives and optical drives for data transfer
SATA Connectors
Connect to the power switch, reset switch, power LED, hard drive LED, and front audio ports of a computer case.
Front panel connectors
Allow the computer to close an electrical circuit and allowing the electricity to flow certain sections of the circuit board. Consist of a set of small pins that can be covered with a small plastic box (jumper block).
Jumpers
Allow additional USB connections to be added to the computer.
USB Header connector
Also known as Memory Controller Hub (MCH). The chipset that allows the CPU to communicate with the RAM and graphics card. Normally located near the processor.
Northbridge
Also known as the Input/Output Controller Hub (ICH). The chipset that allows the CPU to communicate with PCI slots, PCI-Ex1, SATA connectors, USB ports, Ethernet ports, and on-board audio. Normally located near the expansion slots.
South bridge
