What is a chipset, north and south bridge, types of chipsets. What is a chipset

The chipset of a computer or laptop motherboard is a whole set of chips that are responsible for the coordinated operation of all connected components, including the processor, video card, RAM, hard drives and any other peripherals. Knowing the chipset model, you can set the maximum capabilities and set of functions of the motherboard. Most often, this information is needed when upgrading, for example, to select a new, more powerful processor. But how can you find out the markings of the installed chipset?

Conventionally, the chipset is divided into two components:

north bridge;
south bridge.

The first is responsible for the proper and coordinated operation of the processor, video card, RAM (this set is conventionally called “logic”), the second is responsible for all other connected devices and peripherals.

On a note! More modern motherboards, and especially laptops, use combined bridges called multicontrollers (or “hubs”).

Knowing the chipset model, you can find out which processors the motherboard supports, the maximum amount of RAM, as well as the allowed number of USB ports and drives. Today, the most famous chipset manufacturers are Intel and AMD (a few years ago Nvidia was also in this field, but later the company focused on video adapters).

If you want to know in more detail, you can read an article about it on our portal.

How to find out the chipset model?

The surest way to find out the chipset model is to visually inspect the motherboard. But for this you will need to disassemble your PC or laptop (which many people may have problems with). The name of the chipset is indicated on both the north and south bridges. As a rule, the chips themselves are soldered (BGA socket) and covered with a small heatsink (the chipset in most motherboard models does not heat up as much as the processor or GPU).

An easier option is to use specialized programs. The best in this regard are AIDA64 (or an older version of the Everest utility), as well as CPU-Z.

AIDA64

You can download the program on the official website https://www.aida64.com/downloads (trial version, working for 30 days, then you need to buy a license key). You should download the Extreme, Engineer or Business edition (their functionality is identical, the only difference is in the form of customer service support).

Go to the official website, select the program version, click on the “Download” button.
Click the mouse to launch the downloaded file.
In the Setup Wizard window, click Next.
Accept the terms of the agreement, click “Next”.
Check the appropriate options and click “Next”.
Click Install.
Check the box so that the program starts after installation, click “Finish”.
To find out the chipset model, just go to the side menu in the “Motherboard” - “Chipset” section. The marking is indicated in the description of the south or north bridge device (one or two letters followed by 2 - 4 numbers, for example - HM76).

On a note! This instruction is also suitable for the Everest program (visually they also look the same).

CPU-Z

CPU-Z can be downloaded from the official project page https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html.

After installing and launching the program, the chipset model can be found in the “Mainboard” section, the “Chipset” or “Sourthbridge” item (depending on whether bridges or a combined multicontroller are located on the board).

Where can I get drivers for the chipset?

In 99% of cases, there is no need to install drivers for the chipset - they are already integrated into Windows. If something is not working correctly (USB is running at minimum speed, the processor frequency is too low, the video card is not recognized properly), then only then should the drivers be installed. But be sure to download from the manufacturer’s website (or laptop), and not from the AMD or Intel websites!

For example, for an Asus X55C laptop with an HM76 chipset, the driver can be obtained as follows:

Step 1. Go to the official ASUS website (asus.com).

Step 2. Enter “Asus x55c” into the search form.

Step 3. Click on the required model and go to the review section for this model. Next, select “Support” - “Drivers”.

Step 4. Select the required version of the operating system.

Step 5. Find the item with “Chipset” and download the required file.

How to find out the capabilities of the chipset?

Data on the specifications of certain chipsets can be found on the official websites of AMD or Intel. For example, to get information about the HM76 (Intel) chipset you need to:

Step 1. Go to Google, enter “Intel HM76” in the search bar.

In total, you can find out the brand of the installed chipset without disassembling your PC or laptop.

Important! But it’s worth considering that not all chipset capabilities are always used by manufacturers. Detailed specifications must be clarified with the company that produced it.

Video - Motherboard chipset

The motherboard is the main connecting link within the computer system unit.

