The question of how to find out the chipset model of a motherboard does not arise for ordinary users. Such information may be required by all those specialists who repair computer equipment or replace components on the motherboard so that the new installed components work correctly and do not cause conflicts with the installed hardware. However, sometimes information about the chipset is extremely necessary for ordinary users. But not everyone knows how to find out the chipset version of the motherboard installed on a stationary terminal or laptop. Even greater confusion arises only because ignorant users very often believe that the name of the chipset and the name of the motherboard itself are one and the same.
What is the northbridge for?
North Bridge
(eng. north bridge) - a system controller (chip), which is one of the elements of the motherboard (system) board chipset and is responsible for the operation of the central processing unit (CPU) with RAM (random access memory, RAM), video adapter and south
bridge
.
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What is a chipset in a motherboard
A set of chips that plays the role of a “negotiator” (connector) of independent components of the motherboard is the chipset. The host chip located on the board is the CPU. He directs the other elements. There is no way to do this “without intermediaries.” So the chipset ensures communication between the processor and other components:
- RAM;
- input/output systems;
- peripheral device controllers, etc.
The set of chips itself is responsible only for the interconnection of elements in the motherboard, and therefore does not have any effect on the process of their operation. Communication is carried out using a bus system. A bus is a subsystem that is involved in the transfer of information between different functional departments of a PC.
See also: 5 best processors from Intel for NVidia GeForce GTX 1060
Introduction to the term
To explain what a chipset is, it is worth giving only the translation of the term from English - it is a set of chips.
You can also call it the system logic of a computer. It takes up little space on the motherboard, but plays a big role in its functionality.
Microcircuits establish communication between the processor, RAM, video card, input/output devices and other devices so that they can perform joint tasks.
For example, you wanted to watch a movie. To do this, you need to click on the desired file, the request will be processed by the CPU, the video adapter will display the image on the screen, and the sound card will allow you to hear the voices of the characters. To ensure that all devices understand each other when you give them some command, this very chipset exists.
How the chipset works
Each element performs its own function. Which one, and what this means, is explained in the following table.
| What is the northern microcircuit of the motherboard responsible for? | What is the southern element of the system board responsible for? |
| interaction with RAM | “communication” with the northbridge via the internal bus |
| "communication" with the processor | interaction with controllers to install peripheral devices |
The base for any bridge is a controller hub. The basis of the SM is a memory hub connected to the CPU via the system bus (FSB for Intel models and HyperTransport for AMD). As one might understand, its function is to ensure information exchange between the CPU and RAM.
The basis of YUM is an I/O concentrator. Communication with the CPU occurs through the northern element, and not directly. “Southerner” is responsible for communication between such components as:
- CPU;
- HDD controllers;
- USB and SSDs.
Normal temperature of motherboard and chipset
The average temperature of the motherboard is around 40 degrees with periodic increases to 50 - this is the norm. If you regularly use your computer for everyday tasks, such as surfing the browser or even modern resource-intensive games, you should not worry about overheating. The mark can reach levels much higher and become critical only in the event of a malfunction. Impacts, falls and other impacts that can lead to mechanical failure often cause bridges to break, causing temperatures to rise.
It is necessary to take into account that each component of the system has its own temperature indicators, both optimal and peak. They are usually indicated on the box or in the instructions for the components.
Using system information
Sometimes it makes sense to use system information. This informative tool is called up through the Run menu with the abbreviation msinfo32. The necessary information will be displayed in the hardware section, and in several places at once (for example, in the subsections of conflicts and shared access or IRQ interrupts). The only inconvenience of this technique is that only the general name of the chipset of a certain family is indicated without an exact nomenclature designation.
For example, the image above shows the Intel® Series 6/C200 Series Chipset Family, which is the name used to refer to both PCI slots, USB ports, etc.
What chipset does the Ryzen 5 3600 have?
For Ryzen 5 (3600 and 3600X), motherboards with the B450 chipset are suitable.
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AIDA64 program
It is believed that the former Everest program, at one time renamed AIDA64, is more informative. To get maximum information about all computer components, and not just the chipset, it is better to use the Extreme version.
You can view the necessary information in the Northbridge information item. True, the only and most important drawback of this utility is that it is paid, and the trial version can only be used during the 30-day trial period, although in our case this does not really matter.
CPU-Z utility
Finally, let's move on to more advanced software applets that allow, as they say, to “squeeze” the maximum information about any component of the computer hardware. The presented utility is one of the most popular and revered programs among users all over the world (and is also completely free).
In the application itself, you need to go to the information tab about the motherboard (Mainboard), where just below you will see not only its markings, but also information directly about the installed chipset.
SSU utility
Finally, you can get information about the chipset from a special portable SSU program developed by Intel. After launching the application, which, as is already clear, does not need to be installed on your hard drive, you need to select the computer components for which you want to find information (to be sure, you should check the motherboard and processor), and then select the display of extended information in a special drop-down list.
General information will be provided at the end of the motherboard specifications, and more detailed information can be found in the processor description section.
Searching for information via the command line
Another solution to the problem of how to find out the motherboard chipset is to use information that can be obtained from the command line or the PowerShell console, which is a kind of extended analogue of the first tool.
To do this, just run the command shown in the image above, and then view information related to the chipset itself.
Additional information on the chipset driver
By the way, if we are talking about how to find out the motherboard chipset driver, information about it can be viewed in the hardware properties, and if necessary, using the identifiers defined in the information, find the most appropriate control software for installing, for example, an updated driver.
Usually this is not required, since it is very doubtful that the computer will function normally if there is an incorrectly installed or missing driver.
Speecy information applet
Now let's see how to find out the motherboard chipset model using the Speecy program. By its nature, it is quite reminiscent of the utilities described above and is no less informative.
It is also necessary to use the subsection related to the motherboard, however, the name of the chipset will be shown in the model and revision items of the northbridge.
More about the term
Chipset is a chip that controls all ports, expansion slots, sound, network, and even processor capabilities. The performance limit of your system depends on the chipset. This integrated circuit connects 2 data blocks:
- north bridge (processor, memory, video cards);
- south bridge (low-speed interfaces, rear panel connectors, audio subsystem, network controller, SATA).
The simplest thing remains - to choose this very set of system logic for the future PC.
How to find out the chipset model
It is not difficult to determine which chipset the motherboard has. Usually it is indicated directly in the model name. For example, X or AM4 (A) + number for AMD, or H, B and Z + number for Intel. If the box and documentation are not at hand, then you can find out the chipset through the task manager in Windows. All you need to do is open the list of system devices and find the line with the word Chipset. Third party software can also help. Below are the 2 most convenient representatives.
AIDA64
A popular utility that has a friendly interface. After entering the program, you need to find the section called “motherboard”. There you can find out the main parameters of the motherboard. However, unfortunately, it will not be possible to determine the full version of the device in the free software version. But there is an alternative option that you don’t have to pay for.
CPU Z
Almost an analogue of the paid AIDA 64. It is freely available. This program is also worth downloading from the official website. Previously, CPU Z had one significant drawback - the lack of a Russian-language interface. Now it has been added, so the program does not cause any complaints. To obtain the necessary information, after starting the program, you need to select MainBoard. Chipset information can be found in the line called ChipSet. The line SouthBridge tells about the south bridge.
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