Chipsets
A Chipset acts as the “manager” or “traffic hub” of a motherboard. If the CPU is the brain, the chipset is the nervous system and torso. It coordinates data flow between the CPU, memory, storage, and peripherals. Without it, the CPU is an isolated brain with no way to communicate.
IC-Mart Your Trusted Source for Chipsets
(from leading manufacturers)
Mainstream Chipset Models and Manufacturers
1. Computing Core Manufacturers (PC & Server)
| Manufacturer | Market Segment | Typical Models / Series | Remarks |
| Intel | Consumer (Desktop) | 800 Series (Z890, H870, B860, H810) | Supports Core Ultra 200S and the 200S Plus series (2026). |
| Server/Workstation | W790, C741, C621A | For Xeon Scalable processors and Threadripper competitors. | |
| Mobile (Laptop) | Integrated PCH (Lunar Lake, Panther Lake) | Modern laptops use SoC architectures with highly integrated functions. | |
| AMD | Consumer (AM5) | 800 Series (X870E, X870, B850, B840) | Optimized for Ryzen 9000; features universal PCIe 5.0. |
| HEDT/Server | WRX90, TRX50 | For Threadripper 7000/9000 series. | |
| Data Center | EPYC 9005 Series (SoC) | 5th Gen EPYC; the chipset logic is integrated into the I/O Die. |
2. Network and Communication Chipsets
| Manufacturer | Key Field | Typical Models / Series | Key Features |
| Broadcom | Cloud Data Center | Tomahawk 5 (BCM78900) | 51.2 Tb/s switching; core for AI/ML clusters. |
| Enterprise Network | Trident 4-X11 / Trident 5 | High programmability with NPL language support. | |
| Marvell | AI Cloud Network | Teralynx 10 (98TX9180) | 51.2 Tbps low-latency switching; competes with Broadcom. |
| Campus/Edge | Prestera 3500/4500 Series | For industrial and enterprise access layer switching. | |
| PCIe Interconnect | Structera S (60260) | Industry’s first 260-channel PCIe 6.0 switch chip. | |
| Realtek | Consumer/Commercial | RTL83xx / RTL82xx Series | Common in Gigabit/2.5G switches and PHY chips. |
3. Embedded and Industrial Chipsets (MPU/SoC)
| Manufacturer | Key Field | Typical Models / Series | Application Scenarios |
| NXP | Industrial/Auto AI | i.MX 95, i.MX 93 | Features NPU for high-performance edge computing. |
| Multimedia/General | i.MX 8M Plus, i.MX 8M Mini | Smart displays, voice recognition, industrial gateways. | |
| Crossover MCU | i.MX RT1170, RT1060 | Combines MCU low power with MPU high performance. | |
| ST | Industrial HMI | STM32MP1, STM32MP2 | Runs Linux; used for high-end industrial dashboards. |
| TI | Industrial Comm | Sitara AM62x, AM64x | Supports industrial protocols like TSN and EtherCAT. |
| Automotive Vision | Jacinto 7 (TDA4VM) | Used in ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems). | |
| Qualcomm | Mobile/IoT | QCS8550, QCS6490 | High-end IoT terminals and robotics core boards. |
Chinese Domestic Chipset Manufacturers
1. PC & Server Ecosystem (Bridge Chips)
| Manufacturer | Bridge Chip Model | Paired Processor | Key Features |
| Loongson | 7A2000 / 7A3000 | Loongson 3A5000/3A6000 | Integrated GPU; supports PCIe 4.0/5.0 and SATA 3.0. |
| Zhaoxin | ZX-200 Series | Zhaoxin KaiXian/KaiSheng | x86 compatible; supports USB 3.2 and PCIe. |
| Phytium | Phytium Bridge | Phytium TengRui D2000 | Designed for multi-core servers; enhances bandwidth. |
2. Network & Communication
| Manufacturer | Typical Models | Application Field | Remarks |
| Centec | GoldenGate (CTC8096) | Core/Aggregation Switches | Leading commercial switch chips; supports 400G ports. |
| HiSilicon | Solar Series | Backbone Networks, Base Stations | Primarily for Huawei; covers baseband and forwarding. |
| ZTE | Self-developed Chips | Carrier-grade Equipment | For core routers and 5G base station chipsets. |
3. AIoT & Multimedia SoC
| Manufacturer | Typical Models | Application Scenario | Key Advantages |
| Rockchip | RK3588, RK3576 | Industrial, Tablets, NVR | RK3588 supports 8K decoding and 6TOPS AI power. |
| Amlogic | S905X4, T982 | Smart TV, Set-top Boxes | Global leader in OTT; top-tier AV decoding. |
| Allwinner | H618, A523 | Smart Display, Consumer Electronics | High cost-efficiency for smart home devices. |
| UNISOC | Tangula (T770/T820) | 5G Terminals, IoT | Rare domestic provider of full 5G network tech. |
4. Automotive & Industrial
| Manufacturer | Typical Models | Category | Remarks |
| Horizon | Journey 5 / 6 | Autonomous Driving / ADAS | Mass-produced for domestic NEVs. |
| SemiDrive | X9, G9, V9 | Domain Controller Chipsets | Replaces foreign chips in cabin and gateway domains. |
| StarFive | JH7110 | RISC-V Industrial Control | Representative of the domestic RISC-V ecosystem. |
Chipsets Core Functions
- Traffic Control: Manages data speed and priority between components.
- Interface Support: Defines the number of USB ports, storage drives, and WiFi standards.
- Feature Tiering: Distinguishes product levels (e.g., enabling overclocking on high-end chips).
Application Scenarios
- PC & Laptops: Ensures fast boot times and manages high-speed SSDs.
- Servers: Manages 8–12 memory channels and hundreds of PCIe lanes.
- Industrial: Operates in extreme temperatures; ensures 10+ year lifecycles.
- Networking: Handles packet splitting/merging for 5G and high-speed switches.
- Automotive: Manages ADAS cameras and radar; requires ISO 26262 safety certification.
- AIoT: Highly integrated SoCs for smart TVs and robotics.
Technical Classifications
| Category | Typical Interfaces / Signals | Key Manufacturers |
|---|---|---|
| Consumer PC | DMI, PCIe 5.0, USB 4, Thunderbolt, SATA III, HDA | Intel, AMD |
| Server/Workstation | UPI / Infinity Fabric, High-lane PCIe, ECC, IPMI/BMC | Intel, AMD |
| Network | SerDes, SGMII / XFI, Optical Interfaces, Packet Buffers | Broadcom, Marvell, Cisco, Realtek |
| Embedded/SoC | I2C, SPI, UART, CAN/LIN Bus, MIPI, GPIO | NXP, ST, TI, Qualcomm |