When will AMD move to LGA?

[Maximilian]

Will they ever? Not worrying about bent pins on the CPU makes it a pretty good idea.

 

[Arkadrel]

From Wiki:

Unlike earlier common CPU sockets, such as its predecessor Socket 478, the LGA 775 has no socket holes; instead, it has 775 protruding pins which touch contact points on the underside of the processor (CPU).

Intel changed from Socket 478 to LGA 775 because the new pin type offers better power distribution to the processor

If this is true...maybe we ll see it on AMD cpus at some point (after bulldozers).

Another advantage for Intel with this newer architecture is that it is now the motherboard which has the pins, rather than the CPU, transferring the risk of pins being bent from the CPU to the motherboard.

In the cases of cpus costing more than motherboards... this is good, and vise versa.
Im not sure Id call this a advantage though.

Its a perforance though... want to damage pins on Motherboard? or on CPU?
Personally I usually go with cheaper end motherboards so for me... yeah Id like to see AMD do a LGA socket.

 

[JFAMD]

Will they ever? Not worrying about bent pins on the CPU makes it a pretty good idea.

LGA has pins as well, but those pins are in the socket. Generally speaking if you bend one of those you are really screwed. You can fix a bent pin on a PGA chip much easier than you can fix a bent pin in an LGA socket.

 

[Maximilian]

LGA has pins as well, but those pins are in the socket. Generally speaking if you bend one of those you are really screwed. You can fix a bent pin on a PGA chip much easier than you can fix a bent pin in an LGA socket.

Meh i dunno back with socket 478/A i mightve agreed but today cpu's have so many pins and they are so fragile compared to what they used to be. I would much rather they be on the motherboard. When assembling my 1366 and 1156 rigs i couldnt see how anyone could manage to damage the pins on the motherboard, you would really have to try to break it deliberately or to force the cpu in upside down or something. Seems like a far sturdier system than having pins on the CPU.

 

[deimos3428]

Why can't we have LGA on both sides, and forgo the tiny bendable pins altogether?

 

[formulav8]

AMD's server cpu's has been pinless for awhile now. But not sure why the rest of their CPU's still has pins....

 

[PottedMeat]

Why can't we have LGA on both sides, and forgo the tiny bendable pins altogether?

you're going to have to force contact somewhere.

 

[deimos3428]

you're going to have to force contact somewhere.

Of course, but the contact points could be made shorter and much less likely to bend.

 

[Zensal]

AMD's server cpu's has been pinless for awhile now. But not sure why the rest of their CPU's still has pins....

Yeah. Socket F(1207?) Opterons and newer are LGA. I always thought it was a licensing issue.

 

[BD231]

Its a matter of cost, LGA is expensive compared to pins.

 

[LoneNinja]

With 15+(AMD) builds since Athlon 64 Clawhammer, I've never bent a pin or had a problem with it. So I really don't worry about it.

 

[wuliheron]

Its a matter of cost, LGA is expensive compared to pins.

Yeah, and AMD is the underdog selling the more budget oriented processors.

 

[BD231]

Yeah, and AMD is the underdog selling the more budget oriented processors.

Yeah it's definitely wait and see. Motherboard price's would jump significantly which means any money saved dumping pins would automatically be transferred back to overall costs. You know AMD/Intel will still charge you $200 to $300 dollars for their CPU's, only then you'd have the added cost of an expensive motherboard.

Like others have said AMD did it in the server market for the fact that CPU's cost way more than their accompanying motherboards so transferring the frail item was just common sense. Not the case in the desktop market right now so until LGA somehow becomes a necessary or more viable cost effective option we probably won't see it.

I'm not to clear on the benefits of LGA to a CPU architecturally though.

 

[SparkyJJO]

I personally dislike LGA.

A bent pin on a CPU is usually not a big deal, just bend it back (as long as you didn't flatten it or something). I've only bent a pin once that I can think of.

A bent pin in the socket however is extremely hard to fix, if it can be fixed at all.

 

[wuliheron]

I'm not to clear on the benefits of LGA to a CPU architecturally though.

I believe the biggest benefit is in allowing more connections in the same amount of space. This obviously hasn't been a big deal yet, but as the features on the chip get smaller it could become a problem. As the circuitry moves closer together the connections have to also until eventually the only viable alternative is the have robots soldier the chip right onto the mobo with inhuman accuracy.

 

[SparkyJJO]

I believe the biggest benefit is in allowing more connections in the same amount of space. This obviously hasn't been a big deal yet, but as the features on the chip get smaller it could become a problem. As the circuitry moves closer together the connections have to also until eventually the only viable alternative is the have robots soldier the chip right onto the mobo with inhuman accuracy.

The pads on the bottom of a 775 CPU here and the pin spacing of a s939 CPU I have here as well are about the same spacing apart, I don't see how you could get either of them that much closer

 

[Fayd]

I believe the biggest benefit is in allowing more connections in the same amount of space. This obviously hasn't been a big deal yet, but as the features on the chip get smaller it could become a problem. As the circuitry moves closer together the connections have to also until eventually the only viable alternative is the have robots soldier the chip right onto the mobo with inhuman accuracy.

you'd be wrong. pin density is about the same for both.

personally, i prefer PGA. makes a more satisfying sound when the processor drops into place.

and 10+ amd builds, i've never bent a pin. i don't understand why people think it's a big concern?

my biggest concerns when building computers are things i have no control over. like whether or not the power supply is going to burst into flames during the smoke test.

 

[wuliheron]

Wikipedia disagrees with you:

"The LGA setup provides higher pin densities, allowing more power contacts and thus a more stable power supply to the chip."