Platform Controller Hub


The Platform Controller Hub is a family of Intel's single-chip chipsets, first introduced in 2009. It is the successor to the Intel Hub Architecture, which used two chipsa northbridge and southbridge, and first appeared in the Intel 5 Series.
The PCH controls certain data paths and support functions used in conjunction with Intel CPUs. These include clocking, Flexible Display Interface and Direct Media Interface, although FDI is used only when the chipset is required to support a processor with integrated graphics. As such, I⁠/⁠O functions are reassigned between this new central hub and the CPU compared to the previous architecture: some northbridge functions, the memory controller and PCIe lanes, were integrated into the CPU while the PCH took over the remaining functions in addition to the traditional roles of the southbridge. AMD has its equivalent for the PCH, known simply as a chipset since the release of the Zen architecture in 2017. AMD no longer uses its equivalent for the PCH, the Fusion controller hub.

Overview

The PCH architecture supersedes Intel's previous Hub Architecture, with its design addressing the eventual problematic performance bottleneck between the processor and the motherboard. Under the Hub Architecture, a motherboard would have a two-piece chipset consisting of a northbridge chip and a southbridge chip. Over time, the speed of CPUs kept increasing but the bandwidth of the front-side bus did not, resulting in a performance bottleneck.
As a solution to the bottleneck, several functions belonging to the traditional northbridge and southbridge chipsets were rearranged. The northbridge and its functions are now eliminated completely: The memory controller, PCI Express lanes for expansion cards and other northbridge functions are now incorporated into the CPU die as a system agent or packaged in the processor on an I⁠/⁠O die.
The PCH then incorporates a few of the remaining northbridge functions in addition to all of the southbridge's functions, replacing it. The system clock was previously a connection to a dedicated chip but is now incorporated into the PCH. Two different connections exist between the PCH and the CPU: Flexible Display Interface and Direct Media Interface. The FDI is used only when the chipset requires supporting a processor with integrated graphics. The Intel Management Engine was also moved to the PCH starting with the Nehalem processors and 5-Series chipsets. AMD's chipsets instead use several PCIe lanes to connect with the CPU while also providing their own PCIe lanes, which are also provided by the processor itself. The chipset also contains the Nonvolatile BIOS memory.
With the northbridge functions integrated to the CPU, much of the bandwidth needed for chipsets is now relieved.
This style began in Nehalem and will remain for the foreseeable future, through Cannon Lake.

Phase-out

Beginning with ultra-low-power Haswells and continuing with mobile Skylake processors, Intel incorporated the southbridge IO controllers into the CPU package, eliminating the PCH for a system in package design with two dies; the larger die being the CPU die, the smaller die being the PCH die. Rather than DMI, these SOPs directly expose PCIe lanes, as well as SATA, USB, and HDA lines from integrated controllers, and SPI/I²C/UART/GPIO lines for sensors. Like PCH-compatible CPUs, they continue to expose DisplayPort, RAM, and SMBus lines. However, a fully integrated voltage regulator will be absent until Cannon Lake.
AMD's FCH has been discontinued since the release of the Carrizo series of CPUs as it has been integrated into the same die as the rest of the CPU. However, since the release of the Zen architecture, there's still a component called a chipset which only handles relatively low speed I⁠/⁠O such as USB and SATA ports and connects to the CPU with a PCIe connection. In these systems all PCIe connections are routed directly to the CPU. The UMI interface previously used by AMD for communicating with the FCH is replaced with a PCIe connection. Technically the processor can operate without a chipset; it only continues to be present for interfacing with low speed I⁠/⁠O.
AMD server and laptop CPUs adopt a self contained system on chip design instead which doesn't require a chipset.

