B is finally able to unleash a maximum IDE performance, while it's predecessors, 596B and 686A, have never been able to achieve throughputs like the competing products from Intel, Promise, HighPoint and others did. The chipset takes control of all components, which are found on the motherboard.
Most sets consist of two chips, which are called North and South Bridge.
This graphic shows the block diagram of VIA's KT133 chipset for AMD Athlon or Duron processors. Here the North Bridge is called VT8363. VIA's new 686B is pin-compatible with its predecessors, so the one and only difference is the ATA interface. The North and South Bridge talk to each other via the PCI bus. VIA vs. Intel Click here to find lowest prices on memory.