CPU socket

LGA 775, an LGA Socket

File:SocketA.jpg

Socket A (also known as Socket 462)

A CPU socket or CPU slot is a mechanical component(s) that provides mechanical and electrical connections between a microprocessor and a printed circuit board (PCB). This allows the CPU to be placed and replaced without soldering.

Common sockets have retention clips that apply a constant force, which must be overcome when a device is inserted. For chips with a large number of pins, either zero insertion force (ZIF) sockets or land grid array (LGA) sockets are used instead. These designs apply a compression force once either a handle (for ZIF type) or a surface plate (LGA type) is put into place. This provides superior mechanical retention while avoiding the risk of bending pins when inserting the chip into the socket.

CPU sockets are used in desktop and server computers. As they allow easy swapping of components, they are also used for prototyping new circuits. Laptops typically use surface mount CPUs, which need less space than a socketed part.

Function

A CPU socket is made of plastic, a lever or latch, and metal contacts for each of the pins or lands on the CPU. Many packages are keyed to ensure the proper insertion of the CPU. CPUs with a PGA (pin grid array) package are inserted into the socket and the latch is closed. CPUs with an LGA package are inserted into the socket, the latch plate is flipped into position atop the CPU, and the lever is lowered and locked into place, pressing the CPU's contacts firmly against the socket's lands and ensuring a good connection, as well as increased mechanical stability.