Ibex Peak

The Intel 5 Series chipsets were the first to introduce a PCH. This first PCH is codenamed Ibex Peak.
This has the following variations:
  • Server
  • Server
  • Server
  • Desktop Base
  • Desktop Home
  • Desktop Home
  • Desktop Office
  • Mobile Base
  • Mobile Home
  • Mobile Home
  • Mobile Office
  • Mobile SFF

Issues

  • Bogus USB ports will be detected by desktop PCHs equipped with 6 USB ports on the first EHCI controller. This can happen when AC power is removed after entering ACPI S4. Applying AC power back and resuming from S4 may result in non detected or even non functioning USB device
  • Bogus USB ports will be detected by mobile PCH equipped with 6 USB ports on the first EHCI controller. This can happen when AC power and battery are removed after entering ACPI S4. Applying AC power or battery back and resuming from S4 may result in non detected or even non functioning USB device
  • Reading the HPET comparator timer immediately after a write returns the old value
  • SATA 6 Gbit/s devices may not be detected at cold boot or after ACPI S3, S4 resume

Langwell

Langwell is the codename of a PCH in the Moorestown MID/smartphone platform. for Atom Lincroft microprocessors.
This has the following variations:
  • AF82MP20
  • AF82MP30

Tiger Point

Tiger Point is the codename of a PCH in the Pine Trail netbook platform chipset for Atom Pineview microprocessors.
This has the following variations:

Topcliff

Topcliff is the codename of a PCH in the Queens Bay embedded platform chipset for Atom Tunnel Creek microprocessors.
It connects to the processor via PCIe.
This has the following variations:

Cougar Point

Cougar Point is the codename of a PCH in Intel 6 Series chipsets for mobile, desktop, workstation, and server platforms. It is most closely associated with Sandy Bridge processors.
This has the following variations:
  • Server
  • Server
  • Workstation and Server
  • Desktop Base
  • Desktop Home
  • Desktop Home
  • Combined desktop base and home
  • Desktop Office
  • Desktop Office
  • Desktop Office
  • Mobile Home
  • Mobile Home
  • Mobile Office
  • Mobile SFF
  • Ultra Mobile

Issues

In the first month after Cougar Point's release, January 2011, Intel posted a press release stating a design error had been discovered. Specifically, a transistor in the 3 Gbit/s PLL clocking tree was receiving too high voltage. The projected result was a 5–15% failure rate within three years of 3 Gbit/s SATA ports, commonly used for storage devices such as hard drives and optical drives. The bug was present in revision B2 of the chipsets, and was fixed with B3. Z68 did not have this bug, since the B2 revision for it was never released. 6 Gbit/s ports were not affected. This bug was especially a problem with the H61 chipset, which only had 3 Gbit/s SATA ports. Through OEMs, Intel plans to repair or replace all affected products at a cost of $700 million.
Nearly all produced motherboards using Cougar Point chipsets were designed to handle Sandy Bridge, and later Ivy Bridge, processors. ASRock produced one motherboard for LGA 1156 processors, based on P67 chipset, the P67 Transformer. It exclusively supports Lynnfield Core i5/i7 and Xeon processors, using LGA 1156 socket. After revision B2 of Cougar Point chipsets was recalled, ASRock decided not to update the P67 Transformer motherboard, and was discontinued. Some small Chinese manufacturers are producing LGA 1156 motherboards with H61 chipset.

Whitney Point

Whitney Point is the codename of a PCH in the Oak Trail tablet platform for Atom Lincroft microprocessors.
This has the following variations:

Panther Point

Panther Point is the codename of a PCH in Intel 7 Series chipsets for mobile and desktop. It is most closely associated with Ivy Bridge processors. These chipsets have integrated USB 3.0.
This has the following variations:
  • Workstation/Server
  • Desktop Home
  • Combined desktop base and home
  • Combined desktop base and home
  • Desktop Office
  • Desktop Office
  • Desktop Office
  • Mobile Home
  • Mobile Home
  • Mobile Home
  • Mobile Home
  • Mobile Office
  • Mobile Office
  • Ultra Mobile

Cave Creek

Cave Creek is the codename of the PCH most closely associated with Crystal Forest platforms and Gladden or Sandy Bridge-EP/EN processors.
  • Communications
  • Communications
  • Communications
  • Communications

