Motherboards and Buses - Upgrading and Repairing PCs - page 198

Intel 6x Series Chipsets
The Intel 6x series of chipsets is designed to support the 2 nd generation Core i Series processors
(code-named Sandy Bridge). These chipsets are similar to the 5x series, with the main differences
being faster transfer rates on several of the interfaces and support for newer processors. The first
chipsets in the 6x series were introduced in January 2011.
Like the 5x series chipsets, the 6x series consists of only a South Bridge component called the PCH
(Platform Controller Hub), since the circuitry normally associated with the North Bridge (that is,
memory controller, optional graphics) has been integrated into the processor.
Figure 4.25 shows the block diagram of a system with a socket LGA1155 2 nd generation Core i
Series processor on a motherboard with a P67 chipset. In the diagram, you can see that the
functionality of the North Bridge is now part of the CPU, reducing the chipset to a single South Bridge
(now called PCH) component.
Figure 4.25. Block diagram of a system with a socket LGA1155 2 nd gen. Core i Series processor