List of 80x86 sockets and slots

Socket name	Year of introduction	Year of End Of Life	CPU families supported	Computer type	Package	Pin count	Pin pitch	Bus speed	Notes
DIP	1970s	Still available	Intel 8086 Intel 8088		DIP	40	2.54mm	5/10 MHz
PLCC	?	Still available	Intel 80186 Intel 80286 Intel 80386		PLCC	68 to 132	1.27mm	6–40 MHz
Socket 1	1989	?	Intel 80486		PGA	169	2.54mm	16–50 MHz
Socket 2	?	?	Intel 80486		PGA	238	2.54mm	16–50 MHz
Socket 3	1991	?	Intel 80486		PGA	237	2.54mm	16–50 MHz
Socket 4	?	?	Intel Pentium		PGA	273	?	60–66 MHz
Socket 5	?	?	Intel Pentium AMD K5 Cyrix 6x86 IDT WinChip C6 IDT WinChip 2		PGA	320	?	50–66 MHz
Socket 6	?	?	Intel 80486		PGA	235	?	?	Designed but not used
Socket 7	1994	?	Intel Pentium Intel Pentium MMX AMD K6		PGA	321	?	50–66 MHz	It is possible to use Socket 7 processors in a Socket 5. An adapter is required, or if one is careful, a socket 7 can be pulled off its pins and put onto a socket 5 board, allowing the use of socket 7 processors.
Super Socket 7	1998	?	AMD K6-2 AMD K6-2+ AMD K6-III AMD K6-III+ Rise mP6 Cyrix MII		PGA	321	?	66–100 MHz	Backward compatible with Socket 5 and Socket 7 processors.
Socket 8	1995	?	Intel Pentium Pro		PGA	387	?	60–66 MHz
Slot 1	1997	?	Intel Pentium II Intel Pentium III		Slot	242	?	66–133 MHz	Celeron (Covington, Mendocino) Pentium II (Klamath, Deschutes) Pentium III (Katmai)- all versions Pentium III (coppermine)
Slot 2	1998	?	Intel Pentium II Xeon		Slot	330	?	100–133 MHz
Socket 463/ Socket NexGen	1994	?	NexGen Nx586		PGA	463	?	37.5–66MHz
Socket 587	1995	?	Alpha 21164A		Slot	587	?	?
Slot A	1999	?	AMD Athlon		Slot	242	?	100 MHz
Slot B	?	?	Alpha 21264		Slot	587	?	?
Socket 370	1999	?	Intel Pentium III Intel Celeron VIA Cyrix III VIA C3		PGA	370	1.27mm	66–133 MHz
Socket 462/ Socket A	2000	?	AMD Athlon AMD Duron AMD Athlon XP AMD Athlon XP-M AMD Athlon MP AMD Sempron	Desktop	PGA	462	?	100–200 MHz This is a double data rate bus having a 400 MT/s (megatransfers/second) FSB in the later models
Socket 423	2000	?	Intel Pentium 4		PGA	423	1mm	400 MT/s (100 MHz)	Willamette core only. Can accept some of Socket 478 CPU with an adapter
Socket 478/ Socket N	2000	~2007	Intel Pentium 4 Intel Celeron Intel Pentium 4 EE Intel Pentium 4 M		PGA	478	1.27mm	400–800 MT/s (100–200 MHz)
Socket 495	2000	?	Intel Celeron Intel Pentium III		PGA	495	1.27mm	66–133MHz
PAC418	2001	?	Intel Itanium		PGA	418	?	133 MHz
Socket 603	2001	?	Intel Xeon		PGA	603	1.27mm	400–533 MT/s (100–133 MHz)
PAC611	2002	?	Intel Itanium 2 HP PA-8800, PA-8900		PGA	611	?	?
Socket 604	2002	?	Intel Xeon		PGA	604	1.27mm	400–1066 MT/s (100–266 MHz)
Socket 754	2003	?	AMD Athlon 64 AMD Sempron AMD Turion 64		PGA	754	1.27mm	200–800 MHz
Socket 940	2003	?	AMD Opteron Athlon 64 FX		PGA	940	1.27mm	200–1000 MHz
Socket 479	2003	?	Intel Pentium M Intel Celeron M		PGA	479	?	400–533 MT/s (100–133 MHz)
Socket 939	2004	11/2008	AMD Athlon 64 AMD Athlon 64 FX AMD Athlon 64 X2 AMD Opteron	Desktop	PGA	939	1.27mm	200–1000 MHz	Support of Athlon 64 FX to 1 GHz Support of Opteron limited to 100-series only
LGA 775/ Socket T	2004	?	Intel Pentium 4 Intel Pentium D Intel Celeron Intel Celeron D Intel Pentium XE Intel Core 2 Duo Intel Core 2 Quad Intel Xeon	Desktop	LGA	775	1.09mm x 1.17mm	1600 MHz	Can accept LGA 771 CPU with slight modification and use of an adapter
Socket 563	?	?	AMD Athlon XP-M		PGA	563	?	?
Socket M	2006	?	Intel Core Solo Intel Core Duo Intel Dual-Core Xeon Intel Core 2 Duo	Notebook	PGA	478	?	533–667 MT/s (133–166 MHz)	Replaces Socket 479
LGA 771/ Socket J	2006	?	Intel Xeon	Server	LGA	771	1.09mm x 1.17mm	1600 MHz	See LGA 775/Socket T above
Socket S1	2006	?	AMD Turion 64 X2		PGA	638	1.27mm	200–800 MHz
Socket AM2	2006	?	AMD Athlon 64 AMD Athlon 64 X2		PGA	940	1.27mm	200–1000 MHz	Replaces Socket 754 and Socket 939