That is why it is very important when purchasing to be able to select from a large assortment of motherboards exactly the one that suits your tasks and satisfies all your requirements. In this article, we will generally look at the main points that you should pay attention to when choosing a motherboard.

For convenience and quick transition, a brief summary is provided:

Motherboard and its main components

In order to better navigate the main components and further visualize for ourselves what we will choose, I suggest that you familiarize yourself with the layout of the motherboard elements using a specific example. For our sample, we took a very original Sapphire Pure Z77K motherboard (original, because Sapphire), which is also aimed at the overclocking market. In fact, for the task of visually examining the main elements of the motherboard, neither the model nor the positioning matters at all. Therefore, let's move on to considering this motherboard:

Click on the picture to enlarge

Here the main components are highlighted with numbers, but some rather specific elements inherent only to overclocking motherboards are also touched upon.

(1) CPU socket- one of the main elements of the motherboard. The processor is installed in the socket and it is very important that CPU socket which it was targeting was compatible with the socket on the motherboard.

Under the number (0) "double" was specified radiator, which is responsible for cooling the elements of the processor power converters, the integrated graphics core and the CPU VTT. Such heatsinks are often found only in motherboards for overclocking. Regular motherboards come without this cooling element.

(2) PCI-Express slots . On the printed circuit board of this motherboard we see 3 PCI-Express X16 version 3.0 slots; these connectors are designed for installing video cards (either one or several in SLI and Cross Fire modes). This also includes the number (3) - it's the same PCI-Express x16 slot, but already an older version 2.0. Between PCI-E X16 slots, numbered (14) posted PCI-E X1 slots. These expansion connectors are designed for installing devices that do not require large bus bandwidth; One X1 line is enough for them. Such devices include TV tuners, audio and network cards, various controllers and many others.

Under the number (4) we have indicated chipset(in this case Intel Z77), which is hidden under the radiator that cools it. The system logic set contains various controllers and is the connecting link between the control of some components and the processor.

(5) Connectors for installation DDR3 RAM. These connectors are painted black and blue for installing memory modules in dual-channel operating mode, which allows them to slightly increase their operating efficiency.

(6) CMOS memory battery. This battery powers the microcircuit CMOS BIOS memory so that it does not lose its settings after turning off the computer.

(8) , (12) 24-pin and 8-pin connectors respectively. 24-pin is the main 24-pin power connector through which most components of the motherboard are powered.

Under the number (9) And (10) connectors are indicated SATA 3 (6 Gb/s) and SATA 2 respectively. They are located on the edge of the motherboard and are made in the style of motherboard connectors for overclocking (connecting devices on the side for open stands). SATA interface used to connect hard drives, SSD drives and drives. In conventional motherboards, they are deployed frontally and shifted closer to the center, which allows them to be conveniently used within the system unit of “non-overclocking” systems.

Under the number (11) a rather specific element was designated, which is found only in motherboards for enthusiasts - this POST code indicator. It also displays the processor temperature, but likes to lie a little.

(13) Back panel motherboard with external connectors. A variety of peripheral devices such as a mouse, keyboard, speakers, headphones, and many others are connected to the connectors on this panel.
Now that we have gone through the layout of the components on the motherboard, we can move on to considering the individual blocks and parameters for choosing a motherboard. Since this article is introductory, everything will be described briefly and discussed much more deeply in separate articles. So, let's go.

Choosing a motherboard manufacturer

The motherboard manufacturer is not a very important factor when choosing. The situation here is absolutely identical as with manufacturer's choice for video card- everyone is good and the question here is rather “religious” - who believes in what. Therefore, you can safely choose from all the “no name” manufacturers such as Asus, Biostar, ASRock, Gigabyte, Intel and MSI. Even the motherboard from the unknown in the motherboard market, Sapphire, which we took to review the main components, is a good example. Perhaps some boards have a not very convenient layout, perhaps some manufacturer’s package is not very extensive, and some may have a box that is not as bright as we would like - but still, all this does not give us the right to single out someone. then one, as an impeccable leader and answer the question: which motherboard is better within the framework of the manufacturer’s assessment.

