Talk:Northbridge (computing)
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Why is this article so desperately dummy? Looks like people writing it have absolutely no knowledge about hardware design or BSP writing, and just know about overclocking or read vendor marketing literature. If the math articles on Wikipedia were written from the same point of view, they would talk about selecting the best looking fonts for writing formulas...
- They were waiting for you to come and improve the article, but it seems like criticising in the only thing you can do ? → SeeSchloß 2 July 2005 14:16 (UTC)
- Right, Matthieu. What this article needs is another contribution from an "almost-competent" person. Avoid repeating pre-packaged wit & wisdom, take a clue, maybe look at "PCI express" or even "Southbridge" articles.
- Heh, since you seem to know better than the previous contributors, I was (am) just wondering why you don't improve it yourself. I'd do it if I knew anything about northbridges but I don't. → SeeSchloß 2 July 2005 21:25 (UTC)
- Right, Matthieu. What this article needs is another contribution from an "almost-competent" person. Avoid repeating pre-packaged wit & wisdom, take a clue, maybe look at "PCI express" or even "Southbridge" articles.
Contents |
[edit] what is a "die"?
"Rarely, these two chips have been combined onto one die when design complexity and fabrication processes permit it."
That says a lot but I do not know what a "Die" because it is not hyperlinked.
- I don't know how to exactly use wikipedia, but a Die is a chip pretty much. That is saying pretty much, "Rarely, these two chips have been combined onto one" chip "when design complexity and fabrication processes permit it."
[edit] Confusion
The southbridge article claims that PCI Express is handled by the shouthbridge, and this article claims that it is the northbridge. Which is it?
[edit] Answer
The Northbridge controls PCI Express 16 exclusively for Video. You will never see the South bridge control newer high end Video cards on AGP or PCI-Express 16.
The Southbridge may control PCI Express 1, which will be the new standard replacing PCI. This includes a new SoundBlaster in the works and high end Network cards etc. My motherboard already has PCI-Express 1, which is only 1/4 the sive of PCI-E 16 used for Video cards. Eventually the old 33Mhz PCI standard will be replaced completely as AGP has been replaced by PCI-E 16.
(An answer from someone else)
Both. This depends on the chipset. Some chipsets (nForce 4),(AMD 8000) implement all PCI Express links in the northbridge chip. Others (Intel P965) have 16 PCI Express lanes in the northbridge and 6 in the southbridge. Others (Intel 5000) have all PCI express links in the north bridge, but physically route a few through the southbridge chip.
[edit] nForce2 Compatibility
Quoted from the article: "For example, the northbridge from the NVIDIA nForce2 chipset will only work with Duron, Athlon, and Athlon XP processors combined with DDR SDRAM,"
It might be worth noting that most, if not all, nForce2-based motherboards also work with Socket A Sempron processors (which are heavily based upon the Athlon XP design), usually requiring only a firmware update for proper detection so they aren't treated as Athlon XPs with an incorrect performance rating, as was the case with my current system. --- Randilyn 21:46, 21 November 2006 (UTC)
