Today we are going to talk about a term that you often come across and hear everywhere. When choosing a computer for gaming or professional use, you have surely seen the term “chipset”.
Although chipsets do not directly affect performance, they are as important as leading components such as CPU or GPU. If you compare the anatomy of a computer to that of a human, the motherboard is essentially the backbone of the computer. The chipset is the center of the motherboard to which everything is connected. Let’s dig a little deeper. What is a chipset and what makes it so important?
What is a Chipset?
A chipset is a set of chips that communicates between the various components on the motherboard, such as the CPU and RAM, and manages everything else, including PCIe and USB connections. In other words, it is a group of integrated circuits (ICs) that perform various tasks on the motherboard.
The primary purpose of the chipset is to enable communication between the various components on the motherboard. You can think of the chipset as the central nervous system of the motherboard, managing the flow of data and controlling the interactions between processors, storage, memory, GPU, and other peripherals.
Moving on to the structure, the chipset can be divided into two parts: Southbridge (Southbridge) and Northbridge (Northbridge). In the past, motherboards had two separate chipsets located far away from each other. Now these units are combined into one. The Northbridge deals with high-speed interactions between processors and components such as memory and graphics cards. The south bridge handles lower-speed processes such as communication between the CPU and USB ports, SATA ports and audio jacks.
To get a better understanding, let’s take a look at Intel’s Z790 chipset and what it deals with. The chipsets are compatible with specific CPU generations. In other words, we are talking about a silicon backbone that is integrated so that we can use the specific processors that are supported, as well as all other hardware. Below is a graphic of a modern Intel motherboard with the Z790 chipset and a 13th Generation Intel Core CPU:
The chipset that allows your CPU to communicate with so many components is also the determinant of compatible processors. Since CPU sockets can be reused for future versions, the motherboard chipset is the true determinant of out-of-the-box processor compatibility.
Of course, the compatibility list can be expanded later with BIOS updates. But we can’t just add the capabilities of high-end motherboards to an affordable motherboard with a BIOS update. Again, each motherboard model (B450, Z690, etc.) has its own chipset.
Intel and AMD Chipsets
Without a doubt, Intel and AMD have been the two leading giants of the PC industry for decades. While both have various pros and cons to their products, both companies strive to offer the best user experience at the most affordable price. Let’s take a brief look at the latest chipsets from these two giants and the processors they support.
Chipset Series | Chipset | Supported Processors |
---|---|---|
Intel 700 Series Desktop Chipset | Z790, W790, B760, H770 | Intel 12th, 13th and 14th Generation Processors |
Intel 600 Series Desktop Chipset | Z690, Q670E, Q670, R680E, W680, B660, H610, H610E, H670 | Intel 12th, 13th and 14th Generation Processors |
AMD Socket AM5 Chipset | X670E, X670, B650E, B650, A620 | AMD Ryzen 7000 Serisi İşlemciler |
How Motherboard Chipset Affects PC Specs
Chipsets control numerous components on the motherboard. There are many differences between chipsets, but the four main differences are as follows: overclocking support, RAM speed, RAM capacity and PCI Express + I/O support.
A look at the differences between the different Intel chipsets:
Feature | B760 | B660 | H770 | H670 | Z790 | Z690 |
HSIO (including DMI) | 28 | 28 | 40 | 40 | 46 | 46 |
DMI 4.0 | x4 | x4 | x8 | x8 | x8 | x8 |
PCIe 3.0 (Maximum) | 4 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 16 |
PCIe 4.0 (Maximum) | 10 (+4 more than CPU) | 6 (+4 more than CPU) | 16 (+4 more than CPU) | 12 (+4 more than CPU) | 20 (+4 more than CPU) | 12 (+4 more than CPU) |
PCIe 5.0 (from CPU) | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
PCIe CPU Configuration | 1×16 + 1×4 | 1×16 + 1×4 | 1×16 + 1×4 or 2×8 + 1×4 | 1×16 + 1×4 or 2×8 + 1×4 | 1×16 + 1×4 or 2×8 + 1×4 | 1×16 + 1×4 or 2×8 + 1×4 |
SATA 6 GB/sn | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
USB 2.0 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
USB 5 GB/sn | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 |
USB 10 GB/sn | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 10 |
USB 20 GB/sn | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
Gigabit-Ethernet | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Wi-Fi 6E (AX211) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Smart Sound | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Optane Support | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Intel Rapid Storage | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
PCIe RAID 0/1/5 | – | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
PCIe RAID 0/1/5/10 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Overclock Support | RAM only | RAM only | RAM only | RAM only | CPU and RAM | CPU and RAM |
Size | 28×25 mm | 28×25 mm | 28×25 mm | 28×25 mm | 28×25 mm | 28×25 mm |
TDP | 6W | 6W | 6W | 6W | 6W | 6W |
Processor Overclocking Support
Processor overclocking support also depends on the chipset of your motherboard. With overclocking you can manually increase the performance of your processor, especially in combination with the right cooling. However, access to this feature is usually restricted by the chipset (especially on Intel).
