Normally there are two major microcircuit chips installed on a computer's motherboard. The chips are called a chipset and they control the flow of data to the components on your computer. The motherboard chipset consists of a North Bridge (Memory and Expansion BUS) and a South Bridge (I/O). Typically, chipsets are built around the specifications of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) processor.
History
In 1994, Intel began producing motherboard chipsets because it couldn't distribute its microprocessors in bulks, until other manufacturers developed motherboards that supported them. So Intel began making a variety of processors and chipsets. When Intel developed the Pentium processor, it also developed its own motherboard to ensure boards were available. Consumers were able to contact a computer manufacturer and purchase a complete Intel system with a new processor, chipset and motherboard.
Facts
Intel has continued to dominate the microprocessor market. In addition, it has cornered the chipset and motherboard markets by developing new chipset technology and motherboards for its processors.
Significance
Most chipsets are divided into a two-tiered architecture. The North Bridge section contains the cache and main memory controllers. This section is responsible for handling important tasks, such as the data for the AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port).The North Bridge is the main component of the motherboard and normally runs at the motherboard's process bus speed.
The South Bridge section handles data from the PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) and ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) slots. The component runs at a lower speed and usually supports the dual IDE hard disk controller interfaces, USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface, network connections and clock functions. The North Bridge and South Bridge are sometimes built into a single chip, but is still known as a chipset.
Function
Each chip in the chipset performs a specific number of tasks and sends data to the processor. As new chipsets are designed, motherboards are redesigned around the capabilities of the chipset.
Drivers
Chipsets have drivers that can affect the speed and stability of several devices built into your motherboard. It's always a good idea to install the latest chipset drivers on your computer. If you experience compatibility problems with your motherboard, you can browse the Internet and download a free utility program called CPU-Z. The program can identify the chipset that is used by your motherboard.
Tags: North Bridge, South Bridge, your motherboard, Bridge section, built into, chipset motherboard, computer motherboard