What does the hardware detection?

[channigan]

I was just wondering is it the cpu or the motherboard that does the hardware detection process. For example if there was no ram in the motherboard it would beep continuously. What actually checks to make sure everything is there. Thanks

 

[RememberThe5th]

Motherboard usually does that, if ram is missing as you said it would beep 3 times long, if card was missing it would beep (unless it has intergrated), but without CPU it wont beep.

And some motherboards require speaker.

 

[bigpinkdragon286]

It's usually the combination of CPU and motherboard that perform the POST for the computer. Without the CPU being present, the motherboard has no ability to execute it's BIOS or EUFI programming. Shortly after power on, the CPU vectors to a known address (address depends on architecture) and starts executing code there. The code is stored on the motherboard, but run by the CPU, and this code is what takes the machine through the POST process, which includes detecting system buses and things attached to them. So, it takes both the motherboard and CPU to perform the task. The task itself, however is specific to the instructions in the software, and isn't a necessity for booting a machine. You could say, the software, in this case the BIOS or UEFI is the most important part, as it contains the actual instructions which tell the machine whether it will even detect hardware or not.

Maybe not the best example, but you could similarly ask, is it your eyes or your brain that read the words in this post? Well, it's both. Without one or the other piece, the task wouldn't get done. Both pieces however still require that the person know how to read, which equates to the software portion of the task. An infant has both the brain and eyes to look at the words here, but hasn't yet the soft programming of the structures of the brain, which would be similar to a computer without the necessary instructions in BIOS / UEFI to perform the given tasks.

 

[channigan]

Thanks you