Most computer owners do not need to know what components their computer consists of. As long as it works normally and copes with all the tasks the user loads it with, there is no need to be interested in its “contents”. But there may come a time when you have to, say, download new drivers for the motherboard. And for this it is necessary to know correctly on which chipset it's built.
You will need
- Computer, PC testing program AIDA64 Extreme Edition, Internet access, basic computer skills
Instructions
1. Download the installation file for the AIDA64 Extreme Edition program from the developer’s website http://www.aida64.com/downloads. The site allows you to choose a free trial version, which gives you the chance later (later about boards) expand it to the full version. During the installation process, select the folder where the program will be installed and accept the license agreement.
2. After the installation is completed, the program will mechanically start. To launch it manually later, double-click the left mouse button on the program shortcut on the desktop.
3. In the open program window, there is a column with menu items on the right. Select the line “System board” in it. In the additional list that appears, find the item “Chipset”
4. A complete list of properties of your motherboard's chipset will be displayed on the right side of the program window. boards. At the very top of this list are two lines: “North Bridge” and “South Bridge”. The name of the north bridge is the name of the motherboard chipset boards. The south bridge is the 2nd chip on the motherboard, the one that is responsible for the operation of many connected devices. Write down its name, this information may be useful when searching for drivers for the motherboard.
For a number of manipulations with the system, as well as for assessing device compatibility, you may need information about the chipset on which your motherboard is built. Although this information is not on the surface, it is not too difficult to find out.
Instructions
1. If there is such a possibility, open the manual for your motherboard and there, on the specifications page, you will find out the model of the chipset used in it.
2. If management is lost, and you don’t know the manufacturer and model of your board (otherwise, you can look up the specifications on the Internet), then you should use specialized software.
3. Install the AIDA64 program on your computer and run it.
4. Select the “motherboard” section, then “chipset”. Now you can see complete information about the north and south bridge chipsets of your motherboard.
Video on the topic
The motherboard is the brain and heart of the computer, connecting all the key elements of the system together. This is done using a chipset that regulates all incoming and outgoing signals, distributing them along the necessary routes. What is a chipset and how to find it on the motherboard, we will look into it below.
Chipset is a set of chips assembled together to interface the computer processor with other modules. Without it, such interaction is impossible, since the processor is not able to transmit commands to other elements directly. Thus, the chipset acts as a regulator. It provides direction, but does not affect performance. When choosing a motherboard for your computer, pay attention not only to the socket, but also to the chipset.
Chipset features
The main function is control and redistribution of signals. Depending on the model of the chip unit, the following characteristics are determined:
- Number of slots for memory cards;
- Number of processors that can be installed on the motherboard (MP);
- Possible number of graphic elements for connection;
- Determines the possibility of improving the system by increasing the operating frequency of the processor;
- Modern models support the operation of such technological innovations as: the joint operation of several graphic data processing devices (video cards), the technology of dual operation of memory elements, the use of solid-state drives, creating a clipboard for hard drives;
- Support for working with outdated modifications of controllers, or with their specialized models;
Summarizing the above, we conclude that the chipset allows the system to work:
- Fast;
- Without crashing;
- Leaves it possible to overclock MP components and the entire PC as a whole;
So, in general terms, we figured out what a motherboard is and why it needs a chipset. But how it works is still unclear. Let's correct this oversight. When starting a conversation about the design of the chipset, first of all decide which model we are talking about - old or new. This is of fundamental importance.
Old models are built on the interaction of two separate blocks of microcircuits. They were called the North and South Bridges. The name reflects their location on the MP, relative to other elements. The North Bridge performs the following functions:
- Ensuring interaction between the processor and the graphics device;
- Ensuring interaction between RAM and processor elements;
In turn, the South Bridge allows you to:
- Transmit signals from the central processor to the storage disks of a personal computer;
- Coordinate the operation of the sound card;
- Manage optical drives;
- Work with other peripheral devices via controllers: USB, PCI, SATA and IDE;
Note! Work with various elements of each bridge is implemented through system buses with different bandwidths.
