Instructor: In this lesson, we are going to talk
about the different CPU socket types
that you're going to find on a motherboard.
Now, generally, you're going to find
that there are two main manufacturers
of CPUs in desktop computing.
This is Intel and AMD.
Each of these manufacturers use a different socket type
and sometimes even inside of a single manufacturer,
there are multiple socket types.
When you're going to be looking at a motherboard,
you first need to determine which type
of CPU you're going to be buying
because once you buy that motherboard,
you're going to be locked into a particular socket type
and it will only support certain models
or generations of CPUs.
When you go to insert a CPU into the motherboard,
most sockets are going to be using
what's known as a ZIF mechanism.
A ZIF stands for zero insertion force.
Essentially you're going to be able to insert the CPU
without pressing down and giving no pressure to it.
And this helps us avoid bending or breaking
any of the pins on the bottom of the processor.
Some of these different processors
have hundreds of different pins,
and each of these are very small and very easy to bend.
If you bend one of these processor pins or snap one off,
the entire processor is no longer going to be usable for you.
So it's really important that you take care
when handling these processors
and inserting them into your motherboard.
Now, when it comes to sockets, there are two main brands
or manufacturers out there that create processors
and each one uses a different type of socket.
If you're using an Intel processor,
they tend to use what's known as an LGA
or land grid array.
With a land grid array socket,
this means that the processor itself
doesn't have the pins on it,
but instead the pins are actually connected to the socket.
When you place the CPU on top of the socket,
you're lining up the pins from the socket
into the holes on the CPU.
Now, on the other hand,
AMD uses what's known as a pin grid array.
Now a pin grid array or PGA form factor
is used by AMD where the processor itself
has the pins and the socket has the holes.
So when you're trying to insert that CPU into the socket,
you're lining up the pins
from the CPU into the holes on the socket
and then again, securing that with the locking lever.
Both of these methods do use zero insertion force
and really the difference is where are the pins located?
Are the pins located on the socket
or are they located on the processor?
Now, another thing to consider when you're looking
at your motherboard is just how many sockets are there.
On a typical desktop or laptop,
you're generally only going to have a single socket
and this would be one LGA or one PGA
depending on whether you're using Intel or AMD
as your processor type.
Because of this single socket architecture
on these desktop motherboards,
you can only support one physical processor
on that particular computer.
And this will limit the upper amount of capacity
that you have for processing on a given system.
Now, because of this, when you move into workstations
or servers, sometimes you'll find that their motherboards
will have what's referred to as multi socket.
Now, because it's multi socket,
this means you can have multiple CPUs
or processors installed on that motherboard.
When you do this, there's still going to be the same type
of socket, there's just more of them.
For example, you might have a motherboard that supports
two or four processors, but they're all either going to be LGA
or PGA sockets on that motherboard.
When you're using one of these multi socket systems,
it is a best practice to make sure you install CPUs
into both sockets for the best performance.
Now, unlike desktops, workstations, and servers,
you generally cannot upgrade or change out the processor
on a mobile device like a smartphone, tablet or laptop.
Instead, these tend to be soldered into place
so the processor physically cannot be removed
from their motherboard.
But again, they do tend to use either an Intel
or AMD based chip using either an LGA or PGA chip set
or they use an arm based processor
that is physically soldered to their motherboard.
All right, the last thing we need to talk about
is different desktop socket designs.
Now these are changing all of the time,
but generally they're going to be labeled
based on a name and a number.
For example, with Intel, you have things
like LGA 2011 or LGA 1151, or LGA 2066 and things like that.
When you're dealing with AMD and their PGA form factor,
they don't tend to use this same type of numbering scheme.
Instead, they like to label it as AM and a number.
In older systems, it was AM2 or AM3,
but most modern and current AMD CPUs and processors
are going to be using a ping grid array form factor
of AM4 as their socket type.
So when it comes to CPU sockets,
remember we have two main types.
We have LGA, which is made
by Intel and we have PGA, which is made by AMD.
In addition to that, if you're using a mobile device
like a phone, a tablet or a laptop,
these are going to have processors that are soldered
to the board instead of having a processor socket
like an LGA or PGA from Intel and AMD.
Anytime you're talking about a processor socket
and you're wondering what kind of mechanism does it use?
The right answer is ZIF, the zero insertion force mechanism.
Remember to keep all this in mind
when it comes time for the exam.