Chipset

Chipsets are constitute the core of mainboard circuit. Certain sense, it had decided the motherboard level and elegance. It is "occurrence of" and "northbridge" collectively, is the former complex circuit and components maximum integration in several star chip inside the chipset.

Chipset definition

chipset

If the central processing unit (CPU) is the entire computer system's brain, then chipsets would be whole body's nerves. In computer field says the manufacturer are Core design chipset questions, KuRui) Chinese Core (meaning is the Core or center, the light from literal meaning is enough to see the importance. For the mainboard chipset almost concerned, determines the motherboard function, thus affect the entire computer system performance of the play, the mainboard chipset is soul. Chipsets performance is superior, determines the mainboard the performance and level of ruling. This is because current CPU type with various kinds and functional features is differ, if not well with CPU chipset collaborative work, the computer will seriously affect the overall performance even can't work normally.

Edit this paragraph chipset and microcomputer performance

Mainboard chipset almost determines the mainboard fully functional, including CPU type, the mainboard system bus frequency, the memory type, capacity and performance, video card slot specification is the agp decided by chipset, While expansion slot the types and quantity, expand interface of the type and number (such as USB2.0/1.1, IEEE1394, serial, parallel, notebook VGA output interface) and so on, is by the occurrence of decision. Chipsets Also some chipset because incorporated into the 3D accelerated display (integrated display chip), AC '97 voice decoding functions, but also determines the computer systems of display performance and audio property, etc. Desktop chipsets requirements have powerful performance, good compatibility, and expansibility, cost-effective couldnt requirement also consider user supreme, and moderate in a certain period of scalability, expansion ability in three highest. In the earliest notebook design doesn't separate notebook chipsets, all use the same desktop chipsets, with the development of technology, notebook special CPU appear, had set with notebook special chipset. Notebook chipset request lower energy costs, good stability, but comprehensive performance and patulous ability in three but are the lowest. Server/workstation chipset comprehensive performance and stability in three highest, the partial products even demand year-round job, in full support of the memory of these aspects are the highest, can support up to ten GB even dozens of GB memory, and its for data transmission speed and data security requirements, so its highest storage device is used more SCSI interface rather than the IDE interface, and many use RAID way to improve performance and ensure data security. Aiming at XunChi 2 platform, Intel launched the Intel GM45 series chipset, Intel GM45 performance was excellent, it is also the many of the most KuRui 2 machine mainly USES the chipset. To display this ATI, NVIDIA chip giant now also slightly involving chipset region and with ATI to AMD and NVIDIA chipset market intervention, AMD mobile processor supporting platform gets greatly strengthened. ATI is also a member of the mobile chipset army, its product is very peculiar characteristics, has certain manufacturer pertinence, but market share is not very high.

Chipsets role

Mainboard chipset almost determines the mainboard fully functional, including CPU type, the mainboard system bus frequency, the memory type, capacity and performance, video card slot specification is the agp decided by chipset, While expansion slot the types and quantity, expand interface of the type and number (such as USB2.0/1.1, IEEE1394, serial, parallel, notebook VGA output interface) and so on, is by the occurrence of decision. Chipsets Also some chipset because incorporated into the 3D accelerated display (integrated display chip), AC '97 voice decoding functions, but also determines the computer systems of display performance and audio property, etc. Now, is from the past chipsets 286 era of so-called vlsi: gate array control chip evolved. The classification of the end-use chipset, can be divided into server/workstation, desktop and notebook type etc, press chip quantity can be divided into single chip chipset, standard south, northbridge chipset and multichip chipset (mainly for the high-end server/workstation), according to the level of integration of the height, also can be divided into integrated chipset and the integrated chipsets, etc.

Different fields of chipset requirements

Desktop chipsets requirements have powerful performance, good compatibility, and expansibility, cost-effective couldnt requirement also consider user supreme, and moderate in a certain period of scalability, expansion ability in three highest. In the earliest notebook design doesn't separate notebook chipsets, all use the same desktop chipsets, with the development of technology, notebook special CPU appear, had set with notebook special chipset. Notebook chipset request lower energy costs, good stability, but comprehensive performance and patulous ability in three but are the lowest. Server/workstation chipset comprehensive performance and stability in three highest, the partial products even demand year-round job, in full support of the memory of these aspects are the highest, can support up to ten GB even dozens of GB memory, and its for data transmission speed and data security requirements, so its highest storage device is used more SCSI interface rather than the IDE interface, and many use RAID way to improve performance and ensure data security.