All motherboards will eventually come with the same chipsets from AMD and Intel, and will be functionally similar. The only thing is that before purchasing, I advise you to review reviews of motherboards and user reviews, so as not to run into a model with unsuccessful cooling or something else. We will not dwell on the choice of motherboard manufacturers for long, but rather move on.

Choosing the right form factor

Initially, the correct choice of form factor will save you from many problems in the future. At the moment, the most popular form factors of motherboards are ATX and its stripped-down version – Micro-ATX.

The fact that the form factor determines the further expandability of the system is very important. The Micro-ATX form factor usually has fewer PCI and PCI-E expansion slots for video cards and additional devices. Also, often, such motherboards have only two slots for installing memory modules, which significantly limits the expansion of RAM, both quantitatively and in terms of convenience issues. But the main advantage of Micro-ATX lies in the price. Based on the description of these two standards, it can be argued that Micro-ATX is positioned as a budget solution for compact office and home systems.

Size is also important, as it follows from the form factor. ATX boards are much larger than their “Micro” brothers, so you should take into account the size of the case in relation to the size of the motherboard.

The form factors and their features will be described in more detail in a separate article.

Choosing a motherboard socket

Once you have decided on the processor, the selection of the motherboard begins. And the first factor of choice should be the socket, which ensures compatibility between the processor and motherboard. That is, if an Intel processor with an LGA 1155 socket was selected, then the motherboard must also have an LGA 1155 socket. A list of supported sockets and processors can be found on the motherboard manufacturer’s website.

You can find out more about modern processor sockets in the article: CPU socket .

Choosing a motherboard chipset

The chipset is the connecting link between the entire system. It is the chipset that largely determines the capabilities of the motherboard. Chipset- this is initially a “set of chips” of system logic, which consists of a north and south bridge, but now this is not so simple.

Today, the latest 7-series chipsets from Intel and the 900-series from AMD are popular, and Nvidia is also joining them, but the range of chipsets there is quite small.

Chipsets of the seventh series of Intel such as Z77, H77, B75 and others have slightly distorted the concept of “chipset”, because they do not consist of several chips, but only of a north bridge. This in no way reduces the functionality of the motherboard, because some of the controllers were simply transferred to the processor. Such controllers include a PCI-Express 3.0 bus controller and a DDR3 memory controller. The North Bridge was given control of USB, SATA, PCI-Express, etc. What is connected to what and on what buses is clearly visible in the block diagram of the Z77 chipset:

Indices Z, H, B - mean the positioning of a particular chipset for different market segments. Z77 was classified as a chipset for overclocking enthusiasts. H77 is a regular mainstream chipset with advanced functionality. B75 is a slightly trimmed H77 in terms of capabilities, but for budget and office systems. There are other letter indices, but we will not dwell on them in detail.

Chipsets from AMD continue the tradition of dual-chip chipsets and the latest 900 series is no exception. Motherboards with this set of system logic are equipped with 990FX, 990X 970 north bridges, as well as SB950 south bridge.

When choosing a northbridge for an AMD motherboard, you should also take into account its capabilities.

The 990FX is a northbridge designed for the enthusiast market. The main feature of the chipset with this northbridge is its support for 42 PCI-Express lanes. Therefore, on the 32 lines allocated for video adapters, you can connect up to 4 video cards in a Cross Fire combination. From this we conclude that only a few users need such capabilities, so the functionality of motherboards with this chipset will be redundant for most users.

990X and 970 are versions with slightly reduced capabilities. The main difference, again, is in the PCI-Express lines. Both of these north bridges support 26 lines, but this is unlikely to be a problem for anyone. It is worth noting that the 970 does not have support for SLI and Cross Fire, as a result of which it will not be of interest to users who plan to combine more than one video card in the system, but due to its reasonable price, the 970 will look very tasty for a wide audience of users limited to one video card.

The capabilities of AMD and Intel chipsets will be discussed in more detail in a separate article.

