What is a system bus?

The system bus refers to a single computer bus that interconnects the CPU (central processing unit), the system memory and the other major components of a computer. A computer bus transfers data between computer components.

The transfer speed of a system bus determines the overall performance of a computer. The speed depends on the processor's clock speed and the number of parallel channels (32 bit, 16 bit etc.)

The system bus is also referred to as the host bus, local bus, memory bus or front side bus. It consists of three groups of wiring known as the address bus, control bus and data bus. Each of them has separate characteristics and responsibilities.