Which two components usually interface directly with the Southbridge chipset on the motherboard?

The Southbridge chipset serves as a critical controller on the motherboard, managing communication between the CPU and various peripherals and storage devices. The correct answer identifies USB ports and hard drives as components that typically interface directly with the Southbridge.

USB ports are managed by the Southbridge because they require communication and data transfer control with the input/output devices connected through them. Devices like keyboards, mice, and external storage drives rely on this connection for functionality. Additionally, hard drives, whether they are traditional HDDs or solid-state drives (SSDs), connect to the Southbridge for data management and storage access functions. The Southbridge handles the data transfer protocols needed for both USB devices and hard drives, ensuring the CPU can effectively communicate with these components.

The other options involve components that either do not directly interface with the Southbridge or belong to other system architecture parts. For instance, the video card generally interfaces with the Northbridge or through a PCIe slot, while RAM is also connected to the memory controller, ultimately linked to the Northbridge rather than the Southbridge. The power supply connects to various motherboard components but is not managed by the Southbridge chipset directly.