If you’ve ever shopped for processors and motherboards, you would’ve encountered words
and terms like ‘sockets,’ ‘LGA1200,’ and so on. 🧬 In this article, we’ll demystify them
for you.
Note – If you’re here wondering if you can fix bent CPU pins, 🧬 head to the
linked article for instructions and more information.
A socket or a slot is usually a
combination of mechanical 🧬 and electrical parts that connect a microprocessor to a
circuit board (motherboards in the case of PCs). Thanks to these 🧬 sockets, we can easily
drop in a (compatible) CPU upgrade into the same motherboard.
Now, there are several
types of these 🧬 CPU sockets, each with its own distinct set of advantages and
disadvantages. Let’s go over the ones you’ll find on 🧬 Desktop PCs.
LGA vs. PGA
When it
comes to modern desktop computers, we focus on two types of sockets – LGA and 🧬 PGA. You
can think of them as opposites of each other.
There is another type of socket, too –
BGA (Ball 🧬 Grid Array), but it’s not very relevant to modern desktop computing and PC
building, so I won’t be covering them.
LGA 🧬 (Land Grid Array)
In recent years, Intel has
become known for this type of socket. You might have heard of Intel 🧬 Core processors and
Intel motherboards coming with sockets like LGA 1156, LGA 1200, LGA 2011, and so
on.
So, what does 🧬 LGA or Land Grid Array mean? It is the name given to one type of
surface-mounting packaging for Integrated Circuits 🧬 (ICs). In this socket, pins are
placed on the motherboard socket rather than on the chips. Consequently, LGA processors
look 🧬 something like this:
LGA 775 Intel Pentium 4 Prescott CPU (Wikimedia)
Notice how
there are only flat gold contacts on the chip? 🧬 No pins.
The pins are housed on the
motherboard instead.
Many say that an LGA socket is ‘safer’ because you can’t damage
🧬 your CPU pins this way. However, as someone who has managed to drop their Intel CPU on
its edge right 🧬 into an LGA socket, I can tell you – only the location of the damage
changes if you’re a klutz 🧬 like me.
That said, I guess the processor is usually the more
expensive part, so better you damage a motherboard rather 🧬 than damage CPUs?
PGA (Pin
Grid Array)
The Pin Grid Array or PGA has become an AMD hallmark (even though their
HEDT 🧬 platform does use LGA sockets), thanks to its extensive use on their consumer
platforms. Even their newest generation of Ryzen 🧬 processors’ socket, AM4, is PGA.
You
can think of PGA as the opposite of an LGA socket, i.e., pins are on 🧬 the processor
chip.
Here’s what a PGA processor looks like:
As you can see, all the pins are on the
processor chip. 🧬 On the other hand, a PGA socket on the motherboard looks like this:
An
easy way to recall what kind of 🧬 processors LGA and PGA indicate is by using their names
– Land Grid Array and Pin Grid Array.
LGA – Land, 🧬 i.e., Flat CPU with no pins,
motherboard sockets with pins.
PGA – Pins, i.e., Not Flat – CPUs with pins, Motherboard
🧬 sockets without pins.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which is Better – LGA or
PGA?
There’s really no right answer to this one. Both 🧬 have their advantages and
disadvantages. Personally, I prefer PGA because I find it easier to fix pins on a CPU
🧬 than attempting to straighten out a motherboard’s LGA pins. However, many prefer the
latter, so it usually comes down to 🧬 preference.
That said, LGA does have advantages
like more pin count and higher power delivery, so manufacturers won’t shy away from
🧬 using them when needed (probably even AMD one day down the line).
LGA vs. PGA vs.
BGA?
If you’ve been reading about 🧬 sockets, you would also have stumbled upon another
type – BGA. BGA, or Ball Grid Array, is another type of 🧬 surface package mounting.
Here,
small ‘balls’ of solder element are placed between the CPU and small copper contacts
inside the motherboard 🧬 socket. The resulting part is then treated with an infrared iron
or an oven, so the solder balls melt and 🧬 attach the CPU to the motherboard.
However,
unlike PGA and LGA, BGA is permanent, i.e., a CPU once installed on that 🧬 motherboard
cannot be swapped out. You’ll find extensive use of BGA in devices like smartphones and
laptops.
Is AMD LGA or 🧬 PGA?
Well, it depends. As of 2024, AMD’s mainstream Ryzen CPUs
are PGA, while its HEDT lineup (Threadripper) is LGA.
