

Incomputer hardware, aCPU socket orCPU slot contains one or more mechanical components providing mechanical and electrical connections between amicroprocessor and aprinted circuit board (PCB). This allows for placing and replacing thecentral processing unit (CPU) without soldering.
Common sockets have retention clips that apply a constant force, which must be overcome when a device is inserted. For chips with many pins,zero insertion force (ZIF) sockets are preferred. Common sockets includepin grid array (PGA) orland grid array (LGA). These designs apply acompression force once either a handle (PGA type) or a surface plate (LGA type) is put into place. This provides superior mechanical retention while avoiding the risk of bendingpins when inserting the chip into the socket.
CPU sockets are used on themotherboard indesktop andserver computers. Because they allow easy swapping of components, they are also used for prototyping new circuits.Laptops typically usesurface-mount CPUs, which take up less space on the motherboard than a socketed part.
As the pin density increases in modern sockets, increasing demands are placed on theprinted circuit board fabrication technique, which permits the large number of signals to be successfully routed to nearby components. Likewise, within thechip carrier, thewire bonding technology also becomes more demanding with increasing pin counts and pin densities. Each socket technology will have specificreflow soldering requirements. As CPU and memory frequencies increase, above 30 MHz or thereabouts, electrical signalling increasingly shifts todifferential signaling over parallel buses, bringing a new set ofsignal integrity challenges. The evolution of the CPU socket amounts to a coevolution of all these technologies in tandem.
Modern CPU sockets are almost always designed in conjunction with aheat sink mounting system, or, in lower power devices, other thermal considerations.
A CPU socket is made of plastic, and often comes with a lever or latch, and with 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 aPGA (pin grid array) package are inserted into the socket and, if included, the latch is closed. CPUs with anLGA (land grid array) 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.
Table legend:
| Socket name | Year of introduction | CPU families supported | Computer type | Package | Pin count | Pin pitch (mm) | Busclock & transfers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIP | 1970s | Intel8086 Intel8088 | DIP | 40 | 2.54 | 5/10 MHz | ||
| PLCC | 1982 | Intel80186 Intel80286 Intel80386 | PLCC | 68 to 132 | 1.27 | 6–40 MHz | 1982 for this use | |
| PGA68 | 1982 | Intel 80286 | PGA | 68 | ||||
| PGA132 | 1985 | Intel 80386 | PGA | 132 | ||||
| PGA168 | 1989 | Intel80486 AMD 486 Cyrix 486 | PGA | 168 | 2.54 | 16–50 MHz | Sometimes referred to as Socket 0 or Socket 486 | |
| Socket 1 | 1989 | Intel 80486 AMD 486 AMD 5x86 Cyrix 486 Cyrix 5x86 | PGA | 169 | 2.54 | 16–50 MHz | ||
| Socket 2 | 1990s | Intel 80486 IntelPentium OverDrive (P24T) Intel DX4 AMD 486 AMD 5x86 Cyrix 486 Cyrix 5x86 | PGA | 238 | 2.54 | 16–50 MHz | ||
| Socket 3 | 1991 | Intel 80486 Intel Pentium OverDrive (P24T) Intel DX4 AMD 486 AMD 5x86 Cyrix 486 Cyrix 5x86 IBM Blue Lightning | PGA | 237 | 2.54 | 16–50 MHz[a] | ||
| Socket 4 | 1993 | IntelPentium | PGA | 273 | ? | 60–100 MHz | ||
| Socket 5 | 1994 | Intel Pentium AMDK5 Cyrix6x86 IDTWinChip C6 IDT WinChip 2 | PGA | 320 | ? | 50–100 MHz | ||
