2.5. Motherboards—buses and sockets

> The front side bus and the multiplier form the most important basis for overclocking.

Ignored by many in favor of more exciting parts like the processor or graphics card, the motherboard should actually be your first consideration. It dictates not only what brand of processor you use, but also the exact type of processor and how fast it will be, as well as the type of memory and graphics card you need. Your motherboard establishes the kind of PC you can build now, and the kind you can upgrade to in the future.