Q: What is the motherboard?  

The motherboard, also known as the mainboard or system board, is the primary printed circuit board (PCB) that connects and allows communication between various hardware components of a computer system. It is often considered the "brain" of the computer.

The motherboard is responsible for providing power and connectivity to all other components, including the central processing unit (CPU), memory (RAM), graphics processing unit (GPU), storage devices (hard drives or solid-state drives), input/output (I/O) ports, and other peripheral devices.

The size and shape of the motherboard can vary depending on the form factor of the computer case and the type of components being used. Common form factors for desktop computers include ATX, MicroATX, and Mini-ITX.

The motherboard contains various connectors, including the CPU socket, memory slots, expansion slots, SATA and M.2 connectors for storage devices, and USB, audio, and Ethernet ports for input/output devices. The motherboard also contains a BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) chip, which provides low-level software that controls the basic functions of the computer, including the boot process and hardware initialization.

Overall, the motherboard is an essential component of a computer system, as it provides the foundation for all other hardware components to work together seamlessly.