# Chipset

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Electronic component to manage data flow of a CPU

Intel i945GC Northbridge with [Intel Pentium Dual-Core](/source/Intel_Pentium_Dual-Core) E2220 2.40 GHz on an Intel D945GCCR motherboard (c. 2007)

In a computer system, a **chipset** is a set of [electronic components](/source/Electronic_components) on one or more [integrated circuits](/source/Integrated_circuit) that manages the [data flow](/source/Data_flow) between the [processor](/source/Central_processing_unit), [memory](/source/Computer_memory) and [peripherals](/source/Peripheral). The chipset is usually found on the [motherboard](/source/Motherboard) of computers. Chipsets are usually designed to work with a specific family of [microprocessors](/source/Microprocessor). Because it controls communications between the processor and external devices, the chipset plays a crucial role in determining [system performance](/source/Computer_performance). Sometimes the term "chipset" is used to describe a [system on chip](/source/System_on_chip) (SoC) used in a mobile phone.[1][2]

## Computers

In [computing](/source/Computing), the term *chipset* commonly refers to a set of specialized [chips](/source/Integrated_circuit) on a [computer](/source/Computer)'s [motherboard](/source/Motherboard) or an [expansion card](/source/Expansion_card). In [personal computers](/source/Personal_computer), the first chipset for the [IBM PC AT](/source/IBM_Personal_Computer%2FAT) of 1984 was the [NEAT chipset](/source/New_Enhanced_AT) developed by [Chips and Technologies](/source/Chips_and_Technologies) for the [Intel 80286](/source/Intel_80286) CPU.

Diagram of the original Amiga chipset

Part of an IBM [ThinkPad T42](/source/ThinkPad_T42) laptop motherboard showing the CPU, GPU, Northbridge (NB), and Southbridge (SB)

In [home computers](/source/Home_computer), game consoles, and arcade hardware of the 1980s and 1990s, the term *chipset* was used for the custom [audio](/source/Sound_recording_and_reproduction) and [graphics](/source/Graphics) chips. Examples include the [Original Amiga chipset](/source/Original_Amiga_chipset) and [Sega](/source/Sega)'s [System 16](/source/System_16) chipset.

In [x86](/source/X86)-based personal computers, the term *chipset* often refers to a specific pair of chips on the motherboard: the *[northbridge](/source/Northbridge_(computing))* and the *[southbridge](/source/Southbridge_(computing))*. The northbridge links the CPU to very high-speed devices, especially [RAM](/source/Main_memory) and [graphics controllers](/source/Graphics_controller), and the southbridge connects to lower-speed peripheral [buses](/source/Bus_(computing)) (such as [PCI](/source/PCI_Local_Bus) or [ISA](/source/Industry_Standard_Architecture)). In many modern chipsets, the southbridge contains some on-chip [integrated peripherals](/source/Motherboard#Integrated_peripherals), such as [Ethernet](/source/Ethernet), [USB](/source/USB), and [audio](/source/Sound_card) devices.

Motherboards and their chipsets often come from different manufacturers. As of 2021[\[update\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chipset&action=edit), manufacturers of chipsets for [x86](/source/X86) motherboards include [AMD](/source/AMD), [Intel](/source/Intel), [VIA Technologies](/source/VIA_Technologies) and [Zhaoxin](/source/Zhaoxin).

In the 1990s, a major designer and manufacturer of chipsets was [VLSI Technology](/source/VLSI_Technology) in Tempe, Arizona. Some of their innovations included the integration of PCI bridge logic, the GraphiCore 2D graphics accelerator and direct support for synchronous DRAM, the forerunner of [DDR SDRAM](/source/DDR_SDRAM) memory.

The Apple [Macintosh SE](/source/Macintosh_SE), [Macintosh II](/source/Macintosh_II) and later the [Quadras](/source/Macintosh_Quadra) series used chipsets from [VLSI Technology](/source/VLSI_Technology), even though they were [ASICs](/source/Application-specific_integrated_circuit) designed by Apple. After the switch to [PowerPC](/source/PowerPC), Apple used various ASIC suppliers for their chipsets such as VLSI technology, [Texas Instruments](/source/Texas_Instruments), [LSI Logic](/source/LSI_Logic) or [Lucent Technologies](/source/Lucent_Technologies) (later known as [Agere Systems](/source/Agere_Systems)). When Apple switched to Intel they used traditional PC chipsets.