| Socket 6 | ? | Intel 80486 | PGA | 235 | ? | ? | Designed but not used | |
| Socket 463/ Socket NexGen | 1994 | NexGenNx586 | PGA | 463 | ? | 37.5–66 MHz | ||
| Socket 7 | 1995 | Intel Pentium IntelPentium MMX AMDK6 | 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. | |
| Socket 8 | 1995 | IntelPentium Pro | PGA | 387 | ? | 60–66 MHz | ||
| Slot 1 | 1997 | IntelPentium II IntelPentium III | Desktop | Slot | 242 | ? | 66–133 MHz | Celeron (Covington, Mendocino) Pentium II (Klamath, Deschutes) Pentium III (Katmai)- all versions Pentium III (coppermine) |
| Super Socket 7 | 1998 | AMDK6-2 AMDK6-III RisemP6 CyrixMII | PGA | 321 | ? | 66–100 MHz | Backward compatible with Socket 5 and Socket 7 processors. | |
| Slot 2 | 1998 | IntelPentium II Xeon IntelPentium III Xeon | Server | Slot | 330 | ? | 100–133 MHz | |
| Socket 615 | 1999 | IntelMobile Pentium II IntelMobile Celeron | Notebook | PGA | 615 | ? | 66 MHz | |
| Slot A | 1999 | AMDAthlon | Desktop | Slot | 242 | ? | 100 MHz | |
| Socket 370 | 1999 | Intel Pentium III IntelCeleron VIACyrix III VIAC3 | Desktop | PGA | 370 | 1.27[1] | 66–133 MHz | |
| Socket A/ Socket 462 | 2000 | AMD Athlon AMDDuron AMDAthlon XP AMDAthlon XP-M AMDAthlon MP AMDSempron | Desktop | PGA | 462 | ? | 100–200 MHz 400 MT/s[b] | |
| Socket 423 | 2000 | IntelPentium 4 | Desktop | PGA | 423 | 1[2] | 100 MHz 400 MT/s | Willamette core only. Can accept some of Socket 478 CPU with an adapter |
| Socket 495 | 2000 | Intel Celeron Intel Pentium III | Notebook | PGA | 495 | 1.27[3] | 66–133 MHz | |
| Socket 603 | 2001 | IntelXeon | Server | PGA | 603 | 1.27[4] | 100–133 MHz 400–533 MT/s | |
| Socket 478/ Socket N | 2001 | Intel Pentium 4 Intel Celeron IntelPentium 4 EE IntelPentium 4 M | Desktop | PGA | 478 | 1.27[5] | 100–200 MHz 400–800 MT/s | |
| Socket 563 | 2002 | AMD Athlon XP-M | Notebook | PGA | 563 | ? | 333 MHz | |
| Socket 604 | 2002 | Intel Xeon | Server | PGA | 604 | 1.27[4] | 100–266 MHz 400–1066 MT/s | |
| Socket 754 | 2003 | AMDAthlon 64 AMD Sempron AMDTurion 64 | Desktop | PGA | 754 | 1.27[6] | 200–800 MHz | |
| Socket 940 | 2003 | AMDOpteron AMDAthlon 64 FX | Desktop Server | PGA | 940 | 1.27[7] | 200–1000 MHz | |
| Socket 479 | 2003 | IntelPentium M IntelCeleron M | Notebook | PGA | 479[8] | ? | 100–133 MHz 400–533 MT/s | |
| Socket 939 | 2004 | AMD Athlon 64 AMD Athlon 64 FX AMDAthlon 64 X2 AMD Opteron | Desktop | PGA | 939 | 1.27[9] | 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 IntelPentium D Intel Celeron IntelCeleron D IntelPentium XE IntelCore 2 Duo IntelCore 2 Quad Intel Xeon | Desktop | LGA | 775 | 1.09 x 1.17[10] | 1600 MHz | Can accept LGA 771 CPU with slight modification and use of an adapter |
| Socket M | 2006 | IntelCore Solo IntelCore Duo Intel Dual-Core Xeon Intel Core 2 Duo | Notebook | PGA | 478 | ? | 133–166 MHz 533–667 MT/s | Replaces Socket 479 |
| LGA 771/ Socket J | 2006 | Intel Xeon | Server | LGA | 771 | 1.09 x 1.17[11] | 1600 MHz | See LGA 775/Socket T above |
| Socket S1 | 2006 | AMDTurion 64 X2 | Notebook | PGA | 638 | 1.27[12] | 200–800 MHz | |
| Socket AM2 | 2006 | AMD Athlon 64 AMD Athlon 64 X2 | Desktop | PGA | 940 | 1.27[9] | 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) | Desktop Server | LGA | 1207 | 1.1[13] | 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 AMDAthlon X2 AMDPhenom AMDPhenom II | Desktop | PGA | 940 | 1.27[9] | 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 | IntelCore 2 | Notebook | PGA | 478 | ? | 133–266 MHz 533–1066 MT/s | Replaces Socket M |