Memory slots and PCI-Express

The number of connectors for memory installation and PCI-Express expansion slots is an important factor when choosing a motherboard. As we said above, the number of these same connectors is often determined by the form factor. Therefore, if you are counting on seriously and conveniently scaling the amount of RAM, then it is better to take a closer look at motherboards with 4 and 6 slots for installing RAM. This also applies to PCI-Express slots: it is stupid to take a Micro-ATX form factor motherboard if you are counting on installing three video cards in SLI or Cross Fire.

Also, it is very important to pay attention to the type of RAM that the motherboard supports. Nowadays you can still find motherboards with supported DDR2 memory types on sale. When assembling a new system from scratch, it is better not to go back to the past and take a motherboard with DDR3 memory type.

The version of the PCI-Express bus is not an important factor, so you shouldn't be too keen on PCI-Express 3.0 support. For modern video cards, version 2.0 is sufficient. Yes and backwards compatible No one has canceled the various versions of this interface.

External connectors

The presence of certain connectors on the rear panel of the motherboard is quite important. Their number is also important. If we take into account the USB ports, then there should be, let’s say, quite a few of them, since, in most cases, a mouse, keyboard, webcam, printer, scanner and a large variety of other devices are connected there.

You should pay attention to the audio connectors of the integrated sound card: there can be either three or six. Three connectors are enough for a standard circuit: microphone, headphones and subwoofer. If you plan to use multi-channel acoustics, then you need to look towards motherboards with 6 connectors. But even if you are not currently planning to purchase such acoustics, the connectors will not hurt, and they may be very useful in the future. And for office and budget systems, 3 audio connectors are more than enough.

In addition, two LAN connectors may be useful; for this, two network controllers must be soldered on the board. But for most users, one network connector will be enough.

Additional features

Additional features include functionality that is not in demand for the average user, but for some can be very useful:

ESATA is an interface for connecting removable drives; it is not present in all motherboards and can be a very useful feature for owners of external drives.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module - integrated wireless network and data transfer modules can significantly improve the functionality of the motherboard.
Thunderbolt is a new interface for connecting peripheral devices and provides data transfer at speeds of up to 10 Gb/s, which is 20 times faster than the now popular USB 2.0, and 2 times faster than USB 3.0.

A very specific interface that only a few people will need today, but which promises to gain great popularity in the future.

This also includes special buttons and indicators on motherboards for overclocking. It can also be various branded elements and technologies from the manufacturer.

conclusions

Choosing a motherboard is not such an easy task. Based on all the parameters, it is necessary to select an option that will be satisfactory both in functional terms and in terms of cost. You need to be able to catch that fine line of the price/performance ratio. It should be remembered that everything is very individual and the best motherboard for your friend may be the worst option for your needs.

But if you focus on the basic parameters and approach the issue comprehensively, then the choice will be correct and will fully satisfy all your expectations.

P.S. We will try to answer your questions like “which motherboard should I buy?”, “which motherboard is better?” etc., in the comments to the article or on our forum.

Thank you for your attention. Good luck with your choice!

It is important to approach the choice of a motherboard with all responsibility, since it is one of the main elements connecting the computer components. Even the mouse and keyboard are connected to the motherboard connectors, not to mention the organization of communication with the main PC components. The motherboard must be compatible with the processor, so you should either choose them together, or match one of the devices to the other. In addition, it would not be a bad idea to take care of further upgrades in advance if they are planned in the future. Often, assembling a computer begins with purchasing a processor and video card. In this case, the appropriate motherboard is selected, for example, when you purchase an Intel CPU with the K index, that is, for overclocking, the motherboard chipset must have a Z index that supports this feature. Each processor model is suitable for certain boards, and it’s not just about the manufacturer and socket. There are exceptions when, with a suitable connector, interaction between devices is not ensured. When buying a motherboard, many parameters are decisive, including sockets (a processor socket that determines which model can be installed), chipsets, form factor (dimensions also matter), interfaces (number and type of connectors), memory slots and others nuances. , which are the main component of the motherboard, what their functions are, and also which chipset is better to choose in this or that case. This motherboard element can also be purchased separately if circumstances require it.

The right choice of motherboard chipset in 20148.

