1. Definition: A central component that distributes power to all parts of the computer and controls communication between individual parts of the computer.
2. Generally Encountered Problems with the System Board:
1. Electrical Surges - (see Power Supply)
2. Leaking Capacitors. These are small parts on the system board that temporarily store power but are susceptible to expanding and leaking. The function of these capacitors is to store an amount of power and then release it when needed. Because of the high usage, these parts are easily damaged. This is a frequently occurring problem, especially with lower end system boards. The best way to prevent this is merely to buy higher end computers with corresponding high end parts.
3. If certain parts, such as RAM, video cards, sound cards and the like, are not seated fully or properly, it can cause the system to malfunction in various ways or not power on at all.