Intel 810 Chipset

Instead of having everything communicate with the memory/CPU via the PCI bus, the new Accelerated Hub Architecture allows for direct communication between the memory/CPU and disks, peripherals, and in the case of the i810 chipset, the graphics adapter.

The key to the success of the Accelerated Hub Architecture is the substitution of individual hub interfaces for the PCI bus in connecting the various parts of your system to your memory/CPU on the motherboard end of things. Take a look at the acronym PCI, Peripheral Component Interconnect, it doesn't really scream "all-purpose-bus" now does it? Intel took what was once a two-chip solution (North/South Bridge) and converted it into a two chip, three-hub solution, the first implementation being the i810 chipset. The three individual hubs are the Graphics and Memory Controller Hub (GMCH), the I/O Controller Hub (ICH) and the Firmware Hub (FWH). The two main hubs, the GMCH and the ICH are connected via an internal bus that offers double the bandwidth of the PCI bus, 266MB/s. This is a definite improvement over the "old" way of doing things and will shortly become the new standard as far as chipsets go, don't expect Intel to return to the classical way of doing things on the motherboard level anytime soon.

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So you have all this bandwidth to make use of, how did Intel go about making the most cost effective and integrated chipset solution in the history of the company? Let's start with the GMCH, the Graphics and Memory Controller Hub.