Chipset

The main component of the mainboard is the chipset. All Shuttle XPCs include a mainboard with a highly integrated chipset. The chipset connects the components of a computer and controls all the data that flows through the data channels (buses) of the mainboard. The primary function of the motherboard chipset is to direct this data to the correct area's of the motherboard, and therefore the correct components. The chipset offers several interfaces (like FSB, AGP, PCI, E-IDE, USB) which communicate with specified voltage levels, clock frequencies and signal protocols. The chipset has large influence on the entire system performance.