Editing Motherboard (section)

===Temperature and reliability===
[[File:EBMotherboard.JPG|thumb|A motherboard of a Vaio E series laptop (right)]]
[[File:MicroATX Motherboard with AMD Athlon Processor 2 Digon3.jpg|thumb|A microATX motherboard with some faulty capacitors]]
{{Main|Computer cooling}}

Motherboards are generally [[air cooling|air cooled,]] with [[heat sink]]s often mounted on larger chips in modern motherboards.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Karbo |first1=Michael |title=The CPU and the motherboard |url=http://www.karbosguide.com/books/pcarchitecture/chapter26.htm |publisher=Karbos Guide |access-date=June 21, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427024227/http://www.karbosguide.com/books/pcarchitecture/chapter26.htm |archive-date=April 27, 2015}}</ref> Insufficient or improper cooling can cause damage to the internal components of the computer, or even cause it to [[crash (computing)|crash]]. [[Passive cooling]], or a single fan mounted on the [[power supply unit (computer)|power supply]], was sufficient for many desktop computer CPU's until the late 1990s; since then, most have required [[CPU fan]]s mounted on [[heat sink]]s, due to rising clock speeds and power consumption. Most motherboards have connectors for additional [[computer fan]]s and integrated temperature sensors to detect motherboard and CPU temperatures and controllable fan connectors which the [[BIOS]] or [[operating system]] can use to regulate fan speed.<ref>{{cite web |title=Temperatures |url=https://sites.google.com/site/visualbios/advanced/cooling/temperatures |website=Intel® Visual BIOS Wiki |access-date=June 21, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621093332/https://sites.google.com/site/visualbios/advanced/cooling/temperatures |archive-date=June 21, 2015}}</ref> Alternatively, computers can use a [[water-cooling#Computer usage|water cooling]] system instead of many fans.

Some [[small form factor]] computers and [[home theater PC]]s designed for quiet and energy-efficient operation boast fan-less designs. This typically requires the use of a low-power CPU, as well as a careful layout of the motherboard and other [[electronic component|component]]s to allow for heat sink placement.

A 2003 study found that some spurious computer crashes and general reliability issues, ranging from screen image distortions to [[I/O]] read/write errors, can be attributed not to [[software]] or peripheral [[Computer hardware|hardware]] but to aging [[capacitor]]s on PC motherboards.<ref>''[[c't|c't Magazine]]'', vol. 21, pp. 216–221. 2003.</ref> Ultimately, this was shown to be the result of a faulty electrolyte formulation,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/WEBONLY/resource/feb03/ncap.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030219071949/http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/WEBONLY/resource/feb03/ncap.html |archive-date=February 19, 2003 |first1=Yu-Tzu |last1=Chiu |first2=Samuel K. |last2=Moore |title=Faults & Failures: Leaking Capacitors Muck up Motherboards |publisher=IEEE Spectrum |date=January 31, 2003 |access-date=October 2, 2013}}</ref> an issue termed [[capacitor plague]].

Modern motherboards use [[electrolytic capacitor]]s to filter the [[direct current|DC]] power distributed around the board. These capacitors age at a temperature-dependent rate, as their water based [[electrolyte]]s slowly evaporate. This can lead to loss of capacitance and subsequent motherboard malfunctions due to [[voltage]] instabilities. While most capacitors are rated for 2000 hours of operation at {{convert|105|C|abbr=on}},<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.low-esr.com/endurance.asp |title=Capacitor lifetime formula |publisher=Low-esr.com |access-date=October 2, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130915011312/http://low-esr.com/endurance.asp |archive-date=September 15, 2013}}</ref> their expected design life roughly doubles for every {{convert|10|C-change|abbr=on}} below this. At {{convert|65|C|abbr=on}} a lifetime of 3 to 4 years can be expected. However, many manufacturers deliver substandard capacitors,<ref>Carey Holzman ''The healthy PC: preventive care and home remedies for your computer'' McGraw-Hill Professional, 2003 {{ISBN|0-07-222923-3}} page 174</ref> which significantly reduce life expectancy. Inadequate case cooling and elevated temperatures around the CPU socket exacerbate this problem. With top blowers, the motherboard components can be kept under {{convert|95|C|abbr=on}}, effectively doubling the motherboard lifetime.

Mid-range and high-end motherboards, on the other hand, use [[Capacitor types#Comparison of types|solid capacitors]] exclusively. For every 10&nbsp;°C less, their average lifespan is multiplied approximately by three, resulting in a 6-times higher lifetime expectancy at {{convert|65|C|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gigabyte.com/webpage/8/article_02_all_solid.htm |title=-- GIGABYTE, --Geeks Column of the Week – All Solid Capacitor |website=www.gigabyte.com |access-date=May 6, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327102017/http://www.gigabyte.com/webpage/8/article_02_all_solid.htm |archive-date=March 27, 2017}}</ref> These capacitors may be rated for 5000, 10000 or 12000 hours of operation at {{convert|105|C|abbr=on}}, extending the projected lifetime in comparison with standard solid capacitors.

In desktop PCs and notebook computers, the motherboard cooling and monitoring solutions are usually based on a [[super I/O]] chip or an [[embedded controller]].