The new models are built on a different architecture, in which the North Bridge is integrated into the processor and only the South Bridge remains as an independent element. This technology allows you to increase the speed of processing and transferring information, increasing performance. In addition, the use of integrated bridge technology makes it possible to:
- Reduce the cost of MP production;
- Free up space occupied by the Northbridge for other components;
- CPU cooling elements help maintain the operating temperature of the chipset in a comfortable range, which affects performance and durability;
- By integrating the bridge into the processor, overall energy consumption is reduced;
Where is
The location of the chipset is easy to determine by the name of its bridges. The North Bridge is located at the top of the MP, in close proximity to the processor. It looks like a large chip equipped with a cooling system in the form of a radiator, or a radiator and a cooler. This is necessary due to constant overheating. New MP models may not have a separate Northbridge, since it is integrated into the processor.
The southbridge is located at the bottom of the motherboard, and its chip is also equipped with a cooling system. The load on the southbridge is not so significant, so in most models one radiator acts as cooling. Some manufacturers do not equip the microcircuit with personal cooling elements at all.
Temperature
Due to increased loads on the chipset, especially its North Bridge, the chips constantly overheat. To maintain the operating temperature of the chipset, as well as prevent overheating, a cooling system is installed on the chipset. When working intensively on a PC, the user is recommended to check the temperature of key components from time to time to prevent force majeure situations.
Normal temperature
The normal temperature range is considered to be 55 – 70°. Individual indicators for each motherboard are different and it all depends on the manufacturer. If you need to know the operating temperature, contact the official manufacturer for help. The information you are interested in is on its website, in the device description section. As a last resort, contact technical support.
Users who are wondering how to find out the chipset temperature can find out in the following ways:
- Using special utilities that show the current temperature of the processor and other elements;
- Using devices that measure the temperature of the surface they come into contact with;
The following programs are suitable:
- EVEREST;
- Speed Fan;
- Speccy;
They read the data received by the device's temperature sensor and display it on the screen. The disadvantage of this method is that the programs do not work with all sensors.
Manual verification algorithm:
- We take a device that reads the surface temperature;
- We apply the device detector to the bottom of the radiator grille located on the chipset;
- Add 5° to the result obtained;
- We go to the manufacturer’s website and compare our indicators with the acceptable ones;
- If the temperature is higher than expected, change the thermal paste that is located between the radiator and the device;
Important! Actions are performed after the system is de-energized. Do not reach into the microcircuits with a probe if the PC is connected to a power outlet.
After replacing the thermal paste, take repeated measurements. If the temperature has not dropped, install additional cooling in the form of a cooler on the radiator.
Cooling
Cooling is implemented by two devices:
- A radiator grille, which is fixed on the surface of the microcircuit using thermal paste;
- Cooler installed on top of the radiator;
The North Bridge is equipped with both devices, and the South Bridge only with a radiator.
How to find out the motherboard chipset on a laptop
Determining the classification of the motherboard chipset on a laptop is as follows:
- Using Device Manager. To do this, go to the system devices tab. The line that includes the word Chipset contains the required information;
- Install the AIDA64 program on your laptop. With its help it is easy to find out all the necessary information;
- AIDA64 is distributed for a fee and if you do not want to spend money, CPU-Z will come to the rescue. It is freely available and easy to learn;
- Information with a list of technical characteristics of the device should be stored on the official website of the laptop manufacturer;
Determining the chipset marking (from the English chipset, a set of chips, microcircuits) may be necessary when reinstalling the system to install the correct drivers. Currently, it is customary to use the Northbridge architecture, so the name “Northbridge” is also the name of the chipset.
It is preferable to use technical documentation to find out the model, but this does not always give results - the computer supplier may have mixed up the manuals during assembly or not provided them at all. In addition, documents may be lost after acquisition.
In this case, it is necessary to find out the bridge model using software, for example:
- Internet browser (search by motherboard model).
- PC-Wizard package.
- "Speccy" package.
- Package "ASTRA".
- Package "CPU-Z".
- Everest package.
Every time you start your personal computer, a hardware check procedure is performed - “power-on self-test” (from English “POST” - “Power-OnSelf-Test”). During testing, data about the PC components is displayed on the screen, including chipset markings.
Step 1. Start booting (or rebooting) the operating system.
Step 2. During the POST procedure, use the “Pause/Break” key to freeze the verification window.
Step 3. In the information displayed on the screen, the top line (not counting information about the BIOS developer) indicates the manufacturer and brand of the chipset.
Step 4. You can also check by looking at the bottom line on the screen - the chip markings are indicated immediately after the date.
On a note! The specified date is not current, but reflects the time of creation of the BIOS firmware and is written in American format, that is, month/day/year.
Internet browser
The method is very simple. All you need is an Internet connection and a motherboard model. It is written about how to find out the model.
Step 1. Launch your preferred internet browser.
Step 2. Using any search engine, such as Google, enter the model of your computer's motherboard.
Step 3. Go to the sites suggested by the search engine. It is best to get information from the manufacturer's official page.
Package "PC-Wizard"
The software package is free and distributed “As is”, that is, its developer does not make any guarantees that the application will work correctly. However, no critical errors or vulnerabilities were found.
Step 1. Launch the application.
Step 2. Switch to the motherboard tab (Hardware list, top row, middle button).
Step 3. In the right frame, left-click on the “Microprocessor” line. The brand of your chipset is reflected in the “Description” column, and the “Information” tab of the lower frame will provide a more detailed display of data about bridge models.
"Speccy" package
This application was developed by Piriform and has two versions - free, for home use, and professional. In fact, they differ only in that for the professional version there is an automatic update function and 24-hour technical support. In addition, the official website of the developer offers to purchase the entire software package at a substantial discount.
Important! Oddly enough, the acquisition of four programs from "Piriform" will cost you almost 10% less than purchasing one.
Step 1. Launch the application.
Important! Since, as mentioned above, the architecture "Northbridge", then the chipset is the northbridge.
Package "ASTRA"
This software product is a Russian development and provides four types of licenses, the main characteristics of which are given in the table.
| Opportunity/License | Demonstration | Home | Professional | Engineering |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definition of programs and hardware parts | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Generating a report (text document) | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Generating a report (INI file) | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Generating a report (html file) | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hardware serial number information | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Technical support | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Application update | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Licenses by number of machines | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Licenses per user | No | No | No | Yes |
| Commercial use | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Generating a report (xml file) | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Generating a report (scv file) | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Command handler support | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Macro support in command processor mode | No | No | Yes | Yes |
This article discusses a demo license.
Step 1. Launch the application.
Step 2. Expand the Settings menu.
Step 3. Use the “Uncheck All” button, then highlight the “Motherboard” item.
Important! Unchecking all the “checkboxes” will allow you to speed up the data processing process. A complete analysis of the system takes a lot of time and requires closing all other applications. If you decide to conduct a full analysis, be sure to save all the files you worked with (for example, documents, tables, drawings).
Step 4. If necessary, you can save the settings profile by using the corresponding button.
Step 5. Save the settings with the “OK” button. Click Continue.
Step 6. In the left frame of the information window that opens, select the line “Motherboard”. The right frame will display information about the chipset.
On a note! Since this is a demonstration license that does not support updates, modern models of laptop, all-in-one PC and netbook motherboards may not be displayed correctly or may not be displayed at all (the message “Unknown” is displayed).
Package "CPU-Z"
The package is free and distributed "As Is".
Step 1. Launch the application.
Step 2. Go to the "Mainboard" tab.
Step 3. The information you need is in the “Chipset” line.
Everest Package
The utility package is not free, but there is a fully functional demo mode available for one month.
Step 1. Launch the application.
Step 2. In the left frame of the window, expand the “System board” list.
Step 3. By selecting the “Chipset” list item, the required information will be displayed in the right frame.
Important! If you use a demo version of the software without installing current updates, the package may not display the required data, as shown in the figure below.
Conclusion
We looked at seven different ways to identify a chipset. One of the methods works even without an installed operating system (using the built-in computer software), one - using a standard browser (Internet explorer), the rest - using additional software packages. The convenience of using third-party software is left to the user’s discretion, however, it is worth noting that highly specialized programs (for example, CPU-Z) do not require frequent updates and provide fairly complete information about the hardware in general, and the chipset in particular. In addition, due to the sufficiency and “non-redundancy” of the functionality (and therefore the smaller amount of program code), such programs do not have critical errors and transitions to an uncertain state.
