Another way to check out the chipset on your PC is to open the system unit and find
the large square chips, which are usually bigger than most everything else on the mother-
board except the microprocessor. A chipset can have only one chip or as many as four
separate chips.Chipset Functions
A chipset integrates a number ofVLSI(very large scale integration) chips that provide
much of the PC’s functionality. Each of the chips integrated into the chipset at one time
could have easily been a stand-alone chip, but by combining them together into a single
chip, the controllers and devices combined into the chipset can share common actions, re-
duce the physical space required on the motherboard, and reduce cost—all very important
considerations in today’s PC market.Chipset Characteristics
The characteristics of a chipset can be broken down into six categories: host, memory,
interfaces, arbitration, south bridge support, and power management. Each of these catego-(^94) PC Hardware: A Beginner’s Guide
Figure 5-4. The Windows Device Manager System Devices displays the controller set (chipset)
of a PC