In the 1980s, [Chips and Technologies](/source/Chips_and_Technologies) pioneered the manufacturing of chipsets for PC-compatible computers. Computer systems produced since then often share commonly used chipsets, even across widely disparate computing specialties. For example, the [NCR 53C9x](/source/NCR_53C9x), a low-cost chipset implementing a [SCSI](/source/SCSI) interface to storage devices, could be found in [Unix](/source/Unix) machines such as the [MIPS Magnum](/source/MIPS_Magnum), embedded devices, and personal computers.

## Smartphones

Early [PDAs](/source/Personal_digital_assistant) and [smartphones](/source/Smartphone) were adopted ARM-based chipset, combining CPU, GPU and other chips, connected with bus interface like [AMBA](/source/Advanced_Microcontroller_Bus_Architecture).[3] Later, with the introduction of [iPhone](/source/IPhone_(1st_generation)) and [iPad](/source/IPad_(1st_generation)), [SoC](/source/System_on_a_chip) chipset were widely used in smartphones.[4]

## Move toward processor integration in PCs

Intel Cannon Lake Platform Controller Hub (PCH) die

Traditionally in x86 computers, the processor's primary connection to the rest of the machine was through the motherboard chipset's northbridge. The northbridge was directly responsible for communications with high-speed devices (system memory and primary expansion buses, such as PCIe, AGP, and PCI cards, being common examples) and conversely any system communication back to the processor. This connection between the processor and northbridge is commonly designated the [front-side bus](/source/Front-side_bus) (FSB). Requests to resources not directly controlled by the northbridge were offloaded to the southbridge, with the northbridge being an intermediary between the processor and the southbridge. The southbridge handled "everything else", generally lower-speed peripherals and board functions (the largest being hard disk and storage connectivity) such as USB, parallel and serial communications. In 1990s and early 2000s, the interface between a northbridge and southbridge was the PCI bus.[5]

Before 2003, any interaction between a CPU and main memory or an expansion device such as a graphics card(s) — whether [AGP](/source/Accelerated_Graphics_Port), PCI or integrated into the motherboard — was directly controlled by the northbridge IC on behalf of the processor. This made processor performance highly dependent on the system chipset, especially the northbridge's memory performance and ability to shuttle this information back to the processor. In 2003, however, AMD's introduction of the [Athlon 64](/source/Athlon_64) series of processors[6] changed this. The Athlon 64 marked the introduction of an integrated memory controller being incorporated into the processor itself thus allowing the processor to directly access and handle memory, negating the need for a traditional northbridge to do so. Intel followed suit in 2008 with the release of its [Core i](/source/Core_i) series CPUs and the [X58](/source/Intel_X58) platform.

In newer processors integration has further increased, primarily through the inclusion of the system's primary PCIe controller and integrated graphics directly on the CPU itself. As fewer functions are left un-handled by the processor, chipset vendors have condensed the remaining northbridge and southbridge functions into a single chip. Intel's version of this is the "[Platform Controller Hub](/source/Platform_Controller_Hub)" (PCH) while AMD's version was called [Fusion Controller Hub](/source/Fusion_Controller_Hub) (FCH). The PCH is still called a chipset.[7] This is an enhanced southbridge for the remaining peripherals—as traditional northbridge duties, such as memory controller, expansion bus (PCIe) interface and even on-board video controller, are integrated into the CPU die itself (the chipset often contains secondary PCIe connections though). However, the Platform Controller Hub was also integrated into the processor package as a second die for mobile variants of the [Skylake](/source/Skylake_(microarchitecture)) processors.[8]

AMD's FCH has been discontinued since the release of the Carrizo series of CPUs as it has been integrated into the same die as the rest of the CPU.[9] However, since the release of the Zen architecture, there's still a component called a chipset which only handles relatively low speed I/O such as USB and SATA ports and connects to the CPU with a PCIe connection. In these systems all PCIe connections are routed directly to the CPU.[10] The UMI interface previously used by AMD for communicating with the FCH is replaced with a PCIe connection. Technically the processor can operate without a chipset; it only continues to be present for interfacing with low speed I/O.[11] AMD server CPUs adopt a self contained [system on chip](/source/System_on_chip) design instead which doesn't require a chipset.[12][13][14]

The northbridge to southbridge interconnect interfaces used now are [DMI](/source/Direct_Media_Interface) ([Intel](/source/Intel)) and [UMI](/source/UMI_AMD) ([AMD](/source/AMD)). These can also be used for connecting from a processor to a chipset.

