What’s a motherboard chipset?

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The motherboard is the central component of a computer that connects all parts together. The chipset, made up of the north and south bridge, controls hardware interaction and signal prioritization. The Northbridge connects the processor, memory, and graphics system, while the Southbridge controls everything else. Updating chipset drivers can improve computer speed.

The motherboard, or motherboard, is the centerpiece of a computer; connect all the different parts together. The motherboard chipset controls the interaction between hardware components connected to the motherboard. A common motherboard chipset is made up of two different parts; the north bridge and the south bridge. A northbridge chip controls high-speed hardware, and the southbridge controls integrated peripherals and slower hardware.

Even though the motherboard chipset is vital to a computer, many users have never heard of it. The chipset works like a road system. It provides a means for signals to move to get to the places they need to be. It also handles and prioritizes those signals, so information that needs to get somewhere will now get there faster than information that nothing depends on.

The speed with which a chipset handles information has a net impact on the speed of the computer as a whole. While nearly all computer hardware has a speed associated with it, they are all limited by how fast the chipset allows them to talk. If a computer has a slow chipset, there’s no way to improve its speed.

Almost every computer has two chipset divisions; the north bridge and the south bridge. These chips can be physically connected, but operate independently of each other. Both chips are required for a computer to function, but the Northbridge is often seen as the more important of the two.

The Northbridge chip connects the main memory, processor and graphics system. The perceived importance of the chip comes from the parts it connects. These three areas are at the heart of the speed and appearance of the computer, from the user’s point of view. While it can be annoying if a computer’s sound system isn’t working, any user can notice a lack of speed.

The Southbridge portion of the motherboard chipset controls everything else. This includes expansion slots except graphics, any ports on the back or front of the machine, and keyboard and mouse interaction. In recent years, motherboards have integrated more parts into their design rather than using expansion cards. These embedded systems, such as the network and audio controllers, are also governed by the Southbridge chipset.
To keep the motherboard chipset working properly, it is important to update the component drivers. These drivers help the software that uses the chipset organize its data more efficiently for transmission. The more efficient this process is, the faster the computer runs. Chipset drivers can be found on the motherboard manufacturer’s website.




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