The chipset of a PC or laptop motherboard is a set of chips, its purpose is to ensure the coordinated operation of all components, including the processor, video card, hard drives, memory cards and other peripheral devices. The motherboard architecture in its classic design has a south and north bridge (relevant for AMD platforms; Intel has integrated the lion's share of the north bridge functions into the CPU), slots for installing RAM (DDR4, DDR3). The north bridge connects the processor with the graphics adapter, memory card and south bridge; the operating parameters of the system bus, RAM and video controller also depend on it. Despite the fact that in a modern build, computer performance does not depend on the chipset, since the north bridge has migrated to processors to increase data exchange speed and reliability, the role of the south bridge should also not be underestimated. The functionality of the motherboard depends on it, thanks to it communication with the periphery is ensured.

Often a cooling chip is added to the northbridge, since excess load can cause it to overheat. The south bridge fails for other reasons, for example, a shorted USB port, contact with a faulty drive, etc. It is not necessary to replace the entire board. If the motherboard is one of the top ones, it makes sense to change only the chipset; with budget options, such actions are impractical. The main manufacturers of chipsets are Intel and AMD, familiar to everyone from their processors. They make up the largest market share. Also involved in production was NVidea, which is more familiar with its video cards; the role of other manufacturers is not so significant.

How to choose a chipset

The main condition for a successful purchase is full compatibility of the components, therefore, when deciding which chipset to choose a motherboard on, you need to take into account the model of the processor that is installed or planned to be installed. Having initially decided on the platform, Intel or AMD, we proceed to selecting the CPU. Since the processor and motherboard are closely related, we select them simultaneously or one after the other. The question of which manufacturer is better is incorrect in this case, so there will be no answer to it; we will look at chipsets from both AMD and Intel. Both corporations produce high-quality products and have long established themselves in the market.

In cases where the CPU is already available, the range of options narrows. If the choice with the platform is most often predetermined, then you will have to carefully familiarize yourself with the remaining parameters of the board so that the purchase meets the requirements. Thus, the cost of a top-end model does not make any sense if the computer will be used in the office or at home with minimal use of resources, so first of all it is worth deciding for what tasks the board is selected, the same applies to the processor or other components involved in the assembly. It’s no good if a device with great potential doesn’t use even half of its capabilities, but you also need to take into account the material side of the issue, because you have to pay for power and additional functionality. Since all the elements go together, they must harmonize to function better together.

Top motherboards are built on the Z chipset, but this does not mean at all that you need to chase devices from the top of the rating. After all, the compatibility of the elements and the feasibility of the purchase are more important. You can determine which motherboard chipset will be better by looking at the processor parameters; the decisive factor is also a clear idea of what tasks the computer is used for. Having identified the goals, we begin the selection. In general terms it looks like this:

For an office or home computer (provided that it is not a gamer’s computer), a budget build is suitable, because equipping the device with high-power components is simply unnecessary. A board that interacts with a CPU with an integrated graphics core is quite suitable for working in conjunction with the same processor. For a budget build, the H110 or H310 chipset is the best choice. You shouldn’t expect much functionality from motherboards with chipsets of this level, but this does not mean that they are bad;
If the user works more seriously with graphics, for example, uses graphic applications, plays games with average system requirements, or purchases an additional video card, then there is no need for a graphics chipset, it should only support the functioning of the installed video adapter. For a medium-power build, motherboards with B 150 and B 250 chipsets are suitable.

The range of boards based on mid-level chipsets is quite wide. Here you can find models with decent equipment from both Intel and AMD representatives;

For a powerful computer on which professional work with graphics, demanding programs is carried out, and heavy games are launched, both a high-performance processor and an appropriate board that also supports several video cards are selected. Chipsets Z 270 or Z 170 are ideal for overclocking the RAM and processor. For some boards on the Z170 there is a modified BIOS, due to which you can overclock processors that do not have the K index on the bus (relevant for Skylake 6th generation). Overclockers will find a suitable motherboard model for themselves among the range of motherboards with older chipsets. Such motherboards have the best equipment, so it won’t be difficult to find a copy with an integrated Wi-fi or Bluetooth module (if needed) or other additional goodies in this category of models. By the way, if the board and processor do not support overclocking, this does not mean that a computer with such equipment will not be gaming. Chipsets Z370, H370, B360 are suitable for an Intel gaming computer.

