The motherboard is the core of the computer.  This is where you attach the central processing unit, the memory and all other peripherals required to run a computer.  When I search for a motherboard for a basic computing system I try to get the most bang for a buck that I can.  I start out by going to one of my favorite search sites for computer parts such as Shop @ Geeks.com - Great Deals Every Day!  and searching for motherboards.  I apply a filter for AMD or INTEL based chips per customer preference.  There is a difference in the connection to the motherboard for these different CPU’s and this difference will affect later choices so be sure to apply this filter.  For basic computing either CPU chip family will work well for your configuration.  For advanced users a more detailed look at how they will use the computer is involved as both have strong points in certain areas.  Then I sort the motherboards by price.  I then see where the break point is.  This is where the prices take a dramatic jump in price.  I then compare the 3-4 motherboards below that point.  I am looking for the additions to the motherboard that make it that much easier to configure such as:

• on-board sound
• on-board video
• on-board LAN
• SATA and IDE connectors
• extra USB connectors
• Fire wire connectors
• additional video AGP slot

There are 2 points of view about all these components built in.  One says that you should avoid them and the other says to use them.  I personally recommend them for low to moderate computer users as it will save on the overall cost and configuration of the computer.  For upper end computer users such as gaming computers I recommend staying far away from built in video and sound cards or you will have to change your motherboard with each new game they put out.