Overview
The chipset is a critical part of the motherboard that acts as the 'traffic controller' for the system. It determines what features the motherboard supports, such as the number of USB ports, PCIe lanes, and overclocking capabilities.
Evolution
In older systems, the chipset consisted of two main chips: the Northbridge and the Southbridge. In modern systems, most Northbridge functions have been moved into the CPU itself.
Importance
When choosing a motherboard, the chipset (e.g., Intel Z790 or AMD X670) is the primary factor in determining compatibility and performance features.