The best chipsets for Intel and AMD motherboards

As mentioned above, the concept of “best chipset” is very relative. The best choice will always be the most suitable option for a particular assembly. Nevertheless, Intel has assigned chipsets at the top of the “food chain” for motherboards with the Z index, usually (though not always) equipped with more functionality, so they will top the rating.

Intel chipsets

In addition to letter markings, chipsets are divided into series (the 300th, 200th, 100th series are relevant today). The 300th is adapted for the eighth generation of processors, the 200th is suitable for the seventh and sixth, the 100th is suitable for Intel Core, Pentium and Celeron. The indices Z, H, B, Q indicate the categories of chipsets (Z – gaming with overclocking capabilities, H – functional mainstream chipsets, B – for office or home, Q – for business).

300

Let's start the list of Intel chipsets from the top. Motherboards equipped with these particular chipsets are shining in the ratings today.

Z370/390. The difference between the chipsets is not that big. The Z370 chipset is the pioneer of the series, one of the best, but, despite the possibility of overclocking, some of the functionality inherent in subsequent copies of the 300 is missing (compare the same H370 with the new USB1 Gen 2 and support for wireless networks). The new Z390 is a slightly more modernized analogue of the Z370 with the same configurations of PCI-Express channels and USB drives, but with the addition of USB 3.1 Gen 2 and Intel Wireless-AC MAC;
Q Like Z-chipsets, the use of several video cards is supported, but there is no overclocking option. It is adapted to business needs, so you can’t count on an assortment of motherboards with its participation;
The H370, located one step below, is very similar to its brother the Z370, and although it does not have overclocking capabilities, and there are slightly fewer PCI-Express and USB channels, the H370 is superior in having USB1 Gen 2 and supports Wi-fi and Bluetooth 5.0. If the mainland is not purchased for the purpose of overclocking, then this chipset is worth paying attention to when assembling a productive computer;
B360 is not as sophisticated a chipset as the one discussed above, but it is also not as limited in functionality as the H310, it has a dual-channel memory controller, USB1 Gen 2, supports version 3.0 buses, and also allows the use of a graphics core integrated into modern Intel processors;
H310 is a budget version of the series with a minimum set of functions for undemanding users. The chipset does not support the PCI-Express bus version 3.0, like other representatives of the series; there is a second one, which has lower bandwidth. The situation is exactly the same with the DMI version, the memory controller is single-channel, and in general many features have been reduced.

100 and 200

There is no significant difference between the series, although the 200th and more have been modernized.

X299 is worth special attention, it is designed for the line of high-performance Kaby Lake-X and Skylake-X CPUs without integrated graphics and supports overclocking;
Z170/270. Like other Z-index carriers, chipsets are ideal for overclocking processors and are equipped with good functionality;
H170/270. With boards equipped with H chips, the user has much more options than when using B, but there is no overclocking on such motherboards;
B150/250 is the golden mean between a budget option and a gaming one. Boards based on these chipsets are installed with average power, sufficient to perform various everyday tasks on a PC;
The H110 has limited functionality, but is great for budget builds, because purchasing an expensive motherboard with many capabilities can be unreasonable, for example, in the case of office work, etc.

Chipsets with the Q index are not too different from H, but have a certain set of corporate goodies. In all Intel series, a certain structure can be traced, ranking models taking into account their inherent bells and whistles. The announced X399 chipset (the name echoes the AMD model for the Ryzen Theadripper CPU) may soon become the icing on Intel’s cake.

AMD chipsets

The company offers two options for chipset configurations - chipsets, where the south and north bridges coexist in one set and exist separately from each other. The combined variations are aimed at processors with the new AM4 and TR4 sockets; a separate configuration is used for earlier sockets.

