Often laptop users hear a terrible phrase in the service center for the repair and maintenance of gadgets: "You have a problem with the north bridge." It sounds threatening enough. So what is the north bridge in a laptop? What is it: a time bomb or a benefit for the entire gadget? Let us first examine the important question of why such a problem arises, and then find out ways to solve it. Even for the average user, it is important to understand how the two bridges work. And knowing them, you can not bring the gadget to a state where it will require resuscitation measures or even a computer pathologist.
The north bridge in a laptop: what is it?
The answer, on the one hand, is as simple as a devoured egg, and on the other, it’s quite complicated, because due to a misunderstanding of the essence of this issue, many laptops have already gone to landfill. So, the simplicity of the answer lies in the fact that this is an ordinary chip that acts as a controller on the motherboard. Therefore, a perfectly legitimate question arises: "What function does the north bridge carry out in a laptop?" In order to get an answer to it, it is worth taking a look at the interaction scheme of the north bridge with other elements of the motherboard.
As can be seen from this diagram, the north bridge serves several critical elements in the computer. In fact, it connects the central processor of the computer with RAM and a video card. According to computer statistics, these are the most high-speed controls. And in those places where the elements operate at maximum frequencies, a large amount of heat is always released, which must be quickly and efficiently removed from the computer to the external environment. And the more powerful the computer, the more acute this problem is. Therefore, to answer the question: "North Bridge in a laptop: what is it?" - definitely impossible.
Signs of the failure of the north bridge
Why are many laptop users very concerned about the question, which can be formulated like this: "What are the signs of a malfunction of the laptop’s north bridge?" Because those who have faced this difficult problem can share the results of its solution. In most cases, if the north bridge is out of order, then in practice this means the death of the laptop. Of course, there are service centers that can replace this chip, but the cost of such a repair is almost comparable to the cost of a new or used laptop. Moreover, this will only work if the laptop model is new, then you can find a new north bridge on it. But even with such a combination of circumstances, no one will guarantee that the part is one hundred percent suitable for your gadget.
So, what are the signs of the failure of the north bridge? The most important symptom is this: if when you press the start button the LED lights up and nothing else happens, then there is a high probability that there is a problem with the south bridge. But if any information appears on the screen or the laptop emits various sound signals, then the part is still functioning.
How to protect the north bridge from problems
As already mentioned above, the north bridge in a laptop is a source of thermal energy. Based on this, it is necessary to consider its protection. Therefore, the answer to the question: "North Bridge in a laptop: what is it?" - it may sound like this: "This is an internal computer oven that requires constant heat dissipation." So, a guarantee of a long life of both the northernmost bridge and the laptop as a whole is its serviceable cooling system. Some users strangle their computer in the literal sense of the word, installing it on a soft base, such as a blanket, which blocks the air access to the cooling system.
How is the north bridge different from the south?
In parallel with the north bridge , there is a south bridge in the laptop. On the block diagram above, it is shown a little lower and therefore received such a name. The answer to the question of what is the north and south bridge in a laptop and how they differ from each other can also be seen in this diagram. The north and south bridges are controllers of various peripherals 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.
Service laptop - a guarantee of a long life gadget
So, in order not to ask the service center the question: “North bridge in a laptop - what is it?”, You should regularly bring your gadget to the workshop so that specialists carry out routine maintenance of the cooling system. The program may include cleaning the ventilation system of the computer and replacing the thermal paste on the processor, north bridge, and video card. But in order not to risk their computer, many users install special programs that monitor the temperature at these critical points of the electronic product.