▷ What is the socket of a motherboard
Table of contents:
- What is a socket?
- Why there are several types of sockets
- What are the types of socket encapsulation
- Processor and socket compatibility
- Will the sockets cease to exist at some point?
- How to know which socket my motherboard has
- Modern sockets
- Intel socket models
- Socket 1155
- Socket 2011
- Socket 1150
- Socket 2011-v3
- Socket 1151
- Socket 2066
- AMD socket models
- Socket AM3 +
- Socket FM2 +
- Socket AM4
- TR4 socket
- Final words about motherboard sockets
If there is a PC component that is rarely mentioned, it is the motherboard socket. But you have to know that if you ever intend to update your processor, the motherboard socket will limit the updates you can choose.
However, this small plastic plate on which we connect the microprocessor is much less complicated than we think.
On a motherboard, the socket is vitally important. Being the link between the processor and the chipset, it determines which processor we will have to buy and all the functions offered by the motherboards.
They don't actually hinder or aid performance as they are standardized across any line of processors. Also, they frame the future of hardware, although although despite being part of the PC ecosystem, the socket is not guaranteed its role in technological devices.
More than a simple support, it supplies electricity to the processor and acts as an interface between it and the other components of the motherboard, allowing it to exchange information with RAM, chipset, etc.
There was a time when the processor was the natural star. Since then, it is often the graphics chipsets - that is, the graphics cards take over the leading roles in gaming performance.
Index of contents
What is a socket?
A socket is a part that is used to connect a component to a larger component network. A lampholder, for example, makes a light bulb part of an electrical network, giving the light bulb the power it needs to function.
If we refer to technological devices, a socket makes the processor a part of the computer, as it provides power and offers a way to transfer data from the processor to the rest of the computer.
Modern computers always place the CPU socket on the system motherboard. Other configurations existed in the past, including slot-mounted processors that were inserted like a modern PCI card. Today, however, sockets are just that. A CPU is simply inserted and secured with a latch or lever.
Sockets have been around for decades. The original Pentium used Socket 5 and the Intel 386, the company's first famous processor, used a 132-pin PGA socket.
Both Intel and AMD have flirted with slot-mounted processors in the past, and numerous CPU companies build socketless processors that are soldered to the motherboard.
Why there are several types of sockets
The reason is the changes in the architectures of the processors. New architectures come every few years and often have different needs. And don't forget that there are two major x86 processor manufacturers, AMD and Intel, each with its own architecture. Compatibility between the two is impossible.
Intel and AMD have developed their own sockets. Often a new generation of processors involves a new socket format.
Even more annoying is when the same processor model is sometimes assigned multiple sockets, depending on the technical improvements to which it is subject, and also on economic strategies.
What are the types of socket encapsulation
Many sockets have existed throughout history, but only three are relevant today. These are LGA, PGA, and BGA.
LGA and PGA can be understood as opposites. LGA is the acronym for Land Grid Array, and consists of a socket with pins in which the processor is placed. The PGA, on the other hand, carries the pins into the processor, which are then inserted into a socket with the proper holes. Intel uses the first, while AMD uses the second.
LGA is currently used in almost all Intel CPUs. Intel has been using this format since Pentium 4 processors. AMD has recently adopted LGA for its "Threadripper" CPUs on its socket X399 platform.
As for the BGA, this technique is used to permanently connect a processor to its motherboard during production, making future updates impossible. BGA is typically less expensive and requires less physical space than a replaceable socket processor. Technically, BGA is not a socket because it is permanent and is very common in MiniPCs and laptops with a processor ending in -U (low consumption).
Processor and socket compatibility
A processor using a particular socket type will fit on any motherboard with that socket, right? But this is not correct.
Socket types like LGA are only a category and not a specific model. There are many variations of these and they are built on the basic design.
Intel gives its LGA sockets names based on the number of pins. Take the example of the LGA 1155 socket, which contains 1, 155 individual pins. A processor built for a particular socket will only work with that socket even when the number of pins seems similar, as is the case with LGA 1151 and LGA 1150.
AMD takes a different approach. Label your sockets with names as broad as AM3 or FM1. Again, compatibility is strictly enforced, although AMD has occasionally updated a socket while maintaining compatibility. When AMD does this it will add a "+" to the socket name, as with AM2 + and AM3 +. With its AM4 socket we will have support until 2020, which is amazing, since we will only have to update the BIOS of our motherboard and mount the new processor. So, it's cool right?
Will the sockets cease to exist at some point?
