CHIPSET

A 'chipset' is a group of integrated circuits, or chips, that are designed to work together, and are usually marketed as a single product.

Contents

Computers

Major x86 chipsets and their manufacturers

See also

Notes

Computers

In computing, the term ''chipset'' is commonly used to refer to a set of specialized chips on a computer's motherboard or an expansion card. In personal computers based on Intel Pentium-class microprocessors, the term often refers to a specific pair of chips on the motherboard: the ''northbridge'' and the ''southbridge''. The northbridge links the CPU to very high-speed devices, especially main memory and graphics controllers, and the southbridge connects to lower-speed peripheral buses (such as PCI or ISA). In many modern chipsets, the southbridge actually contains some on-chip integrated peripherals, such as Ethernet, USB, and audio devices. A chipset is usually designed to work with a specific family of microprocessors. Because it controls communications between the processor and external devices, the chipset plays a crucial role in determining system performance.
The manufacturer of a chipset often is independent from the manufacturer of the motherboard. Current manufacturers of chipsets for PC-compatible motherboards include NVIDIA, AMD, VIA Technologies, SiS, Intel and Broadcom. Apple computers and Unix workstations from Sun, NeXT, SGI, and others have traditionally used custom-designed chipsets; now that Sun and Apple have adopted x86 processors, they have begun to use standard PC chipsets in some of their computers. Some server manufacturers also develop custom chipsets for their products.
In the 1980s, Chips and Technologies, founded by Dado Banatao (who later founded S3 Graphics), 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, a low-cost chipset implementing a SCSI interface to storage devices, could be found in Unix machines such as the MIPS Magnum, embedded devices, and personal computers.
In home computers, game consoles and arcade game hardware of the 1980s and 1990s, the term chipset was used for the custom audio and graphics chips. Examples include the Commodore Amiga's Original Chip Set or SEGA's System 16 chipset.

Major x86 chipsets and their manufacturers

★ Intel produces chipsets for its own line of processors:^[1]

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★ i845E/GV Bus 533 Mhz AGP4 2Go DDR PC2700 max

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★ i850e i855G (855GME for the Pentium M)

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★ i865G/P ( 4 GiB DDR2, 533 MHz FSB, AGP8, serial ATA )

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★ i875p = optimized i865

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★ E7205 (for Pentium 4 servers), E7500/E7501/E7505 (for Xeon servers)), E7520/E7525/E7530 (for dual Xeon servers)

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★ 910GML/GMZ, 915GM/PM, 945PM/GM

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★ 945PM/GM + Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG + Intel Core Solo = Centrino (third generation)

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★ 945PM/GM + Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG + Intel Core Duo = Centrino Duo

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★ 910GL, 915P/PL/G/GL/GV, 925X/XE, 945P/PL/G/GZ, 955X (for Pentium D/XE)

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★ 963Q, 965P/G/Q, 975X (for Intel Core 2 Duo)

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★ P35 (for Intel [Core 2 Duo], [Core 2 Quad], and [Core 2 Extreme])

★ VIA Technologies produces chipsets for Intel and AMD processors:^[2]

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★ VIA KT133 KT133A

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★ VIA KT266A FSB 200/266 Mhz AGP4

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★ VIA KT333

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★ VIA Apollo KT400A ( Serial ATA )

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★ VIA P4X400

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★ K8T400M

★ Silicon Integrated Systems produces chipsets for Intel and AMD processors (and formerly for Cyrix processors):^[3]

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★ SiS 645 648

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★ SiS 650 651 655

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★ SiS 735 740

★ NVIDIA produces chipsets for AMD and Intel processors, as well as graphics processors:^[4][5]

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★ Chipsets :

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★ nForce 1 :

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★ nForce 2 : Ultra 400Gb, Ultra 400R, Ultra 400.

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★ nForce 3 : Go, Professional.

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★ nForce 4 : SLI Intel, Series AMD, SLI/XE Ultra Intel, Intel x16.

