Generally speaking, motherboards don't smoke due to overheating, although certain kinds of motherboards may burn during a crash. A motherboard is an electrical interface board that is installed in the computer and connects various electronic components. It is responsible for operating and coordinating peripheral devices, and memory. A motherboard also oversees communication between the cpu and the other components. When a motherboard is faulty, the cpu has a reduced performance or the components are not able to communicate, which may result in a crash. When the faulty component is not addressed, it can lead to further problems in the motherboard.