Patsburg

Patsburg is the codename of a PCH in Intel 7 Series chipsets for server and workstation using the LGA 2011 socket. It was initially launched in 2011 as part of Intel X79 for the desktop enthusiast Sandy Bridge-E processors in Waimea Bay platforms. Patsburg was then used for the Sandy Bridge-EP server platform launched in early 2012.
Launched in the fall of 2013, the Ivy Bridge-E/EP processors also work with Patsburg, typically with a BIOS update.
Patsburg has the following variations:
  • Server
  • Server
  • Server
  • Workstation and Server
  • Workstation and Server
  • Workstation

Coleto Creek

Coleto Creek is the codename of the PCH most closely associated with Highland Forest platforms and Ivy Bridge-EP processors.
  • Communications
  • Communications
  • Communications
  • Communications

Lynx Point

Lynx Point is the codename of a PCH in Intel 8 Series chipsets, most closely associated with Haswell processors with LGA 1150 socket. The Lynx Point chipset connects to the processor primarily over the Direct Media Interface interface.
The following variants are available:
  • Workstation/Server
  • Workstation/Server
  • Workstation/Server
  • Desktop Home
  • Desktop Home
  • Combined desktop base and home
  • Desktop Office
  • Desktop Office
  • Desktop Office
  • Mobile Home
  • Mobile Home
  • Mobile Office
In addition the following newer variants are available, additionally known as Wildcat Point, which also support Haswell Refresh processors:
  • Desktop Home
  • Combined desktop base and home

Issues

A design flaw causes devices connected to the Lynx Point's integrated USB 3.0 controller to be disconnected when the system wakes up from the S3 state, forcing the USB devices to be reconnected although no data is lost. This issue is corrected in C2 stepping level of the Lynx Point chipset.

Wellsburg

Wellsburg is the codename for the C610-series PCH, supporting the Haswell-E, Haswell-EP, and Broadwell-EP processors. Generally similar to Patsburg, Wellsburg consumes only up to 7 W when fully loaded.
Wellsburg has the following variations:
  • , intended for servers and workstations
  • , intended for enthusiasts making use of Intel Core i7 59/69XX processors but it is compatible with LGA 2011-3 Xeons.

Sunrise Point

Sunrise Point is the codename of a PCH in Intel 100 Series chipsets, most closely associated with Skylake processors with LGA 1151 socket.
The following variants are available:
  • Workstation/Server
  • Desktop Home
  • Desktop Home
  • Combined desktop base and home
  • Desktop Office
  • Desktop Office
  • Desktop Office
  • Mobile Home
  • Mobile Workstation
  • Mobile Office

Union Point

Union Point is the codename of a PCH in Intel 200 Series chipsets, most closely associated with Kaby Lake processors with LGA 1151 socket.
The following variants are available:
  • Desktop Home
  • Combined desktop base and home
  • Desktop Office
  • Desktop Office
  • Desktop Office

Lewisburg

Lewisburg is the codename for the C620-series PCH, supporting LGA 2066 socketed Skylake-X/Kaby Lake-X processors.
Lewisburg has the following variations:
  • , intended for servers and workstations
  • , intended for servers and workstations
  • , intended for servers and workstations
  • , intended for servers and workstations
  • , intended for servers and workstations
  • , intended for servers and workstations
  • , intended for servers and workstations

Basin Falls

Basin Falls is the codename for the C400-series PCH, supporting Skylake-X/Kaby Lake-X processors. Generally similar to Wellsburg, Basin Falls consumes only up to 6 W when fully loaded.
Basin Falls has the following variations:
  • , intended for servers and workstations
  • , intended for enthusiasts making use of Intel Core i9 76-79XX processors but it is compatible with LGA 2066 Xeons.

Cannon Point

Cannon Point is the codename of a PCH in Intel 300 Series chipsets, most closely associated with Coffee Lake processors with LGA 1151 socket.
The following variants are available:
  • Desktop Home
  • Desktop Home
  • Combined desktop base and home
  • Desktop Office
  • Desktop Office
  • Mobile Home
  • Mobile Office
  • Mobile Workstation