TR4 processors

The company released the X399 chipset for powerful AMD Ryzen Theadripper CPUs. A significant proportion of controllers have now migrated to the processor, which has increased performance and reliability (it’s no secret that the processor is cooled better). The equipment includes 4-channel RAM, connecting devices via NVMe and other useful features. Overclocking supported.

AM4 processors

Chipsets for AM4 also have a combined version, and the lion's share of the controllers moved into the processor, leaving only the peripherals for the chipset.

X470 is a new top-end chipset that is a more upgraded version of X370. The chipset is perfect for gamers and overclockers. Features include overclocking, support for multiple video cards, loading from NVMe RAID, etc. In addition, the X470 supports AMD StoreMI technology, which allows you to combine hard drives into one volume and automatically move frequently used files to the SSD.;
B350 is a more modest representative of chipsets for motherboards of gaming computers, while also providing the ability to overclock and work with multiple video cards;
A320 is an option for “workhorses” operating with one video adapter. Overclocking is not supported in this case, but the capabilities of the chipset are quite sufficient to solve pressing problems.

For small form factor motherboards, the X300 (analogous to the gaming X370) and A300 (analogous to the A320) chipsets are produced. The difference lies in the reduced support for connection interfaces.

AM3+ processors

Chipsets for AM3+ sockets are available in a north and south bridge configuration.

The 990FX and 990X chips are designed for gaming platforms, support overclocking and OverDrive control, and do not have integrated graphics. 990FX supports 4 video cards, 990X – two;
There is also an AMD 970 chipset with similar characteristics, but it supports one video adapter;
980G with integrated graphics is ideal for office and low-power home PCs without a connected video card. It will be possible to play not too demanding games, if the processor power allows, one connector for a video card is available.

FM2+ processors

FM2+ chipsets and similar sockets are suitable for use with A-series and Athlon hybrid processors.

A88X provide overclocking capabilities, support the connection of two video cards, RAID functionality (it is advisable to use with AMD A8 - A6);
A78 also has an arsenal for overclocking, supports one video adapter (it is better to use it on CPUs of the A6 - A4 line);
A58 and more advanced brother A68N. Both chipsets support dual graphics (increased graphics performance is achieved through the use of hybrid processors in conjunction with some AMD graphics adapters).

Results

Considering the modern market, you should take into account that Intel's Coffee Lake generation processors are compatible only with the new 300 chips and the LGA1151v2 socket, while new AMD processors, including the second generation Ryzen, are compatible with AM4. Chipsets from Intel, marked Z or X, allow you to overclock the machine, while others do not, even if the processor has a free multiplier, suggesting similar manipulations with its frequency. With AMD, overclocking can be done on a motherboard with an X or B chipset.

When the underlying goals are completely different and the extra expenditure of money is not justified or a very limited budget for assembly plays a decisive role, you can get by with not particularly outstanding motherboards. By the way, among them you can find interesting specimens with a good set of interfaces and connectors.

Computer developments are progressing by leaps and bounds, and it is very difficult to keep track of changes in the structure of the same chipsets. In this article, we will try to understand the basic model of chipsets of modern motherboards, and point out some of the differences in new developments.

In the first stages of the development of computer technology, dozens of microcircuits were used to organize interaction between the main components of a computer, which caused a number of inconveniences that the chipset was supposed to correct.

The first in the field of chipset manufacturing can be called the developers of the company producing Amiga series computers with the OCS chipset, who created their project back in the mid-80s. A little later, Chips & Technologies introduced the CS8220 chipset for IBM PC/AT-compatible systems.

What is this chipset? Chipset (PC) is a set of microcircuits (located on motherboard), which connects memory, processor (Intel or AMD), video adapter, input/output devices and other PC elements to perform joint functions. That is, it is a very important element of the motherboard. In fact, 90% of a motherboard's functionality depends on the choice of chipset. The chipset determines the type of processor, the type of memory that will be installed in the system, and the chipset also determines the ability to connect certain peripheral devices.

Now let's move on to the chipset structure. The chipset consists of a North Bridge and a South Bridge. Sometimes the north and south bridges are combined into one chip; this solution is called a single-chip solution; the classic structure with two chips is called a double-bridge circuit.

