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The integrated motherboard has been gaining some much-needed market acceptance over the past few months. Usually you would only find integrated designs inside name brand PCs, complete with proprietary riser boards and on-board video, sound and modem chips. Lately, this trend has been changing and we're seeing an increasing number of motherboard manufacturers jump on the integrated bandwagon with some very innovative designs. Not only have the number of integrated boards been on the rise, there is also a definite move to differentiate them into separate markets. Some motherboards attempt to duplicate a basic home/gaming PC, while others cater to the business market, offering very few amenities or upgrade paths.

The primary reason for component integration is overall motherboard cost, which also has an effect on overall system costs. By assimilating most of the basic chips on one board, expenses can be reduced in both the manufacturing and system design areas. For instance, we see very low volume pricing some of the hottest video or sound chips, but the retail product ends up costing quite a bit more. Deducting the PCB, packaging and marketing cost from the final product helps lower costs significantly. An integrated motherboard is also extremely easy to install, standardized drivers ensure compatibility and system installation can take upwards of half the time.

All of these highly integrated components do come at a design cost. When purchasing a new PC, there are usually a couple of items that you trade-out or upgrade from the standard component list. With an integrated motherboard, you get exactly the components the manufacturer chose and will not be able to simply trade one part for another. After helping a friend buy a new Dell PC, I came up against this limitation first hand. The less expensive Dell PCs feature integrated motherboards and their online upgrade capabilities are very limited. He wanted a 32MB TNT2 Ultra included with the PC, and had to move up several model numbers before that even became an option. If you are intent on buying a system and the integrated components fit your wish list, this can be a great way to save some cash. This is especially true if you don't require the fasted 3D card or newest 3D soundcard and are simply looking for a PC for general use.