‘Chipset’ is a crucial component in the computer system that determinescomponent compatibility, themaximum number ofports/slotsa motherboard can possess,overclocking support,system performance, etc.
It manages the data flow between the CPU, RAM, and all the connected peripherals. Also, the chipset helpsdetermine the features you may run on your system.
If you’renew to PC buildingand planning to get a motherboard, know that the chipset is the first thing to consider.
But before picking the right one, let’s first understand its function on the mainboard, evolution through the years, and naming scheme (on both Intel and AMD platforms).
A Detailed Overview of Motherboard Chipset
When choosing a motherboard, you’re probably going to look for the appropriateform factor, supported processor socket, number of slots/ports/connectors, GPU orRAM compatibility, and other additional features.
The very important thing of them all has to be the chipset! It’s simply the‘set of specialized chips’that acts as themiddlemanbetween the processor and other components.
Think of it as a‘traffic controller’or a‘communications hub’thatmanages the data flow between the CPU, RAM, and the connected peripherals.
Having said that, every component has to go through the chipset to communicate with the processor and the other parts.
Well, this is somewhat true (only in the older architecture). However, the motherboard chipset has revolutionized over the years.
In the newer design, the central processing unit has adirect connectionwith the high-speed components, like RAM, and a limited number of PCIe lanes.
To get started, let’s learn about both the traditional and modern-day chipset, their working, and how they differ from one another.
Traditional Chipset – Northbridge vs. Southbridge
Turning back the clock, motherboards came with a plethora of chips – assigned individually for different controllers.
The inclusion of all these integrated circuits didn’t just make the circuit board messy but theperformance was too slowfor modern-day use.
