What is interconnect?

An interconnect is simply a way for different parts of a computer system or electronic device to talk to each other. Think of it like a road that lets data travel between the CPU, memory, storage, and other components. In hardware, interconnects can be physical wires, printed circuit board traces, or tiny pathways inside a chip that move electrical signals.

Let's break it down

  • CPU ↔ Memory: The processor needs to read and write data to RAM. The link that carries those bits is an interconnect.
  • Chip‑to‑chip: In a multi‑core processor, each core talks to the others through an internal interconnect network.
  • Board level: Motherboards use buses (like PCIe, SATA, USB) as interconnects to attach graphics cards, SSDs, etc.
  • Network level: Data centers use high‑speed interconnects (e.g., InfiniBand, Ethernet) to connect many servers together.

Why does it matter?

If the interconnect is slow or congested, the whole system feels sluggish because data can’t move quickly enough. A fast, efficient interconnect lets the CPU get the data it needs right away, improves overall performance, reduces power consumption, and enables new features like real‑time AI processing or massive parallel computing.

Where is it used?

  • Inside CPUs and GPUs (on‑chip interconnects like Intel’s EMIB or AMD’s Infinity Fabric)
  • Motherboards (PCI Express slots, SATA ports, USB ports)
  • Data center servers (InfiniBand, 100 GbE Ethernet)
  • Supercomputers (custom high‑speed fabrics)
  • Consumer devices (smartphones use interconnects to link the processor, memory, and modem)

Good things about it

  • Speed: Modern interconnects can transfer terabytes of data per second.
  • Scalability: They let designers add more cores, memory, or devices without redesigning the whole system.
  • Efficiency: Well‑designed interconnects reduce latency and power use.
  • Flexibility: Standards like PCIe allow many different types of hardware to plug in and work together.

Not-so-good things

  • Complexity: Designing high‑performance interconnects is difficult and costly.
  • Bottlenecks: If one part of the interconnect is slower, it can hold up the entire system.
  • Compatibility issues: Different standards may not work together, requiring adapters or bridges.
  • Power and heat: Very fast interconnects can generate heat and consume more energy, needing extra cooling solutions.