The chipset, also called Southbridge, is essential in any system. It is responsible for managing connectivity, such as USB ports, SATA ports or Ethernet connectivity. In addition, they can have overclocking capabilities or RAID volume management.
It can be said that these are fairly simple and effective control chips that in many cases only require passive heat sinks. This does not mean that due to manufacturing or design flaws they can cause significant problems.
Serious problem with Intel chipsets
Although the chipset is associated with the motherboard, laptops also integrate this element. Their features tend to be much simpler than those integrated into motherboards intended for gaming systems.
Intel between 2015 and 2018 had serious problems with its chipsets for laptops. A defect in the manufacturing process caused a malfunction. Due to this defect, the Southbridge ended up getting hotter than it should have. If this is already a problem on a desktop computer, on a laptop where everything is more compact, the problem is even more serious.
It should be noted that a total of four models were affected by Intel’s design failure. Specifically, the models were as follows:
- Dell XPS 13
- HP Spectre x360
- Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
- Microsoft Surface Laptop
These laptops were affected by various serious malfunctions. The first problem was an excess temperature in the chipset which eventually generated a thermal problem in the system.
Due to the excessive temperature and as a protective measure, the system reduced its performance to protect itself from the high temperature. Due to the high temperatures, completely random reboots occurred. Finally, there were constant blue screens of death (BSOD).
Since it was not a manufacturer issue, but rather a widespread one, the source of the problem was quickly detected: Intel chipsets. Faced with this situation, the company had no room for maneuver and simply offered to solve the problem for those affected.
To prevent this issue from happening again in the future, the company has made changes to the chipset manufacturing process. The company has implemented improvements in the development, manufacturing, and verification processes of these components. This does not mean that this defect could happen again in the future.
Obviously, this problem had a huge financial impact on the company, as it had to repair tens of thousands of laptops. In addition, it generated a reputational problem for Intel and its customers, who suffered a considerable loss of customers.
As far as we know, something like this has never happened with Intel chipsets since, which means the company’s new protocols are effects. It doesn’t mean other problems could arise in the future.