The North Bridge contains a memory controller, a graphics bus controller, and an interface for interacting with the south bridge and processor. That is, the north bridge is the central node of the motherboard, which connects the video adapter, memory, processor and elements controlled by the south bridge.

The South Bridge organizes interaction between input/output devices (keyboard, mouse, Printer etc.). It contains hard drive controllers (SATA / PATA), a USB controller (for controlling I/O devices that are connected via the USB port), a network controller, and a sound controller. The south bridge also connects to BIOS chip, and a Super I/O chip responsible for serial and parallel ports.

Fig.1 Example of Nvidia chipset structure

To connect the north and south bridges, a special bus is used; different chipset manufacturers use different buses: Intel (QPI, DMI bus), AMD (Hyper Transport, PCI Express), Nvidia (Hyper Transport).

As of 2011, the dual-bridge chipset design (when there is a division into a south and north bridge) is gradually becoming a thing of the past. Increasingly, manufacturers are integrating a memory controller onto the processor chip, for example, this is implemented in the structure of some Intel Core ix processors, and in a number of AMD lines.

Hello, dear guests and regular readers of our tech blog. Today we’ll look at what a chipset is on a computer motherboard. Surely, everyone has repeatedly heard about the concept of “chipset”, but did not really think about what it is, and why some of its versions greatly influence the final cost of motherboards.

In this article you will learn what south bridges are, how high-speed and relatively slow interfaces are connected, and you will also understand which is better. At the same time, we will recommend the optimal motherboards for socket 1151 (Intel) and AM4 (AMD).

More about the term

Chipset is a chip that controls all ports, expansion slots, sound, network, and even processor capabilities. The performance limit of your system depends on the chipset. This integrated circuit connects 2 data blocks:

north bridge (processor, memory, video cards);
south bridge (low-speed interfaces, rear panel connectors, audio subsystem, network controller, SATA).

The simplest thing remains - to choose this very set of system logic for the future PC.

How to find out the model and characteristics of the chipset

If you are purchasing a motherboard, you must already have a processor, or have firm confidence in purchasing one. The appropriate chipset is selected based on how much power the chip has and how strong its overclocking potential is.

This plate shows the currently relevant platforms 1151v2, 2066 (Intel), AM4 and TR4 (AMD).

If we consider older versions (1151v1, AM3), then consider the following types:

Information about the chipset markings is located on the box with the motherboard. What this or that abbreviation means is indicated on the manufacturer’s website.
We also recommend that you read the description of each logic set to have an idea of what it supports:

number of PCI-E lines;
number of USB connectors;
number of SATA ports;
wireless technologies;
overclocking the processor/memory/video card;
additional expansion ports, etc.
maximum heating temperature (relevant for older chipsets that are not soldered onto the processor chip);
type .

Which chipset should I choose a motherboard on?

Is it worth overpaying for a top-end set of system logic if you won’t really need it anywhere in the future? No. Not everyone buys a powerful processor with an unlocked multiplier, and if they do, they are content with automatic overclocking in Turbo Boost mode, which is typical for Intel Core i5 and i7 of all generations.

We always recommend to our users the version from the “golden mean” series. Those. This is no longer an ultra-budget H310, but a quite interesting B360 or H370. The latter has almost all the advantages of the Z370, but is not able to overclock the CPU by a multiplier. Otherwise, this is one of the most optimal platforms on the market, if viewed through the prism of Intel.

ASUS Prime B360M-A, Gigabyte B360M D3H and MSI H370M Bazooka boards are some of the best budget solutions for 1151 that can be found at the moment. If we consider solutions from AMD, then the B350 rules the roost, being a transitional link from the A320 to the X370/X470. The list of boards for this platform is as follows:

ASUS Prime B350‐Plus;
Gigabyte GA-AB350-Gaming 3;
MSI B350M PRO-VD Plus.

We hope our article helped you decide on the choice of a future platform for your PC. Of course, don’t forget to share with your friends on social networks. Bye.

It might be useful to read: