Halo 1 & 2 for PC
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  • Subject: chipset?
Subject: chipset?
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  • last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT

If i were to build my own comp from scratch, when choosing a mobo that would accept PCI-express what "chipset" is recommended? What is a chipset? basically any info on this

  • 03.05.2005 5:51 PM PDT
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  • last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT

A chipset is the part of a motherboard that acts as the postal office. It receives data from the system, sends it to the CPU, and also receives data from the CPU, sending it in turn to the various parts of the system. Really, it is the heart of your system, where all data passes, the heart is really not the CPU. In addition, it governs the 'addresses' of certain components and slaps a virtual send/return address on all data packets, so they can get back to where they're meant to go.

Examples of what a chipset handles data from:
CPU
RAM
DVD-ROM
Hard drive
Graphics card
Keyboard/mouse

nForce 4 Ultra if you plan to get one PCI-e slot, if you plan to use dual 6XXX series nVidia cards in a SLI setup, you need the nForce 4 SLI chipset.

Oh, don'y get a Chaintech VNF4 motherboard. The chipset on mine stayed at 130C, which charred the heatsink. It's also a pretty crap design, IMO :P

Good nForce 4 boards:
MSI Neo 2/4 Platinum
Abit Fatality
DFI LANParty
Asus AV8 (SLI version, too)

All of those are socket 939, of course.

  • 03.05.2005 7:35 PM PDT