Sockets...what do they mean?

[stepsinsc]

One of the things I don't quite understand about mobos is the different sockets that they're apparantly classified by...like Socket A, Socket 1, etc... Does is just have something to do with how the processor attaches to the mobo? Are there hundreds of diff types of sockets out there or just a few and what are the most commonly used ones? Is Pentium confined to a certain type and AMD to another? Just curious.

 

[splice]

Sockets are used to quickly change procs and have a specific pin layout so only certain types of processors can fit into them.

Socket5: Pentium, K6, K5
Socket7: Pentium, K6-X, Cyrix MII
Socket370: Intel FCPGA, PPGA, Cyrix III
Socket462/A: AMD Athlon/Duron
Socket423: Intel Pentium4
Socket478: Intel Pentium4 Northwood

 

[Catchen22]

I'm glad somebody asked cause I was starting to wonder the same thing.

 

[qeru]

it doesn't have much with how the proc attaches to the mobo, as it goes in one way only.
their name indicate which processors go with that mb, like socket 370 for p3/celeron, socket 478 for p4, socket a for some amd's, etc
and no, there aren't hundreds of sockets, only a few ones and you know which proc you can fit into your mobo by the name of that socket

 

[RaynorWolfcastle]

There are pre-socket5 designs as well... but splice's description is pretty accurate.

Note that if a processor fits in a socket, it doesn't mean that all of its features will be taken advantage of or that it will even work! (For example plug a P3 Tualatin in a pre-i815B mobo and it won't work, despite the fact that they are pin-compatible.

Also, there was a short period during which slots were fashionable (Slot1 and SlotA).

-Ice