What is a Motherboard?:

The motherboard is the main circuit board in a computer. It provides a way to for all of the various parts of the system to communicate with the CPU and with each other.
Motherboards, cases and power supplies all come in different sizes called form factors. All three must be compatible to work properly together.

Motherboards vary greatly in respect to the types of components they support. For example, each motherboard supports a single type of CPU and a short list of memory types. Additionally, some video cards, hard drives and other peripherals may not be compatible. The motherboard manufacturer should provide clear guidance on component compatibilities.