What is IDE?

Short for Integrated Drive Electronics, IDE is more commonly known as ATA or PATA (parallel ATA). It is a standard interface for IBM computers that was first developed by Western Digital and Compaq in 1986 for compatible hard drives and CD or DVD drives. 

IDE is different than SCSI and ESDI (Enhanced Small Disk Interface) because its controllers are on each drive, meaning the drive can connect directly to the motherboard or controller. IDE and its updated successor, EIDE (Enhanced IDE), are common drive interfaces found in IBM compatible computers. Below is a picture of the IDE connector on a hard drive, IDE cable, and the IDE channels on the motherboard.

How many drives can each IDE channel support?

Each IDE channel can support two drives. A single IDE ribbon cable has three connection. One connection connects to the motherboard and the other two connections are available for the two drives.

ATX style connector-

An ATX style connector is a replacement for the older P8 and P9 AT style connector. It is one of the largest connectors inside a computer. It connects a power supply to an ATX style motherboard. As shown in the picture, the 20-pin cable is a multi-color cable and may be labeled as P1.

In the pictures, the ATX cable connector has a small clip on the top, which snaps and holds the cable in place. This cable is also keyed, meaning it only connects in one direction.

A power supply with a 24-pin connector can be used on a motherboard with a 20-pin connector by leaving the four additional pins disconnected. 

However, if you have a 24-pin connection on your  motherboard all 24-pins need to be connected. If you are using a power supply that does not have a 24-pin connector, you need to purchase a new power supply.

What is a Memory Slot?

A memory slot, memory socket, or RAM slot allows RAM (computer memory) to be inserted into the computer. Most motherboards have two to four memory slots, which determine the type of RAM used with the computer. The most common RAM types are SDRAM and DDR for desktop computers and SODIMM for laptop computers, each having various types and speeds. The picture below is an example of what memory slots may look like inside a desktop computer. In this picture, there are three open and available slots for three memory sticks.

When buying a new computer or motherboard, pay close attention to the types of RAM the memory slots can accept. Make sure you know exactly the type of RAM to buy for your computer. It is also important to note how many available memory slots are available in your computer. It is not uncommon for computers to have all memory slots occupied. If all slots are full and you want to upgrade the computer memory, you need to remove some or all of the existing memory.

Why are the memory slots different colors?

When a motherboard has different colored memory slots, it indicates the memory slots are dual-channel, and pairs of memory should be installed on the same channel (color). For example, a motherboard could have two yellow and two black memory slots. The yellow memory slots could indicate Channel A and Channel B could be indicated by the black slots. If you were only installing two memory sticks, you'd want to install both of them in Channel A (yellow slots) for optimal performance.

SIO-

Short for super input/output, or super I/O, SIO is an integrated circuit on a computer motherboard that handles the slower and less prominent input/output devices shown below. When the super input/output was first introduced in the late 1980s, it was found on an expansion card. Later, this chip was embedded into the motherboard and communicated over the ISA bus. As ISA began to no longer be used with computers, SIO communicated over the PCI bus. Today, super I/O communicates through the Southbridge and is still used with computers to support older legacy devices.

Computer devices handled by the super I/O-

• Floppy disk controller
• Game port
• Infrared
• Intrusion detection
• Keyboard and mouse (non-USB)
• Parallel port
• RTC (Real-time clock)
• Serial port UART
• Temperature sensor and fan speed.

How do I know what IC is the super I/O on my motherboard?

Identifying the super I/O on your motherboard is easy if you look for an integrated circuit that is labeled with a company's name that manufacturers super I/O chips. Some common super I/O manufacturers are Fintek, ITE, National Semiconductor, Nuvoton, SMSC, VIA, and Winbond.