How to Overclock a Processor?
Besides the chipset, CPU overclocking also depends on different factors on the motherboard. For example, a motherboard’s VRMs and the overall quality of the electronics built into it have a high impact on a CPU’s OC potential and stability.
The VRM is vital for controlling and “cleaning” the power going to the CPU in all scenarios. So higher quality VRMs are better for overclocking.
Motherboards Power System: What is a VRM?
However, the chipset layer does not come from the quality of the components. But manufacturers are using better materials and electrical components in products with high-end chipsets. For example, the Intel Z790 and AMD X670 chipsets. Motherboards with high-end chipsets are both feature-rich and supported by quality components.
RAM Overclocking Support
Anything we do to get a higher memory clock than the current JEDEC standard (like DDR4-3200 for DDR4 memory) is basically overclocking. The kits sold in retailers usually go higher than the JEDEC standard. Sometimes we overclock with technologies like XMP and EXPO, sometimes manually. These processes are also managed by the chipset.
How to Overclock RAM?
Manufacturers generally tend to limit memory overclocking support in affordable chipsets. Until recently, Intel even disabled memory overclocking on mainstream B-series chipsets, forcing users to opt for a Z-series board.
PCI Express and I/O Support
Finally, the chipset sets the maximum number of PCI Express lanes available to motherboard manufacturers. Manufacturers can allocate these lanes at will.
There are many nuances when it comes to PCIe lanes and slots. To summarize, the number of PCIe lanes is important if you are using high-speed GPUs or NVMe drives. Even more so if you have multiple graphics cards or SSDs. Depending on the number of lanes, it is possible to use multiple SSDs and GPUs. In addition, the number of lanes is also important to achieve high speeds.
The way the PCIe lanes are used and the specifications set by the chipset determine the functioning of your computer’s input/output factors, such as additional USB ports, multiple LAN ports, 10G LAN, Thunderbolt, etc. All of this is routed and managed through the motherboard’s chipset.
How to Learn Motherboard Chipset Model?
There are many ways to check system specifications, including the motherboard chipset, including CPU-Z, a very practical software. You can download CPU-Z by clicking this link. When you get to the Mainboard tab, you can see your chipset version and code name:
Chipset Drivers
Like all other drivers, chipset drivers are important, they enable communication between the operating system and the chipset. These drivers are specific to manufacturers such as Intel or AMD. Incompatible drivers can lead to rapid and recurring system crashes, and in some cases can even cause component damage.
Chipset drivers ensure the stability and smooth operation of the motherboard through updates, bug fixes and patches. They improve compatibility issues and can sometimes even improve system performance.
In addition, the drivers ensure the correct recognition and functionality of the various hardware connected to the motherboard. USB ports, SATA controllers, audio devices, network interfaces and more are controlled by chipset drivers. Without the appropriate chipset drivers, some devices may not function properly or may not be recognized correctly by the operating system.
Finally, chipset drivers can also enable certain features of the chipset and motherboard. For example, overclocking options, RAID functionality or advanced technologies such as Intel Optane Memory or AMD StoreMI can be activated later.
How does the chipset affect PC performance?
The chipset itself has no impact on performance, but the features provided to your PC can have a big impact on performance, such as CPU overclocking, PCIe lanes added through the chipset.
For example, if you’re not going to overclock or use SSDs that reach very high speeds, you may want to opt for more affordable motherboards instead of expensive motherboards powered by high-end chipsets. If your system is geared towards high-end productivity and you want to run multiple GPUs, use several high-speed USB connectors, work with premium SSDs, or take advantage of the benefits of RAID, invest in a motherboard.
On the Intel side, advanced chipsets also allow CPU overclocking. On the AMD side, you can overclock with most chipsets. However, you’ll still get more I/O capabilities and premium features on the top-end X-series chipsets.
Is a Chipset a Processor?
No, a chipset is not a CPU. The chipset provides a platform for communication between all components on the motherboard, including the CPU. The CPU, on the other hand, is the central processing unit of the system that manages different operations and processes.
What are the Types of Chipsets?
Chipsets can be divided into two main types: northbridge and southbridge chipsets. The north bridge deals with high-speed data transfer, such as communication with RAM and GPU. The south bridge is responsible for low-speed tasks such as communication between USB ports and SATA ports.
Why is the name Chipset or Chipset used?
A chipset is so named because it consists of a group of chips and ICs (integrated circuits).