Chipset and socket type

[dpbrolly]

Can anyone tell me an exact explanation on what are Chipsets and Socket type is ?

 

[akxpckwb]

Socket is basically the slot where you put in the CPU. They have numerous sizes for instance LGA 1155 for Intel and AM3+ for AMD.
The chipset is sort of a middle man that controls information between the CPU and other components.
You can find a more technical and correct definition of each somewhere on the internet

 

[nunayobidnes]

I'll try not oversimplify this while keeping it comprehensible for others that bump into this thread. From a manufacturer's perspective a socket is the standard mounting point for a series of processors. A good analogy might be to think of it as brainstem. Lets call it socket "dpbrolly." this means that I, akxpckwb, and you can all make processors that plug right into socket dpbrolly. These are accompanied by a very short list of Chipsets that will "play nicely" with socket "dpbrolly" . A good analogy might be the spinal cord. Say I have a socket dpbrolly processor and I want to use a nunayobidnes chipset or a akxpckwb chipset because it's compatible with socket dpbrolly. It's where the "North Bridge and South Bridge" live. Northbridge or Front Side Bus takes care of how the processor and the memory talk, (for more up to date info on that see "on-chip memory control(ler)) sends and collects info from the PCI bus and other fast processes like talking to a graphics card. The Southbridge does lots of basically mundane stuff but is an absolute necessity. transmits info from the bios to the cpu (so it knows it's supposed to behave like a CPU) and handles HID and I/O (Human Interface Devices ...keyboard mouse etc. and Input/Output...HDD USB Host Controller...that sort of thing. These things are usually of little importance to the average end user, but if you're upgrading a processor or building your own desktop PC or in rare case providing this info to an IT guy or Tech Support knowing these things can mean the difference between a functional PC and paperweight. Definately a very good question. Hope that helps