Terminology Question

[SciPunk]

I'm wondering why we use the term "socket".

To me, "socket" implies some sort of hole or slot into which you insert a tab, dowel, plug, or pin. So when we use the term with regard to a CPU, are we simply talking about the the holes in the MoBo which will accept the pins for the CPU, or are we talking about a host of technical specs that are collectively called "socket"?

Any ideas on how they choose the naming convention? Why are the names so dramatically different (i.e. Socket A vs. Socket 939 vs. Socket AM2)?

Does "socket" refer to the CPU or the Mother Board?

 

[TechnologyCoordinator]

Here is a wikipedia article that shines some light on it:

CPU Socket - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPU_socket

Pin Grid Array (PGA) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pin_grid_array

Land Grid Array (LGA) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_grid_array

Socket Guide - http://www.cpushack.net/SocketID.html

 

[slvr_phoenix]

Well, like any socket, you need an equally matched part to insert. So you're talking about both the CPU and the motherboard.

But you seem to have the concept right. The pins go into the holes. The 'socket' is the entire holed/pinned 'reciever' and requires a matched part to insert into it.

As for naming, well, names like socket939 refer to the number of pins in the socket. Names like socketA are prettier marketing names when companies think the pin count method is too confusing and/or when two sockets have the same pin count and don't want to say something like socket939B. :lol: I don't know. Like so many things, these names are decided by marketing folks, and so the reasons like a river flow, always meandering this way and that. I try not to ask why anymore. I'd probably have to go insane to fully understand anyway. Like why my company spells cryo with a K. Kryo. Bah! :lol:

 

[luminaris]

I guess it probably stems from dropping the CPU into the hole meaning socket. Of course, dropping a CPU doesn't sound so pleasant.

 

[Grimmy]

But isn't a slot a hole to were a slide of pins fit in to like a socket?

 

[TechnologyCoordinator]

Or it could be another term hijacked in the name of computers!

 

[SciPunk]

Thanks for the comments, folks. Espeically thanks to TechnologyCoordinator for the links.

I had a look at this one:
http://www.cpushack.net/SocketID.html

I scrolled down to the Socket 939 as this is where it's all happening right now. Once again, I'm a bit confused with regard to something I read on this forum.

The Opteron processor is not mentioned in the list for this socket. But just below, the Opteron 1xx series is listed for Socket M2. OK, so I can understand that the Opty may not be "officially" supported for Socket 939. But when I look at the "pins" collumn, the 939 shows "939 pin ZIF", but the Socket M2 shows "940 pin ZIP". While I'm not sure what ZIP is, I suppose that may not be a big compatibility issue... but having one less pin hole than necessary would DEFINITELY be a problem. So I took a good look at the photos, and the few areas where there is solid plastic instead of a hole appear in different locations.

So now I'm thinking, will an Opteron even fit in the Socket 939 Mobo? I was told that it will, and all I would need to do is update the BIOS on the Mobo in order to get an Opty 165 or 170 running on it (I'm considering the MSI K8N Diamond Plus w/ the OPty 170).

So what's the deal? Will it fit? Will it run?

 

[slvr_phoenix]

It depends on which one you get. There are some socket939 ones. Most are socket940.

(The two sockets are primarily aimed at completely different markets by the way, with 939 supporting unregistered RAM and one inter-processor HTT channel and 940 supporting registered RAM and multiple inter-processor HTT channels.)

And with AMD's new sockets coming out to replace the old 939s and 940s and such, counting the pins will be even more confusing. So just don't count the pins. Don't make it more complicated than it is. Just match socket to socket.