UPGRADING REPAIRING PCs

Table 2.8 Comparison of Major Motherboard Form Factors
Baby-AT LPX
ATX/
Micro ATX1 NLX WTX
Ports built No Yes Yes Yes No2 into chassis
Riser card No Yes No Yes No
Single row of
ports at rear
N/A Yes No No No
Two rows of N/A No Yes Yes No3 ports at rear
Slots on both
sides of riser
card
N/A Opt N/A No N/A
Riser card N/A Middle N/A Side near N/A
location power
on MB supply
1. MicroATX motherboards can fit into ATX cases, but have fewer slots and are designed for
socketed, rather than slot-based, processors. They also usually feature onboard audio and
video, both of which are usually optional on ATX motherboards.
2. WTX supports a FlexSlot design, which uses a single modified PCI slot for all standard ports.
3. The layout of ports on the rear of a FlexSlot resembles the layout on the rear of an ATX or a
MicroATX motherboard, but they are vertically oriented because they are attached to a
FlexSlot. See www.wtx.org for more information.
PC99 Color-Coding for Ports
Microsoft and Intel have developed the following standardized
color-coding of connectors for computers compliant with the PC99
design standards. Use Table 2.9 to help you match non–color-coded
peripherals with the correct external ports.
Note
Some systems, especially those built before 1999, might use a
proprietary color scheme for ports.
Check the inside front and back covers of this book for pictures of
these ports. For color samples, see the following Web site:
http://www.pcdesguide.com/documents/pc99icons.htm
Table 2.9 PC99 Color-Coding Standards for Ports
Port Type Color
Analog VGA (DB15) Blue
Audio line in Light blue
Audio line out Lime green
Digital monitor White
PC99 Color-Coding for Ports 33