Socket F/ Socket L (Socket 1207FX)	2006	?	AMD Athlon 64 FX AMD Opteron (Socket L only support Athlon 64 FX)	Server Desktop	LGA	1207	1.1mm	? Socket L: 1000 MHz in Single CPU mode, 2000 MHz in Dual CPU mode	Replaces Socket 940 Socket L was intended for enthusiasts who wanted server power in a desktop PC. It is just a re-branded Socket F that doesn't need special RAM, and may have only been used in the Asus L1N64-SLI WS Motherboard.
Socket AM2+	2007	?	AMD Athlon 64 AMD Athlon X2 AMD Phenom AMD Phenom II		PGA	940	1.27mm	200–2600 MHz	Separated power planes Replaces Socket AM2 AM2+ Pkg. CPUs can work in Socket AM2 AM2 Pkg. CPUs can work in Socket AM2+
Socket P	2007	?	Intel Core 2	Notebook	PGA	478		533–1066 MT/s (133–266 MHz)	Replaces Socket M
Socket 441	2008	?	Intel Atom	Sub-notebook	PGA	441	?	400–667 MHz
LGA 1366/ Socket B	2008	?	Intel Core i7 (900 series) Intel Xeon (35xx, 36xx, 55xx, 56xx series)	Server	LGA	1366		4.8–6.4 GT/s	Replaces Socket J (LGA 771) in the entry level.
rPGA 988A/ Socket G1	2008	?	Intel Core i7 (600, 700, 800, 900 series) Intel Core i5 (400, 500 series) Intel Core i3 (300 series) Intel Pentium (P6000 series) Intel Celeron (P4000 series)	Notebook	rPGA	988	1mm	2.5GT/s, 4.8GT/s
Socket AM3	2009	?	AMD Phenom II AMD Athlon II AMD Sempron		PGA	941 or 940	1.27mm	200–3200 MHz	Separated power planes Replaces Socket AM2+ AM3 Pkg. CPUs can work in Socket AM2/AM2+ Sempron 140 Only
LGA 1156/ Socket H	2009	2012	Intel Core i7 (800 series) Intel Core i5 (700, 600 series) Intel Core i3 (500 series) Intel Xeon (X3400, L3400 series) Intel Pentium (G6000 series) Intel Celeron (G1000 series)	Desktop	LGA	1156	?	2.5 GT/s	DMI bus is a (perhaps modified) PCIe x4 v1.1 interface
Socket G34	2010	?	AMD Opteron (6000 series)		LGA	1974	?	200–3200 MHz	Replaces Socket F
Socket C32	2010	?	AMD Opteron (4000 series)		LGA	1207	?	200–3200 MHz	Replaces Socket F, Socket AM3
LGA 1248	2010	?	Intel Intel Itanium 9300-series	Server	LGA	1248	?	4.8 GT/s
LGA 1567	2010	?	Intel Intel Xeon 6500/7500-series	Server	LGA	1567	?	4.8–6.4 GT/s
LGA 1155/ Socket H2	2011/Q1 2011.01.09	?	Intel Sandy Bridge Intel Ivy Bridge Intel Xeon E3 12xx [Sandy Bridge 12xx] [Ivy Bridge 12xxV2]	Desktop Server	LGA	1155	?	5.7, GT/s	Sandy Bridge supports 20 PCIe 2.0 lanes. Ivy Bridge supports 40 PCIe 3.0 lanes. Intel Mainstream Socket.
LGA 2011/ Socket R	2011/Q3 (2011.11.14)	?	Intel Core i7 3xxx Sandy Bridge-E Intel Core i7 4xxx Ivy Bridge-E Intel Xeon E5 2xxx/4xxx [Sandy Bridge EP] (2/4S) Intel Xeon E5-2xxx/4xxx v2 [Ivy Bridge EP] (2/4S)	Desktop Server	LGA	2011	?	4.8–6.4 GT/s	Sandy Bridge-E/EP and Ivy Bridge-E/EP both support 40 PCIe 3.0 lanes. Using the Xeon focused 2011 socket gives also 4 memory Channels.
rPGA 988B/ Socket G2	2011	?	Intel Core i7 (2000, 3000 series) Intel Core i5 (2000, 3000 series) Intel Core i3 (2000, 3000 series)	Notebook	rPGA	988	1mm	2.5GT/s, 4.8GT/s
Socket FM1	2011	?	AMD Llano Processors	Desktop	PGA	905	1.27mm		used for 1st generation APUs
Socket AM3+	2011	?	AMD FX Vishera AMD FX Zambezi AMD Phenom II AMD Athlon II AMD Sempron	Desktop	PGA	942 (CPU 71pin)	1.27mm
Socket FM2	2012	?	AMD Trinity Processors	Desktop	PGA	904	1.27mm		used for 2nd generation APUs
LGA 1150/ Socket H3	2013.06.03 2014.05.11 (2015.06.02)	?	Intel Haswell Intel Haswell Refresh Intel Broadwell	Desktop	LGA	1150	?		used for Intel's 4th generation (Haswell/Haswell Refresh) CPUs
Socket G3/ Socket G3	2013/Q2	?	Intel Haswell Intel Broadwell	Notebook	rPGA	946	?
Socket FM2+	2014	?	AMD	Desktop	PGA	906	?	?	Compatible with AMD Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) such as "Richland" and "Trinity"
LGA 1151/	2015	?	Intel Skylake	Desktop	LGA	1151	?		used for Intel's 6th generation (Skylake) CPUs
Socket name	Year of introduction	Year of EOL	CPU families	Computer type	Package	Pin count	Pin pitch	Bus speed	Notes

Slotkets

Slotkets are special adapters for using socket processors in bus-compatible slot motherboards.

See also

• List of AMD microprocessors
• List of Intel microprocessors

External links

• Socket ID Guide
• CPU Sockets Chart - A fairly detailed table listing x86 Sockets and associated attributes.
• techPowerUp! CPU Database
• Processor sockets