Chipsets esbl chipset technology that over the years is improved by leaps and bounds, from the ISA, PCI to AGP, from ATA to SATA, the mk-ultra DMA technology, double channel memory technology, high-speed front-end bus, etc, and each time the new technological advances were brought in computer performance improvement. In 2004, and have significant change chipset technology, the most conspicuous is PCI Express bus technology, it will replace PCI and AGP, greatly improve equipment bandwidth and thus to bring a computer technology revolution. On the other hand, chipset technology also in toward high integrated direction, such as AMD Athlon 64 CPU internal has integrated the memory controller, which greatly reduces the chipset manufacturer to design products, and now the difficulty of the chipset products have been integrated audio, network, SATA, RAID functions, and greatly reduce the cost of users. Chipsets (Chipset) is the core component, the motherboard can be likened to the CPU and peripheral equipment communication Bridges. According to on the mainboard arrangement in different position, usually divided into agp and occurrence of the chip. AGP to provide CPU type and frequency, memory and the type of maximum capacity, ISA/PCI/AGP slots, ECC error correction support. Occurrence of the chip can provide for KBC (keyboard controller), RTC (real-time clock controller), universal serial bus (USB), the mk-ultra DMA / 33 (66) EIDE data transmission and ACPI (energy management) support. Which plays a dominant agp, also known as the role of 1650m (Host Bridge). Chipsets recognition are easier to intel-based 440BX chipsets, for example, it is the Intel agp 82443BX chip, usually on the mainboard near to the CPU slots position, because chip calorific value higher, in the chip domains on heat sink. Occurrence of the chip near ISA and PCI slots position, the name of the Intel chips for 82371EB. Other chipset arrangement positions are basically the same. For different chipset, in performance of the performance also has the disparity. In addition to the most general to the north and south of bridge structure outside, at present the chipset positive more advanced acceleration set line intel-based architecture development, 8xx series chipset is this kind of chipset representatives, it will be some subsystems such as IDE interface, sound, and USB MODEM directly after capturing chip, can provide a wide than PCI bus double bandwidth, reached 266MB/s. [2]

The main production chipset manufacturers

So far, can produce chipsets manufacturers have the INTEL, VIA, SiS, Ali, AMD, ULI, NVIDIA), ATI, ServerWorks (us), IBM (us), HP (USA) and so on the few home, among them with INTEL and NVIDIA and AMD chipset is most common. In desktops Intel platform, Intel oneself chipset has the biggest market share, and product line is complete, the high, medium and low and integrated products all have, other chipset manufacturers, SIS, VIA ULI and newest ATI and NVIDIA several up only occupies smaller market share. In AMD platform, AMD after the takeover ATI, also begin to like the INTEL is same, to oneself oneself of the CPU chip matched stack combination, product is now not only, and more market share it, too, and the largest ever AMD platform has basically VIA chipset suppliers in the market could not see, originally with nForce2, nForce3, nForce4, nForce5 series chipset beat VIA, become the biggest AMD platform, also NVIDA chip suppliers in AMD acquisition ATI and introduction of own 6 series and 7 series chipsets, market share has constantly been nibbling. AMD themselves in 6 series chipset basis, issued the landmark 7 series chipsets, not only firmly established AMD platform chipset sales first place, pass the strong 780G (first, contemporary integrated graphics card) beat the low-end independent integrated chipset played the INTEL a flat-footed, a paragraph of time was Saul KuRui 2 pressure dozen situation. And SIS and ULI is still playing supporting, mainly is in medium and low side and integrate realm. Notebook, Intel platform have absolute superiority, so Intel their notebook chipset also occupied the biggest market share, other manufacturer can play only for supporting and market share of tiny AMD platform design products. Server/workstation, Intel platform is absolute advantage, Intel's own server/workstation chipset products occupy most of the market share, but Intel architecture of high-end based on multiple servers field, IBM and HP but has absolute advantages, such as IBM XA32 and HP's F8 is very excellent high-end multiple servers chipset products, only is used only in the company's server products and reputation is not too big just; While AMD server/workstation platform due to market share is lesser, before the main are using their own chipset products, AMD now also partial begin using NVIDIA product. It is worth noting, once based on the server/workstation Intel architecture limitless scenery of ServerWorks chipset field in Broadcom takeover by after have completely quit chipset market; While ULI has also been NVIDIA acquisitions, also likely to quit chipset market.

Chipset development

Chipsets technology that over the years is improved by leaps and bounds, from the ISA, PCI, AGP to PCI - Express, from ATA to SATA, the mk-ultra DMA technology, double channel memory technology, high-speed front-end bus, etc, and each time the new technological advances were brought in computer performance improvement. In 2004, and will face a major chipset technical transformation, the most conspicuous is PCI Express bus technology, it will replace PCI and AGP, greatly improve equipment bandwidth and thus to bring a computer technology revolution. On the other hand, chipset technology also in toward high integrated direction, such as AMD Athlon 64 CPU internal has integrated the memory controller, which greatly reduces the chipset manufacturer to design products, and now the difficulty of the chipset products have been integrated audio, network, SATA, RAID functions, and greatly reduce the cost of users.