## See also

- [Amiga portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Amiga)

- [Acer Laboratories Incorporated](/source/Acer_Laboratories_Incorporated)

- [Comparison of Nvidia nForce chipsets](/source/Comparison_of_Nvidia_nForce_chipsets)

- [List of AMD chipsets](/source/List_of_AMD_chipsets)

- [List of ATI chipsets](/source/List_of_ATI_chipsets)

- [List of Intel chipsets](/source/List_of_Intel_chipsets)

- [Northbridge](/source/Northbridge_(computing))

- [Redpine Signals](/source/Redpine_Signals)

- [Silicon Integrated Systems](/source/Silicon_Integrated_Systems)

- [Southbridge](/source/Southbridge_(computing))

- [Very-large-scale integration](/source/Very-large-scale_integration) or VLSI

- [List of VIA chipsets](/source/List_of_VIA_chipsets)

- [List of Qualcomm Snapdragon systems on chips](/source/List_of_Qualcomm_Snapdragon_systems_on_chips)

- [List of MediaTek systems on chips](/source/List_of_MediaTek_systems_on_chips)

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 review: I finally don't feel the need to upgrade"](https://www.xda-developers.com/qualcomm-snapdragon-8-gen-3-review/). 20 January 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon 8s Gen 3: A Cheaper Chip for Premium Phones"](https://web.archive.org/web/20240318064236/https://www.anandtech.com/show/21307/qualcomm-announces-snapdragon-8s-gen-3). Archived from [the original](https://www.anandtech.com/show/21307/qualcomm-announces-snapdragon-8s-gen-3) on 18 March 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["The Intel 2700G Multimedia Accelerator Reference System by Intrinsyc Software"](https://www.derekspratt.com/PDFs/Business/Intrinsyc%20Software/Brochures/Intrinsyc%20Intel%202700G%20Data%20Sheet.pdf) (PDF).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Shimpi, Anand Lal. ["Apple's iPad A4 SoC: Faster than the Nexus One's Snapdragon?"](https://www.anandtech.com/show/3633/apples-a4-soc-faster-than-snapdragon). *www.anandtech.com*. Retrieved 9 June 2025.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Schmid, Patrick (16 July 2002). ["Chipset Basics: Meaning And Functions"](https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/full-power,490-2.html). *[Tom's Hardware](/source/Tom's_Hardware)*. Purch. Retrieved 14 June 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-release_6-0)** Wasson, Scott (23 September 2003). ["AMD's Athlon 64 processor"](https://techreport.com/review/5683/amds-athlon-64-processor/). *[The Tech Report](/source/The_Tech_Report)*. Retrieved 5 December 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["MSI Z790 motherboards reportedly failing with cracked PCH chipset — a manufacturing error may have affected a few hundred units (Updated)"](https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/motherboards/msi-z790-motherboards-reportedly-failing-with-cracked-pch-chipset-a-manufacturing-error-may-have-affected-a-few-hundred-units). 2 April 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [Shimpi, Anand Lal](/source/Anand_Lal_Shimpi) (9 June 2013). ["The Haswell Ultrabook Review: Core i7-4500U Tested"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130612053249/http://www.anandtech.com/show/7047/the-haswell-ultrabook-review-core-i74500u-tested/2). *[AnandTech](/source/AnandTech)*. Archived from [the original](https://www.anandtech.com/show/7047/the-haswell-ultrabook-review-core-i74500u-tested/2) on 12 June 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["AMD at ISSCC 2015: Carrizo and Excavator Details"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150224170709/http://www.anandtech.com/show/8995/amd-at-isscc-2015-carrizo-and-excavator-details). Archived from [the original](https://www.anandtech.com/show/8995/amd-at-isscc-2015-carrizo-and-excavator-details) on 24 February 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["AMD Zen 4 Ryzen 9 7950X and Ryzen 5 7600X Review: Retaking the High-End"](https://web.archive.org/web/20220927195938/https://www.anandtech.com/show/17585/amd-zen-4-ryzen-9-7950x-and-ryzen-5-7600x-review-retaking-the-high-end/4). Archived from [the original](https://www.anandtech.com/show/17585/amd-zen-4-ryzen-9-7950x-and-ryzen-5-7600x-review-retaking-the-high-end/4) on 27 September 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["The AMD Zen and Ryzen 7 Review: A Deep Dive on 1800X, 1700X and 1700"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170307094639/http://www.anandtech.com/show/11170/the-amd-zen-and-ryzen-7-review-a-deep-dive-on-1800x-1700x-and-1700/13). Archived from [the original](https://www.anandtech.com/show/11170/the-amd-zen-and-ryzen-7-review-a-deep-dive-on-1800x-1700x-and-1700/13) on 7 March 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["4th Gen AMD EPYC Processor Architecture"](https://www.amd.com/content/dam/amd/en/documents/products/epyc/4th-gen-amd-epyc-processor-architecture-whitepaper.pdf) (PDF). *AMD*. Retrieved 3 November 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Kennedy, Patrick (8 April 2019). ["Supermicro M11SDV-4C-LN4F Review mITX AMD EPYC 3151 Platform"](https://www.servethehome.com/supermicro-m11sdv-4c-ln4f-review-mitx-amd-epyc-3151-platform/4/). *ServeTheHome*. Retrieved 18 August 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Cutress, Andrei Frumusanu, Dr Ian. ["AMD 3rd Gen EPYC Milan Review: A Peak vs Per Core Performance Balance"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210315215306/https://www.anandtech.com/show/16529/amd-epyc-milan-review/). *www.anandtech.com*. Archived from [the original](https://www.anandtech.com/show/16529/amd-epyc-milan-review) on 15 March 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2024.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_multiple_names:_authors_list))

