I have been active in the computer field for more than 20 years.. and have seen many changes. Back when features were not integrated into "large" chipsets, there were many components on the motherboard.. and the board was assembled by hand! Before leaving the assembly line, each was tested to ensure it worked. If not, a tech had to spend possibly hours repairing it. That is why there may have been several small wires soldered here and there! Today's motherboards are not as expensive, due to automated assembly, and have many features integrated into several large chipsets. But not much is serviceable as with older boards. Yes, capacitors can be changed.. without much difficulty. But not so with chipsets, unless expensive tools are had. More practical to just recycle the board and replace it. Labor costs are the highest factor with any product, today! Power regulators must be a specific type, and may be soldered to the board surface. Sockets for memory and the CPU are a real nightmare to replace!
F@H.. to solve mankind's maladies.. in our lifetimes!