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★ nForce 5 : 520, SLI/570/550 AMD, 590SLI AMD, 570 SLI Intel , 590 SLI Intel.

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★ nForce 6 : 650i, SLI/650i Ultra, 680a SLI, 680 SLI/680i LT SLI.

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★ Graphics cards:

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★ TNT : TNT2 Pro, TNT2 Ultra, TNT2 Model 64 (M64), TNT Model 64 (M64) Pro

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★ Vanta, Vanta LT

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★ GeForce 1 : 256, DDR

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★ GeForce 2 : GTS, Pro, TI, Ultra, MX, MX100, MX200, MX400, MX Integrated graphics

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★ GeForce 3 : TI200, TI500

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★ GeForce 4 : MX 420, MX440, MX440-SE, MX460, MX Integrated graphics, MX 4000, TI 4200, TI4400, TI4600, TI4800, TI4800SE

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★ GeForce 5 : FX5100, FX5200, FX 5200LE, FX 5200 Ultra, FX5500, FX5600, FX5600 Ultra, FX5600 SE, FX5600 XT, FX5700, FX5700 VE, FX5700 Ultra, FX5700 LE, FX5800, FX5800 Ultra, FX5900, FX5900 Ultra, FX5900 XT, FX5900 ZT, FX5950 Ultra, PCX 5300, PCX 5750, PCX 5900

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★ GeForce 6 : 6100, 6150 LE, 6150, 6200, 6200 LE, 6200 TC, 6200 SE TC, 6500, 6600, 6600 LE, 6600 VE, 6600 GT, 6610 XL, 6700 XL, 6800, 6800 LE, 6800 XE, 6800 XT, 6800 GS, 6800 GT, 6800 Ultra

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★ GeForce 7 : 7100 GS, 7300 LE, 7300 SE, 7300 GS, 7300 GT, 7500 LE, 7600 GS, 7600 GT, 7800 GS, 7800 GT, 7800GTX, 7900 GS, 7900 GTO, 7900 GT, 7900 GTX, 7950 GX2

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★ GeForce 8 : 8300 GS, 8400 GS, 8500 GT, 8600 GT, 8600 GTS, 8800 GTS, 8800 GTX, 8800 Ultra

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★ Quadro 2 : MXR, DCC, PRO, EX

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★ Quadro 4 : 200, 400 NVS, 380, 500, 550, 580, 700, 750, 780, 900, 980 XGL

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★ Quadro FX : 330, 350, 500, 540, 550, 560, 600, 700, 1000, 1100, 1300, 1400, 1500, 2000, 3000, 3000G, 3400, 3450, 3500, 4000 SDI, 4400, 4400G, 4500, 4500SDI, 4500X2, 5500, 5500SDI

★
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★ Quadro NVS : 200, 210s, 280, 280SD, 400, 440, 280PCI, 285

★ ATI (acquired by AMD in 2006) produced chipsets for Intel^[6] and AMD processors, as well as graphics processors:^[7]

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★ Chipsets for AMD processors:

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★ AMD 690, AMD M690 (mobile)

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★ AMD 580X CrossFire

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★ AMD 480X CrossFire

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★ ATI Radeon Xpress 1100 (with integrated graphics)

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★ ATI Radeon Xpress 200, 200M (mobile) (with integrated graphics)

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★ ATI SB600 (southbridge)

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★ Chipsets for Intel processors:

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★ ATI CrossFire Xpress 3200 (for Intel Core 2 Duo)

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★ ATI Radeon Xpress 1250 (with integrated graphics)

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★ ATI Radeon Xpress 1100 (with integrated graphics)

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★ ATI Radeon Xpress 200

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★ ATI SB600 Series (southbridge)

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★ Graphics processors:

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★ ATI Radeon 9200 Pro

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★ ATI Radeon 9500 Pro

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★ ATI Radeon 9700 Pro 128DDR AGP8x

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★ ATI Radeon 9800 Pro (128 MiB)

See also

★ Northbridge

★ Southbridge

Notes

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