v t e Nvidia GeForce (List of GPUs) Fixed pixel pipeline Pre-GeForce NV1 NV2 RIVA 128 RIVA TNT TNT2 GeForce 256 2 4 MX Vertex and pixel shaders GeForce 3 4 Ti FX 6 7 Unified shaders GeForce 8 9 100 200 300 400 500 Unified shaders & NUMA GeForce 600 700 800M 900 10 16 Ray tracing & Tensor Cores GeForce 20 30 40 50 Software and technologies Multimedia acceleration NVENC (video encoding) NVDEC (video decoding) PureVideo (video decoding) Software Cg (shading language) CUDA Nvidia GameWorks OptiX (ray tracing API) PhysX (physics SDK) Nvidia Omniverse (3D graphics) Nvidia RTX (ray tracing platform) Nvidia System Tools VDPAU (video decode API) Technologies Nvidia 3D Vision (stereo 3D) Nvidia G-Sync (variable refresh rate) Nvidia Optimus (GPU switching) Nvidia Surround (multi-monitor) MXM (module/socket) SXM (module/socket) NVLink (protocol) SLI (multi-GPU) TurboCache (framebuffer in system memory) Video Super Resolution (live video upscaling) GPU microarchitectures Celsius Kelvin Rankine Curie Tesla Fermi Kepler Maxwell Pascal Volta Turing Ampere Hopper Ada Lovelace Blackwell Rubin Feynman Other products Graphics Workstation cards Nvidia Quadro Quadro Plex GPGPU software Nvidia Tesla DGX Console components NV2A (Xbox) RSX 'Reality Synthesizer' (PlayStation 3) Tegra X1 "Erista" (Nintendo Switch) Tegra T239 "Drake" (Nintendo Switch 2) Nvidia Shield Shield Portable Shield Tablet Shield Android TV GeForce Now SoCs and embedded GoForce Drive Jetson Tegra N1 Nvidia RTX Spark CPUs Project Denver Computer chipsets nForce Company Key people Jen-Hsun Huang Chris Malachowsky Curtis Priem David Kirk Bill Dally Colette Kress Debora Shoquist Ranga Jayaraman Jonah M. Alben Acquisitions 3dfx Interactive Ageia ULi Bright Computing Cumulus Networks DeepMap Icera Mellanox Technologies Mental Images PortalPlayer Exluna MediaQ Stexar

v t e AMD sockets and chipsets AMD sockets Desktop sockets Super Socket 7 (1998) Slot A (1999) 939 (2004) 940 (2003) AM2 (2006) AM2+ (2007) AM3 (2009) AM3+ (2011) FM1 (2011) FM2 (2012) FM2+ (2014) AM1 (2014) AM4 (2016) TR4 (2017) sTRX4 (2019) sWRX8 (2020) AM5 (2022) sTR5 (2023) Mobile sockets 563 S1 (2006) FT1 (2011) FP2 (2012) FS1 FT3 FP3 (2014) FP4 (2015) FT4 (2016) FP5 (2019) FT5 FP6 (2020) FP7 (2022) FP8 FL1 (2023) Server sockets 940 F (2006) F+ G3 (not released) G34 C32 (2010) SP3 (2017) SP4 (2018) SP5 (2022) SP6 (2023) Combined sockets Socket A (2000) 754 (2003) ATI / AMD chipsets ATI chipsets IGP 300 series/RX380 Radeon Xpress 200 CrossFire Xpress 3200 Radeon Xpress 1250 AMD chipsets 480X/570X/580X 690 Series 7-Series 8-Series 9-Series Fusion Controller Hubs AM4 chipsets TR4 chipsets sTRX4 chipsets sWRX8 chipsets AM5 chipsets sTR5 chipsets Combined means that the given socket is supported by all platforms, including desktop, mobile, and server.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Chipset](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipset) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipset?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.