01 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 our example 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 require 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.
02 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 up against a grid of flat contact points on the base of the processor. Installing the CPU in a socket like
