North Bridge Motherboard

Laptops and personal computers are very complex devices. There are so many microchips in them that the unprepared user could not even dream of. Often, all these "glands" have the property of failing. In the service centers, the faceless formulation "burned the north bridge of the motherboard". And what kind of bridge is it and where did it come from on this very board - God knows. Harsh IT people are not going to explain to a mere mortal a computer device. But you need to know this, because the problem is very serious and occurs quite often. We'll talk about this now.

What is the north bridge

The North Bridge is a controller on the motherboard, which is responsible for the operability of some of its very important nodes. Often this bridge is paired with an integrated graphics core (especially in laptops). This is not surprising, because the bridge is responsible for the video adapter, CPU, RAM and other particularly important components of the computer. It is by his grace that the whole multicomponent system works. It is named because of its location. But not because of the temperature.

The paradox, but the southern bridge is much "colder" 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 supplied with an additional cooler or a cooling radiator. In addition, this bridge is usually installed in the upper part of the housing. And hot air, as you know, rises. Hence the additional load on this element. Is it worth mentioning that it is this component of the motherboard that burns first?

Signs of failure

It's pretty simple. Since the north bridge of a laptop or a PC is responsible for the operation of the most important components, the breakdown is easy to diagnose. Enough to turn on the computer. The first sign is that there will be no image on the screen. There may also be no access to the hard disk. RAM will not boot 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 restart of the computer. It all depends on the degree of damage to the component. Another common symptom may be that the computer is turned on from the fifth or even the tenth time. If such symptoms occur, then your north bridge on the laptop or PC is seriously damaged. And it's not worthwhile to tighten with this, because you can lose all other components of the computer, which are still working properly.

Causes of breakage

There are a lot of them. Therefore, immediately understand what happened, it is impossible. 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. And the motherboard itself "pounding" is not necessary. The controller is very fragile. A little push is enough for him. The last reason is factory marriage. It is extremely rare. Typically, manufacturers warn users that there is a defective chip in the motherboard. When he flies it is a matter of time.

The north and south bridge are quite fastidious components. They have enough small shakes, insignificant overheating or a voltage jump - and that's all, they're dead. By the way, getting liquid into the computer is also a common cause of breakdown. It is enough to get a small drop on the contact, as soon as there is a short circuit, and the controller burns out. And without this control element, PC operation is impossible.

Repairs

Repair the failed north bridge with your own hands will not work. This is a complex device that is produced by specialized robots. Such precision is not available to man. Therefore, in the service centers, no one will be picking at the controller. The only way out here is to replace the bridge. The quality of the replacement depends on the particular wizard. It is not recommended to give their laptops and PCs into the hands of "folk craftsmen", because these comrades can kill everything there. It is better to use the services of professionals.

If you have a motherboard with a known faulty controller (which was confirmed by the manufacturer), it's better not to wait for the hour at all. The North Bridge will be changed by warranty for free at an authorized service center of the manufacturer. But it is better not to delay this, because the consequences can be very sad.

Prevention

In order to avoid the failure of this component of the motherboard, you only need to comply with not very complicated rules of operation. First, 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 its own devices, the north bridge will simply burn, unable to withstand the high temperature. Also, all the time, you should check the cooling system for operability. If any cooler fails, it should be replaced immediately.

Secondly, never expose a laptop or PC to physical influences. This also has a detrimental effect on this component. Third, keep away from laptops and PC pets. Their wool very quickly clogs the cooling system. As a result - overheating and failure of the bridge. Fourth, never drink anything near a laptop or PC. One drop of fluid leaking onto the motherboard is enough to make the north bridge "play into the box".

Conclusion

Now you know what the north bridge of the computer motherboard is, what it serves and what it is afraid of. Observance of simple rules of safe operation of the computer will help to avoid the failure of this finicky component. Diagnosis of the failure of this component of the motherboard is also very simple. If the PC does not start, reboots and there is no image, then with a high degree of probability it can be said that the north bridge has died. It is impossible to repair it - just change it. However, it is easier to replace it than the entire motherboard. Take care of your computer carefully, and you will never have such problems.