› #21 of 30 · The Machine
Motherboard
How the parts talk to each other
Comes after #20 Hard drive
Build the real thing
Salvaged board, labeled with stickers
Get an old motherboard from salvage and label it with stickers: the CPU socket, memory slots, expansion slots, power connector, and the traces that carry signals between them.
- Cost
- $ · Under $25
- Time
- One session
- Screens
- No screen needed
For the grown-up
Heatsink fins and the solder points on the back are sharp, and older boards use lead solder: wear gloves and wash hands after. A grown-up removes any coin-cell battery, which is dangerous if swallowed. Never salvage from a machine that is still plugged in, and leave its power supply closed.
Build it in bricks
Step-by-step brick booklets land one model at a time, starting with the Starter Five.
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