| LGA 1366/ Socket B | 2008 | IntelCore i7 (900 series) Intel Xeon (35xx, 36xx, 55xx, 56xx series) | Desktop Server | LGA | 1366 | ? | 4.8–6.4 GT/s | Replaces Socket J (LGA 771) in the entry level. |
| Socket AM3 | 2009 | AMD Phenom II AMDAthlon II AMD Sempron AMD Opteron (1300 series) | Desktop | PGA | 941[14][15] | 1.27[9] | 200–3200 MHz | Separated power planes Replaces Socket AM2+ AM3 Pkg. CPUs can work in Socket AM2/AM2+ Sempron 140 only |
| rPGA 988A/ Socket G1 | 2009 | IntelClarksfield IntelArrandale | Notebook | rPGA | 988 | 1 | 2.5 GT/s | Replaces Socket P |
| LGA 1156/ Socket H | 2009 | IntelNehalem (1st gen) IntelWestmere | 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) | Server | LGA | 1974 | ? | 200–3200 MHz | Replaces Socket F |
| Socket C32 | 2010 | AMD Opteron (4000 series) | Server | LGA | 1207 | ? | 200–3200 MHz | Replaces Socket F, Socket AM3 |
| LGA 1567/ Socket LS | 2010 | IntelXeon 6500/7500-series | Server | LGA | 1567 | ? | 4.8–6.4 GT/s | |
| LGA 1155/ Socket H2 | 2011/Q1 2011.01.09 | IntelSandy Bridge (2nd gen) IntelIvy Bridge (3rd gen) | Desktop | LGA | 1155 | ? | 5.7 GT/s | used for Intel 2nd generation, 3rd generation processors. Sandy Bridge supports 20 PCIe 2.0 lanes. |
| LGA 2011/ Socket R | 2011/Q3 2011.11.14 | Intel Core i7 3xxxSandy Bridge-E Intel Core i7 4xxxIvy 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 IntelCore i5 IntelCore i3 (2000, 3000 series) | Notebook | rPGA | 988 | 1 | 2.5 GT/s, 4.8 GT/s | |
| Socket FM1 | 2011 | AMDLlano Processors | Desktop | PGA | 905 | 1.27 | 5.2 GT/s | used for 1st generation APUs |
| Socket FS1 | 2011 | AMD Llano Processors | Notebook | PGA | 722 | 1.27 | 3.2 GT/s | used for 1st generation Mobile APUs |
| Socket AM3+ | 2011 | AMDFX Vishera[broken anchor] AMDFX Zambezi AMD Phenom II AMDAthlon II AMD Sempron | Desktop | PGA | 942 (CPU 71pin) | 1.27 | 3.2 GT/s | |
| LGA 1356/ Socket B2 | 2012 | Intel Xeon (E5 1400 & 2400 series) | Server | LGA | 1356 | ? | 3.2–4.0 GT/s | |
| Socket FM2 | 2012 | AMDTrinity Processors | Desktop | PGA | 904 | 1.27 | ? | used for 2nd generation APUs |
| LGA 1150/ Socket H3 | 2013 | IntelHaswell (4th gen) IntelHaswell Refresh IntelBroadwell (5th gen) | Desktop | LGA | 1150 | ? | ? | used for Intel's 4th generation (Haswell/Haswell Refresh), the handful of intel 5th generation processors |
| rPGA 946B/947/ Socket G3 | 2013 | IntelHaswell | Notebook | rPGA | 946 | 1 | 5.0 GT/s | |
| Socket FM2+ | 2014 | AMDKaveri AMDGodavari | Desktop | PGA | 906 | 1.27 | ? | Compatible withAMD APUs such as "Richland" and "Trinity" |
| Socket AM1 | 2014 | AMD Athlon AMD Sempron | Desktop | PGA | 721 | 1.27 | ? | Compatible with AMD APUs such as "Kabini" |
| LGA 2011-v3 | 2014 (August and September) | Haswell-E Haswell-EP | Desktop | LGA | 2011 | ? | Up to 68 GB/sec. Depends on DDR4 speed and channel count. | Up to 40 PCIe 3.0 lanes. Up to 4 memory Channels. |
| LGA 1151/ Socket H4 | 2015 | IntelSkylake (6th gen) IntelKaby Lake (7th gen) IntelCoffee Lake (8th gen) IntelCoffee Lake Refresh (9th gen) | Desktop | LGA | 1151 | ? | 5 GT/s - 8 GT/s | used for Intel's 6th generation (Skylake), 7th generation (Kaby Lake), 8th generation (Coffee Lake) processors, and 9th generation (Coffee Lake Refresh) processors |
| LGA 3647 | 2016 | IntelXeon Phi Intel Skylake-SP | Server | LGA | 3647 | ? | ? | used for Intel's Xeon Phi x200 and Xeon Scalable processors |