One of the main components of a computer motherboard is the chipset. Therefore, for more stable operation of your PC, it is very important to update its drivers on time. And for this you need to know which chipset is installed on your board.
You will need
- - Computer with Windows OS;
- - Everest program.
Instructions
For the motherboard, look in the documentation for it. If you bought a computer to order (selected each component yourself), then you should have been given technical documentation for each component. Among it there should be a manual (a special manual for the motherboard), from which you can find out information about the chipset. When purchasing an already assembled computer, you must also provide all the documentation, although this is not always done.
You can also find out about the type of chipset using special software. One of the best programs of its kind is Everest (distributed on a paid basis). But on numerous Internet resources you can find a trivial version of the program. Download it and install it on your computer's hard drive.
Launch the program. In its right window there is a list of the main devices of your computer. In it, select “System board”. Next, in the list that appears, select “Chipset”. A window will pop up with several sections. The top one is called “Device Description”. This is the name of the chipset that is installed on your motherboard. Below is a section where you can view the properties of the motherboard chipset.
The very bottom section is called “Device Manufacturer”. It contains all the necessary links that open Internet pages with more detailed information, and with which you can update the chipset driver and BIOS. To open the desired link, double-click on it with the left mouse button. The link will open in the Internet browser window that is installed on your computer by default. You can also simply copy it into the address bar of any browser.
Every device that connects to your personal computer has chipset. Knowing which one is used in a particular device is most often necessary to replace equipment, as well as to find out the main points of its operation.
You will need
- - Internet connection.
Instructions
In order to find out which chipset installed in your video card, use the search for the specifications of your device model on the Internet. It is best to find out such information on the official websites of the manufacturer. You can find out your video adapter model through the “Device Manager”, which is located on the “Hardware” tab in the properties of the “My Computer” menu item.
Also carefully read the device documentation. If you want to replace your video card, make sure that this action is possible, since in some cases the adapter may be built into the motherboard, which does not allow for the installation of additional devices. This is typical mainly for laptop computers.
In order to find out chipset your motherboard, proceed in the same way: find out the model name and read the description on the manufacturer’s website or find the information you are interested in in the device documentation. Also pay attention to special software that displays information about your computer and system, for example, the Everest program.
Just download it from the official website of the developer, install, run and wait until the system collects data about your computer. Then select the desired menu - software or hardware, and then view the element-by-element data regarding chipset and each device (other information may be available here).
In order to find out chipset RAM modules, view the information on the bar. To do this, turn off the computer, disconnect it from the power source and open the system unit cover. Find the RAM, unfasten its fastenings and carefully read the information on the board.
Helpful advice
Don't throw away your computer documentation.
- today we will look at how to find out the model of the motherboard on a computer. Updating drivers, checking hardware compatibility, and purely out of curiosity - ... using the methods given in the note to check the motherboard model is much easier than disassembling the computer and studying the stickers inside the system unit.
You can simulate quite a lot of situations in which it is very important to know the model of the motherboard: a banal driver update, buying new hardware (find out what can be added to the system and whether there are the necessary slots for this, for example, to expand RAM)…
If you still have the documents that were issued with the computer (or individual items for components, if you selected the components yourself), you can find out the answers to your question there. This is probably even the best way, because you can check whether the real situation matches what is indicated in your documents.
In principle, I will not tell you how to find out the name of the motherboard by opening the system unit - in the modern situation this is absolutely not necessary, because software methods will provide information more than just a visual inspection of the motherboard.
Of course, I don’t deny that you can recognize the model by looking at the board itself (I’m not so stubborn as to say that this should never be done), and an advanced user probably knows where and what to look... but for us, I recommend using the simplest and most correct methods
Method 1. Find out the name of the motherboard through the command line
If you enjoy using the Windows command line, then you can easily find out your motherboard model using Microsoft's powerful WMIC tool.
With WMIC we can perform a baseboard query to check the motherboard and several additional parameters such as serial number, revision and other detailed information about your motherboard. Let's try, using an example, to find out the manufacturer of our motherboard, model and serial number using WMIC.
The program is in English, but this will not be a problem for us; we are specifically interested in the line Motherboard - this is the name of our motherboard.
