Laptops and personal computers are highly sophisticated devices. They have so many microchips that an unprepared user has never dreamed of. Often all these "pieces of iron" tend to fail. In service centers, they get off with the faceless wording "the motherboardās north bridge burned out." And what kind of bridge it is and where it came from on this very board - God knows. Severe IT people are not going to explain the computer device to mere mortals. But you need to know this, since the problem is very serious and is quite common. That's what weāll talk about now.
What is the north bridge
The North Bridge is a controller on the motherboard that is responsible for the performance of some of its very important nodes. Often this bridge is paired with an integrated graphics core (especially on laptops). This is not surprising, because the bridge is responsible for the operation of the video adapter, central processor, RAM and other critical components of the computer. It is by his grace that the whole multicomponent system works. It is named so because of its location. But not because of the temperature.
Itās a paradox, but the south bridge is much ācolderā than the north. This is due to the fact that the north bridge is in close proximity to the processor and video card. This affects its temperature in the most negative way. Therefore, it is equipped with an additional cooler or radiator. In addition, this bridge is usually installed in the upper part of the housing. And hot air, as you know, rises up. Hence the additional load on this element. Is it worth mentioning that this particular component of the motherboard burns out first?
Signs of Failure
It is pretty simple. Since the north bridge of a laptop or PC is responsible for the operation of the most important components, it is quite simple to diagnose a breakdown. It is enough to turn on the computer. The first sign will be that there will be no image on the screen. Also, there may be no access to the hard drive. RAM will not load either. As a result, you will hear a characteristic sound signal in the form of a nasty squeak.
Also, a symptom may be a cyclic reboot of the computer. It all depends on the degree of damage to the component. Another common symptom may be that the computer turns on from the fifth or even tenth time. If such symptoms do occur, then your northbridge on your laptop or PC is seriously damaged. And you shouldnāt delay it, because you can lose all the other components of the computer that still work properly.
Breakdown reasons
There are a great many of them. Therefore, it is impossible to immediately understand what happened. The most common cause is overheating. The north bridge simply burns out due to exceeding the permissible temperature. Such a thing takes place when there is insufficient cooling of the component. Physical damage is also possible upon impact. Moreover, the motherboard itself is not necessary to ābeatā. The controller is very fragile. A little push is enough for him. The last reason is factory defects. It is extremely rare. Manufacturers usually warn users that there is a flawed chip in the motherboard. When it flies - a matter of time.
The north and south bridge are pretty finicky components. A little shake, a minor overheating or a power surge is enough for them - and that's all, they are dead. By the way, liquid getting inside the computer is also a common cause of breakdown. It is enough for the smallest drop to get on the contact, as soon as a short circuit occurs, and the controller burns out. And without this control element, PC operation is impossible.
Repairs
It is not possible to repair the failed north bridge with your own hands. This is a complex device that is made by specialized robots. Such accuracy is not available to humans. Therefore, in service centers, no one will poke around in the controller. There is only one way out - to replace the bridge. The quality of the replacement depends on the particular wizard. It is not recommended to give your laptops and PCs to the hands of "craftsmen", because these comrades can kill everything there. It is better to use the services of professionals.
If you have a motherboard with a knownly defective controller (which was confirmed by the manufacturer), then itās better not to wait for hour X. You will change the North Bridge under warranty completely free of charge at the manufacturerās authorized service center. But itās better not to delay it, because the consequences can be very sad.
Prevention
In order to avoid the failure of this component of the motherboard, you just need to observe not very complicated operating rules. Firstly, you need to regularly clean the case from dust and dirt. Particular attention should be paid to coolers and other components of the cooling system. For if everything is left to chance, then the north bridge will simply burn out, unable to withstand the high temperature. Also, the cooling system should be checked for operability all the time. If any cooler fails, then it should be replaced immediately.
Secondly, never expose a laptop or PC to physical impact. This also adversely affects this component. Third, keep pets away from laptops and PCs. Their wool clogs the cooling system very quickly. As a result - overheating and failure of the bridge. Fourth, never drink anything near a laptop or PC. One drop of liquid leaked onto the motherboard is enough for the north bridge to "play in the box."
Conclusion
Now you know what the north bridge of a computer motherboard is, what it serves and what it is afraid of. Observance of simple rules for safe computer operation will help to avoid the failure of this fastidious component. Diagnosing the malfunction of this component of the motherboard is also very simple. If the PC does not start, reboots and the image is missing, then with a high degree of probability we can say that the north bridge has died. It is impossible to repair it - just change it. However, itās easier to replace it than the entire motherboard. Be careful about your computer, and you will never have such problems.