1 Chipset
The chipset is a collection of controller chips that manage the flow of data between the CPU and other components. It might be hidden under a heatsink, as in the image opposite, but it's present on every board. Different chipsets support different processors: Intel's 13th generation Core processors can only be used in a board that uses one of the company's 600-series or 700-series chipsets, while AMD's Ryzen 7000-series CPUs need an AMD B650 or X670 chipset.
The chipset doesn't just determine what CPU you can use. It also dictates other technical features of the motherboard, such as whether it works with DDR4 memory or requires more expensive. DDR5 modules, and how many PCI-Express lanes and USB connectors it has. You don't have to research the technical details of the chipset before buying a PC, though you can just check the features of the board itself.
2 CPU socket
Intel's 12th and 13th-generation desktop processors use the LGA1700 socket format. The letters stand for 'land grid array', meaning the socket contains 1,700 tiny pins, which press against a grid of flat contact points on the base of the processor. Installing the CPU in a socket like this is a simple case of dropping the chip into the housing and locking it in place with a latch.
For AMD's Ryzen 7000-series processors, the socket AM5 connector is an almost identical LGA design, with 1,718 pins. Older Ryzen CPUs use PGA (pin grid array) sockets, where the motherboard mount has thousands of tiny holes and the pins stick out of the underside of the chip. The two designs are electronically identical but PGA is more fiddly and it's easier to bend or break the pins.
3 RAM slots
Esta historia es de la edición March 2023 de Maximum PC.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición March 2023 de Maximum PC.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
What exactly is an 'AI' PC?
AI, EVERYWHERE, all at once. That, in a nutshell, is what's happening to the computing industry. The PC, inevitably, is not immune. Later this summer, you'll be able to buy a machine that officially qualifies as an 'Al' PC, according to no lesser an authority than Microsoft. But you might be surprised at who's making it.
Intel Raptor Lake Core 19 Instability Problems
THE RACE BETWEEN AMD AND INTEL has heated up in the past few years as Ryzen processors have become increasingly competitive. The amount of headroom for overclocking has shrunk in response, and it seems motherboard vendors may have tweaked settings a bit too aggressively.
LG ANNOUNCES GAMING OLED
The panel can alter refresh rates and resolutions
Intel announces 6th Gen Xeon brand
'Xeon Scalable' becomes the Xeon 6 series
CREATE A SECURE WIREGUARD VPN SERVER
Discover how to securely access your home network when out and about, with Nick Peers
HP Omen 45L
HP's biggest desktop PC offers mighty gaming potential
Sapphire RX 7900 GRE Pulse
The Golden Rabbit Edition goes global
Use Photoshop's new AI features
YOU'LL NEED THIS PHOTOSHOP CC 25.5 OR LATER
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU'VE BEEN HACKED?
Don't let attackers sneak under your radar: Nik Rawlinson reveals the telltale signs to look out for
THE BATTLE OF THE BUILDS DEDICATED VS INTEGRATED GPUs
We put AMD's latest Ryzen 5 8600G to the test