The North Bridge in the laptop: what is it? What does the most important element of the motherboard look like?

Often users of laptops hear a terrible phrase in the service center for repair and maintenance of gadgets: "You have a problem with the north bridge." It sounds quite menacing. So what is a north bridge in a laptop? What is this: a delayed-action mine or a blessing for the whole gadget? Let's first consider an important question about why such a problem arises, and then find out the ways to solve it. Even for the average user, it is important to understand the principles of the operation of both bridges. And knowing them, you can not bring the gadget to a state where it will require resuscitation or even a computer pathologist.

The North Bridge in the laptop: what is it?

The answer, on the one hand, is simple, like an eaten egg, but on the other hand it is quite complicated, because a lot of laptops have already gone to the dump because of a lack of understanding of the essence of this matter. So, the simplicity of the answer is that this is an ordinary chip, which acts as a controller on the motherboard. Therefore, a completely legitimate question arises: "What is the function of the north bridge in the laptop?" In order to get an answer to it, it is worth looking at the scheme of interaction of the north bridge with the rest of the motherboard elements.

As can be seen from this scheme, the north bridge serves several important elements in the computer. In fact, it connects the CPU of the computer with RAM and video card. According to computer statistics, these are the most high-speed controls. And in those places where the elements work at maximum frequencies, there is always a lot of heat released, which must be removed from the computer in an efficient and fast manner to the external environment. And the more powerful the computer, the sharper this problem is. Therefore, to answer the question: "The North Bridge in the laptop: what is it?" - definitely impossible.

Signs of the north bridge failure

Why many laptop users are very much concerned about the question, which can be formulated like this: "What are the signs of a failure of the north bridge of the laptop?" Because those who faced this difficult problem, can share the results of its solution. In most cases, if the north bridge is out of order, then practically this means the final death of the laptop. Of course, there are service centers that can replace this chip, but the cost of such repairs is almost comparable to the cost of a new or used laptop. And this will work only if the laptop model is new, then you can find a new north bridge on it. But even with such a confluence of circumstances, no one will provide a guarantee that the part is 100% suitable for your gadget.

So, what are the signs of the exit of the north bridge? The most important symptom is the following: if the LED lights up when the start button is pressed and nothing else happens, then there is a high probability that there is a problem with the south bridge. But if some information appears on the screen or the laptop makes various sound signals, then the detail is still functioning.

How to protect the north bridge from problems

As already mentioned above, the north bridge in the laptop is a source of thermal energy. Proceeding from this, it is necessary to consider his defense. Therefore, the answer to the question: "The North Bridge in the laptop: what is it?" - can sound as follows: "This is the internal furnace of the computer, which requires constant heat removal." So, the guarantee of a long life of both the north bridge and the laptop as a whole is its serviceable cooling system. Some users stifle their computer in the literal sense of the word, installing it on a soft base, such as a blanket, than blocking the access of air to the cooling system.

How does the north bridge differ from the southern one?

In parallel with the north bridge in the laptop there is also a south bridge. In the block diagram given above, it is depicted a little lower and therefore received the name. The answer to the question about what a north and south bridge in a laptop is and how they differ from each other can also be seen on this diagram. The north and south bridges are controllers of various periphery of the motherboard. But the south bridge, unlike its northern neighbor, operates at a lower frequency and generates much less heat. Therefore, it often does not even have a radiator.

Laptop service - guarantee of a long life of a gadget

So, in order not to ask the service center in the future: "The North Bridge in the laptop - what is this?", It is worth regularly bringing your gadget to the workshop, so that specialists carry out routine maintenance of the cooling system. The program can include cleaning the computer's ventilation system and replacing the thermal paste on the processor, north bridge and video card. But in order not to risk your computer, many users put special programs that monitor the temperature at these critical points of the electronic product.