| Socket AM4 | 2016 | AMD AthlonBristol Ridge | Desktop | PGA | 1331 | 1 | Depends on DDR4 speed | compatible with AMDRyzen 9, Ryzen 7, Ryzen 5 & Ryzen 3 Zen based processors |
| Socket SP3 | 2017 | AMD EpycNaples AMD EpycRome AMD EpycMilan | Server | LGA | 4094 | ? | Depends on DDR4 speed | compatible with AMD Epyc processors |
| Socket TR4/ Socket SP3r2 | 2017 | AMD Ryzen Threadripper (1000 series) AMD Ryzen Threadripper (2000 series) | Desktop | LGA | 4094 | ? | Depends on DDR4 speed | compatible with AMD Ryzen Threadripper processors |
| LGA 2066/ Socket R4 | 2017 | Intel Skylake-X Intel Kaby Lake-X Intel Cascade Lake-X | Desktop Server | LGA | 2066 | ? | ? | Used for Intel's 7th generation (Skylake-X & Kaby Lake-X & Cascade Lake-X) series of Core-X processors |
| Socket sTRX4/ Socket SP3r3 | 2019 | AMD Ryzen Threadripper (3000 series) | Desktop | LGA | 4094 | ? | Depends on DDR4 speed | compatible with 3rd generation AMD Ryzen Threadripper processors |
| LGA 4189 | 2020 | IntelCooper Lake IntelIce Lake-SP | Desktop Server | LGA | 4189[16] | 0.99[16] | ||
| LGA 1200 | 2020 | IntelComet Lake (10th gen) IntelRocket Lake (11th gen) | Desktop | LGA | 1200 | |||
| LGA 1700 | 2021 | IntelAlder Lake (12th gen) IntelRaptor Lake (13th gen) Intel Raptor Lake (14th gen) | Desktop | LGA | 1700 | |||
| Socket sWRX8 | 2022 | AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro (5000 series) | Desktop | LGA | 4094 | |||
| Socket AM5 | 2022 | AMD Ryzen7000 series AMD Ryzen8000 series (APU) AMD Ryzen9000 series | Desktop | LGA | 1718 | Zen 4 Ryzen CPUs | ||
| Socket SP5 | 2022 | AMD Epyc Genoa | Server | LGA | 6096 | Used for Epyc Genoa and Milan | ||
| LGA 4677 | 2022 | IntelSapphire Rapids intelEmerald Rapids | Server | LGA | 4677 | |||
| Socket SP6 | 2023 | AMD Epyc Siena | Server | LGA | 4844 | |||
| Socket sTR5 | 2023 | AMD Ryzen Threadripper AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro (7000 series) | Desktop | LGA | 4844 | |||
| LGA 1851 | 2024 | IntelMeteor Lake-PS (Core Ultra Series 1) IntelArrow Lake (Core Ultra 200S Series) TBA | Desktop | LGA | 1851 | |||
| LGA 4710 | 2023 | IntelGranite Rapids | Server | LGA | 4710 | |||
| LGA 7529 | 2024 | IntelSierra Forest | Server | LGA | 7529 | |||
| Socket name | Year of introduction | CPU families supported | Computer type | Package | Pin count | Pin pitch (mm) | Busclock & transfers | Notes |
| Socket name | Year of introduction | CPU families supported | Computer type | Package | Pin count | Pin pitch (mm) | Busclock & transfers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daughter Card | 1995 | PowerPC 601+ | Desktop | Slot | 146 | ? | 40-60 Hz | |
| Socket 288 | ? | PowerPC 603+ | Desktop | PGA | 288 | ? | 40-60 Hz | |
| Socket 431 | 1995 | Alpha21064/21064A | Desktop | PGA | 431 | ? | 12.5–66.67 MHz | |
| Socket 499 | 1997 | Alpha21164/21164A | Desktop | PGA | 499 | ? | 15–100 MHz | |
| Socket 587 | 1998 | Alpha21264 | Desktop | PGA | 587 | ? | 12.5–133 MHz | |
| Slot B | 1999 | Alpha21264/21264A | Desktop | Slot | 587 | ? | 100 MHz[17] | |
| PAC418 | 2001 | IntelItanium | Server | PGA | 418 | ? | 133 MHz | |
| PAC611 | 2002 | IntelItanium 2 HPPA-8800,PA-8900 | Server | PGA | 611 | ? | 200 MHz | |
| LGA 1248 | 2010 | IntelItanium 9300-series and up | Server | LGA | 1248 | ? | 4.8-6.4 GT/s | |
| Socket name | Year of introduction | CPU families supported | Computer type | Package | Pin count | Pin pitch (mm) | Busclock & transfers | Notes |
Slotkets are special adapters for using socket processors in bus-compatible slot motherboards.