Despite such a small size (less than 1 megabyte in archive) the program can tell you a lot about your computer, but I wouldn’t recommend using it... find out what kind of motherboard is on your computer - it’s great, for everything else there are more convenient analogues.
Method 3. AIDA64 - find out the motherboard model
There are several editions of AIDA64, the Extreme Edition is perfect for us (the application costs money, but the 30-day trial version, indicated on the download page as TRIAL)
After installing AIDA64, launch the program and find the “Motherboard” icon on the left side. In the window that opens, the second line “Motherboard” will display the manufacturer and model of the motherboard. As you can see in my computer the name of the motherboard is Asus P8H67.
If you scroll down to the bottom of the window, you can find a link to the page for downloading the latest BIOS (Line “Download BIOS updates”). This can be useful if the purpose of determining the motherboard's firmware is a new version of the BIOS firmware
Method 4. Piriform Speccy - a good program from the developers of Ccleaner
If you have ever used the Ccleaner program and it left you with only positive emotions with its results, then the small program Speccy from the developers of the same Ccleaner (Piriform) will answer the question of how to find out the motherboard model. As always, you can download it from the official website:
Launch the application and on the left side go to the “Motherboard” tab. On the right side in the “Model” line there will be an answer to our question - in our case it is P8H67 (LGA1155)...
Not only did the program correctly determine the name of the motherboard installed in the computer, but it also showed its socket (1155) and a lot of other useful information (such as voltage, BIOS version and system temperature)
Method 5. CPU-Z - will tell you not only about the processor
CPU-Z is a very popular utility for identifying a processor, but it is perfect for identifying the motherboard model on a computer. The program is absolutely free and does not require installation, just download the current version from the official website
After launching the utility, go to the “Mainboard” tab and in the “Model” line there will be the name of the installed motherboard. I have a P8H67 motherboard on my computer (for now readings all applications are the same)
For many, the BIOS block will be useful; the firmware version and manufacturer are displayed here...
Method 6. HWiNFO32 - detailed information about the motherboard
To download the program, go to the official website (there are several versions of the program - HWiNFO32 for 32-bit systems and HWiNFO for 64-bit). In my case I downloaded HWiNFO64.
After installing the appropriate version of HWiNFO, launch it (the launch may take a long time while collecting information about the components of your computer). The program will automatically display the "System Summary" screen, where the motherboard model will be shown in the "Motherboard" section
By the way, please note that HWiNFO correctly identified the video card... I should add it to the note about video cards
Method 7. Sisoftware Sandra - an underrated program
When I was looking for information on how to view the motherboard on a computer, I never came across such an application as Sandra Lite in the reviews (this is what we will use, since specifically Lite- distributed free of charge). As usual, you can download it on the official website, avoid left-wing sources...
After installing Sisoftware Sandra Lite, launch the program and go to the “Devices” tab. In the window that appears, double-click on the “Motherboard” icon and wait until the utility collects all the necessary information. Detailed information about your motherboard will open in a new window, in the “Model” line and there will be an answer to the question: How to find out the model of the motherboard?
This section displays not only the name of your motherboard, here you will find a lot of other useful information about your motherboard. For example, you can find out how much memory and how many slots there are for it... or the model of the chipset on which your system is built
BONUS! Information about the motherboard in the HTML report
This application is called LookInMyPC and you can download it from the developers’ website (in English, there is a portable version that does not require installation)
http://www.lookinmypc.com/download.htm
After launch, you can choose what exactly to generate a report about, but we leave everything as it is and click the “Generate Report” button... all you have to do is wait for the report to be generated - it’s quick.
The report file will open in any browser, in the “BIOS Information” block in the “Board Product ID” line and there will be the name of our motherboard.
In fact, the report contains a lot of interesting and useful information, and as for the English language, Google Chrome translates everything wonderfully.
The report generates quite a lot of data about the software part, and you can view it at any time without the program itself - this is very convenient
What have we learned about the motherboard? - Conclusions
Friends, we have looked at several ways to find out the motherboard model. As you understand from the note, this is quite possible to do without disassembling the system unit - there are more civilized methods.
What to do with this information? - even if you need to visually look at your motherboard, it is quite possible to find its image and specifications on the official website by the model name.
