What replaced these things?

[Maximilian]

Magnet donut shaped things with copper wire around them. What are they? Why don't motherboards have them anymore?

 

[escrow4]

Those look like old ass chokes (VRMs):

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/arti...e-Motherboard-Voltage-Regulator-Circuit/616/2

Replaced by modern versions which according to marketing do a vastly better job.

 

[Maximilian]

Ah those box things, cool. Wonder if theres a donut shaped magnet under the box...

 

[RU482]

if you look at a modern motherboard, for example, the Asus H97M-E, you will see 4 black cubes with "R68" written on them. http://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/H97MECSM/

These are power inductors. I believe the form factor changed to alleviate the coil whine that un-potted coils can experience

 

[Fred B]

Found some kind of round iron thing with the wires for power button and leds going round it , it is from a P166 IBM . Does this make sense or is it just put in there for no reason , i do not know
http://imgur.com/MvCLZrJ

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Found some kind of round iron thing with the wires for power button and leds going round it , it is from a P166 IBM . Does this make sense or is it just put in there for no reason , i do not know
http://imgur.com/MvCLZrJ

Those are ferrite chokes, or FCC dongles as some refer to them as

https://www.google.com/search?q=fer...la:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb