A CPU processes computer functions while a chipset allows it to interact with other parts. CPUs have shrunk over time, while chipsets have increased in speed and consist of a northbridge and southbridge. Together, they allow for interaction between the user and software.
A central processing unit (CPU) is the part of the computer that processes application requests and high-level computer functions. The chipset allows the CPU to interact with programs and other parts of the computer. To function, a computer requires a chipset and a CPU. They are both very important internal parts of the computer, but other than that, they have very little in common.
Over the years, the structure and design of the chipset and CPU have changed. In the early days of computers, the CPU was very large and required a lot of space and power. Over the years, these room-sized machines shrank to a single computer chip. In fact, modern processors have several individual units on a single chip.
Chipsets have changed much less than CPUs, but they’ve still gotten better over time. One of the biggest changes is simply an increase in speed. As a chip that provides access between the processor and other areas of the computer, speed is critical for a chipset to function. Furthermore, modern chipsets consist of two parts: the northbridge works with basic computer functions, and the southbridge works with secondary or non-vital components.
A chipset and CPU work together to make a computer work. These parts, among many others, allow interaction between individual areas of the computer, the user and the installed software. While they don’t have common functions, they are both vital to the functioning of the machine.
In most cases, the actions and functions of these components are easier to illustrate with an example. A user could enter an equation into a spreadsheet. The information, entered via the keyboard, will travel through the Southbridge section of the chipset to the Northbridge section and into the CPU. The CPU would find the answer and send it to the program via the Southbridge and then to the graphics system, so that it can be displayed on the screen, via the Northbridge. This is a very simple example, but it serves to illustrate the separation of the two components.
In the example above, the processor calculated and the chipset was a carrier. When the information needed to move in the system, the chipset facilitated the movement. When information needed processing, it was done entirely by the CPU. The functions of a chipset and a CPU are very specific with almost no overlap.
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