What is the chipset of a PC?
The chipset is the set of circuits that are on the motherboard of your PC. Its most important function is to connect the different elements that are inside the equipment box, although it is not the only one.
Its functionality has been changing over time, mainly due to changes that have occurred in the processors themselves. These integrate more and more elements that we previously found on the plate. In addition, certain cards that had to be discrete, such as the sound card or the network card, come to be supported by the chipset itself.
For you to understand it in a simple way, you go from having a discrete device that performs a function such as a graphics card to integrating it into the chipset on the motherboard and then thanks to improvements in manufacturing technologies to include it in the inside the processor.
This leads to duplication of certain computers. That is, various elements that can be used to perform the same job, each with its own benefits.
However there are things that do not change, for example, the chipset will always be in charge of giving us the connection to the outside. It is useless to have a graphics card integrated into the CPU, as we have in APUs if, in the end, the chipset that is mounted on your board does not have an outlet to connect it to a monitor.
Chipsets therefore usually include a large number of components:
Graphics card
It is less and less common to find computers that have the card integrated into the chipset itself since they are usually included in the microprocessor itself or are discrete. The use of one of these has some disadvantages among them, is that in both cases it will have to use RAM to carry out its functions, leaving less of it for your programs.
Sound card
Almost all motherboards already include audio support and their connections as standard. This will cover the basic needs of the normal user.
Network card
As has happened with sound cards, these have ended up located on the motherboard itself.
Wireless connection
From the appearance of the first Centrino, Intel was clear that it wanted to include maximum functionality on the motherboard to create smaller and less-consuming laptops. It is very common to find chipset that add Wifi and Bluetooth connection without adding an external card.
Outward connection
Apart from the connections for the above elements, it is common to see USB integrated with the chipset or SATA or PCI Express ports for external devices.
Its functionality has been changing over time, mainly due to changes that have occurred in the processors themselves. These integrate more and more elements that we previously found on the plate. In addition, certain cards that had to be discrete, such as the sound card or the network card, come to be supported by the chipset itself.
For you to understand it in a simple way, you go from having a discrete device that performs a function such as a graphics card to integrating it into the chipset on the motherboard and then thanks to improvements in manufacturing technologies to include it in the inside the processor.
This leads to duplication of certain computers. That is, various elements that can be used to perform the same job, each with its own benefits.
However there are things that do not change, for example, the chipset will always be in charge of giving us the connection to the outside. It is useless to have a graphics card integrated into the CPU, as we have in APUs if, in the end, the chipset that is mounted on your board does not have an outlet to connect it to a monitor.
Chipsets therefore usually include a large number of components:
Graphics card
It is less and less common to find computers that have the card integrated into the chipset itself since they are usually included in the microprocessor itself or are discrete. The use of one of these has some disadvantages among them, is that in both cases it will have to use RAM to carry out its functions, leaving less of it for your programs.
Sound card
Almost all motherboards already include audio support and their connections as standard. This will cover the basic needs of the normal user.
Network card
As has happened with sound cards, these have ended up located on the motherboard itself.
Wireless connection
From the appearance of the first Centrino, Intel was clear that it wanted to include maximum functionality on the motherboard to create smaller and less-consuming laptops. It is very common to find chipset that add Wifi and Bluetooth connection without adding an external card.
Outward connection
Apart from the connections for the above elements, it is common to see USB integrated with the chipset or SATA or PCI Express ports for external devices.
No comments