Computers are developed with the socket (or equivalent) as a central part of the design. Most of the components, including the processor, had to be repairable or upgradeable. This gave both home users and large companies the opportunity to build a PC to the desired specifications.
Now that dominant paradigm is challenged by the rise of mobile devices. Although many do not believe that the PC will go extinct, it is true that it will change significantly. Part of this change may be the extinction of the sockets, as these add bulk and manufacturing complexity to products that strive to be as cheap and small as possible.
That said, however, the disappearance of the socket appears to be on the horizon. Over time, efficient hardware will make these seem unnecessary even to fans of them.
How to know which socket my motherboard has
The easiest way is to consult the documentation of the motherboard, which indicates not only the type of socket present but also the different processors that can be housed.
If you don't have the documentation, you have two options. The first option is to open the box and examine the plinth: the model itself is often indicated there.
If this is not your case, try to locate the reference of the motherboard in the silkscreen printed somewhere on it. Then go to the manufacturer's site, where you can find all the details about it.
Second option, boot from the installed processor model to deduce the socket. If you don't know it, in Windows, right-click the My Computer icon and, in the context menu, click Properties: the window that opens shows the type of processor.
If, in spite of everything, this is not enough, restart your computer and read the instructions that the BIOS shows on the screen before loading Windows.
Modern sockets
Not all LGA or ZIF sockets are the same. CPU manufacturers have divided them into individual socket types for specific processors or groups of processors.
A socket type is typically defined by its pin configuration, but there are some other specific specifications, such as chipsets. It's actually about matching a socket type to a processor and nothing else. For example, if you know that the processor you want uses the AM4 socket, you will need an AM4 socket motherboard.
Intel socket models
The next two sections provide a complete breakdown of the most important Intel and AMD sockets.
Socket 1155
The Intel 1155 socket was introduced in 2011. It came bundled with Intel's popular Sandybridge processors. That series was home to the 2500k and 2600k. Almost all Sandybridge processors followed the 2XXX naming scheme.
The next series of Intel processors, Ivybridge, also uses LGA 1155. Ivybridge followed a naming scheme similar to Sandybridge's, using 3XXX for its individual models.
Socket 2011
Intel created it to be a bigger and more powerful platform for workstation CPUs. It is compatible with Sandybridge-E and Ivybridge-E processors.
Socket 1150
LGA 1150 motherboards first debuted in 2013, and have been working ever since. Intel originally paired this socket with its Haswell processors, but Intel chose it for the Haswell and Broadwell upgrade as well.
Haswell CPUs follow the 4XXX naming scheme, and Broadwell follows the 5XXX scheme. You are much more likely to find Haswell processors than Broadwell.
Socket 2011-v3
It is very similar to the original 2011 Socket, but is not supported. This revision supports Haswell-E and Broadwell-E processors.
Socket 1151
This is actually the latest socket from Intel, which released it in 2015. Socket 1151 supports Skylake and Kaby Lake processors. Both sets of processors have been very popular and are still in active use. The popular 6600k and 6700k are both Skylake CPUs. Like all Skylake CPUs, Intel named them according to the 6XXX convention.
Kaby Lake followed shortly after Skylake. It included the 7700k and 7600k CPUs. Obviously, their model numbers follow 7XXX.
Socket 2066
Socket 2066 is the successor to Socket 2011. It supports Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X CPUs. These are Intel's latest offerings for high-end users.
AMD socket models
Socket AM3 +
For years, the AM3 + socket was the flagship of AMD's high-end. It was released by AMD in 2009 as Simple AM3 and was updated in 2011 as AM3 +. Most PC users know it as the platform that supports AMD's FX series CPUs, including the FX 8320 and FX 8350.
Socket FM2 +
It has supported almost all AMD APUs in recent years. That includes the Kaveri and Godavari-based APUs.
Socket AM4
This is the latest AMD socket for your Ryzen CPUs. Although it looks like the previous ones, this is a great improvement with Ryzen. AM4 will also be used for future versions of Ryzen-based APUs. We are delighted with the good it offers for so little money.
TR4 socket
It is the most enthusiastic platform and its socket is atypical in the AMD ecosystem. You decide to integrate the pins into the socket on the motherboard instead of the processor. We were among the first to test their new processors, first generation, and it left a great taste in our mouths.
Final words about motherboard sockets
If you think about it, everything on your computer flows through the CPU socket. It is essential for the operation of the machine. Although the technology behind them can be tricky, pairing your CPU with the correct socket is very simple.
Whether you choose an Intel or AMD processor, it's best to select a model that fits a next-generation socket, whatever it is. This option opens up a palette of chipsets better able to support future generations of peripherals.
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