All the more or less literate users of PCs and laptops have probably heard of such concepts as the north bridge and the south bridge. However, it is one thing to hear, and quite another to understand what it is and why it is needed. When these components fail, the repairmen are limited to a faceless phrase like "the north / south bridge has burned down, replacement is required." And no one will bother to explain to the poor user what exactly happened to his computer. And to know this is very useful. Therefore, let's analyze this topic in this article.
What is the south bridge?
The south bridge of the motherboard is a controller that is responsible for the operation of some important components of the computer. It controls the operation of USB ports, PCI slots, power, a direct memory access controller, an interrupt controller, a real-time clock, an audio controller, and other important components. Without this component, normal computer operation is not possible. It simply will not turn on if the bridge suddenly fails. Therefore, you need to carefully monitor him.
Of course, if the laptop’s south bridge fails, it’s not as fatal as the north bridge, but it’s still unpleasant. After all, then the PC or laptop simply will not start. But there are no problems with the diagnosis. It’s immediately clear what burned out. But let's move on to this very diagnosis and see how to understand that it was this bridge that failed.
Troubleshooting
As a rule, diagnosing a malfunction is the first step in understanding the problem and understanding what to do next. How to understand that the south bridge "ordered a long life"? Very simple. In most cases, the computer simply does not turn on and squeaks disgustingly. But here it all depends on the degree of damage to the controller. In the case of laptops, USB ports, touchpad and other peripherals that are completely and completely dependent on this bridge may not work.
Also, a symptom of a malfunction of this particular element may be incorrect global time in the BIOS and the operating system itself. The option with the complete disappearance of sound is not excluded. Even the fact that the south bridge is heated above the permissible temperature can be a very alarming symptom. This can only mean one thing: it will burn out very soon. Therefore, urgent need to take action.
Breakdown reasons
There may be many, but the most common is overheating. The south bridge, in fact, is a chipset. Therefore, he needs high-quality cooling. In the event of a malfunction in the cooling system of a PC or laptop, it is very likely that the controller will burn out. Physical damage is also very popular. A small hit in the right place is enough - and the fragile structure of the chipset will be irreparably damaged. And this is a direct way to the service center. No way without it.
Also, there is a very high probability of liquid getting on the motherboard in the area of the south bridge. One drop is enough for a short circuit to occur. The controller will burn out very quickly. Another common cause of failure is chipset defects. But this is very easy to verify, as manufacturers post a list of defective controllers. They will break anyway. And it does not matter whether it is a south bridge or a north one.
Repairs
The trouble is that repairing such a component is not possible. Only replacing the south bridge will help. The fact is that a person cannot repair a chipset, because it was created by high-tech robots. The person does not have enough accuracy. And no one has such tools. So without a visit to the service center to the repairmen still can not do. Just don’t give your computer into the hands of all kinds of "craftsmen" who promise to change the bridge at half price. Such a woeful specialist can easily kill not only all bridges, but also the other very fragile components of a computer. Contact only professionals.
If you have a deliberately defective controller installed on the site of the south bridge in your motherboard, and the manufacturer confirms this, then you can change it immediately after purchase. It will not cost you a dime, because this is a guarantee case. You just install the chipset without a defect. It is better not to delay and immediately contact an authorized service center, because the consequences can be very sad when putting this matter aside.
Prevention
In order for the south bridge of the motherboard to work for a long time and without any problems, you need to follow very simple rules for operating a computer or laptop. Firstly, do not neglect to clean the device from dirt and dust. Even a small layer of dust can harm the bridge controller. A cooler clogged with dirt and ventilation slots can easily lead to overheating and failure of an element. Secondly, do not expose the device to physical impact. The slightest damage can have the most sad consequences. Neglecting this is not worth it, because you can lose not only the south bridge of the device.
Thirdly, do not have the habit of eating and drinking near a laptop. Spilled tea and coffee can cause fatal consequences. One drop of any liquid is enough for a short circuit to occur, and the south bridge is out of order. Also, do not take a laptop with you to the bathroom. Even if you do not touch it with wet hands, no one canceled the condensate. Fourth, keep pets away from your laptop or PC. Wool very quickly clogs ventilation slots, coolers and other components of the cooling system. Hence the overheating and the failure of the south bridge. Use your device carefully. And then you will have no problems.
Conclusion
So, above we considered such a component of the motherboard of a computer or laptop as the south bridge. Now you know what he is responsible for. Although this controller is not as important as the north bridge, you cannot turn on a PC or laptop without it. In order for this component to be safe and sound, it is enough to follow the simple rules of safe computer operation. Then your laptop will serve you faithfully for a long time. Now you know how to diagnose the failure of this particular component of the system. And never turn to the "craftsmen." Better entrust the gadget to professionals.