CPMT Chapter 2 CPU and Sockets PDF

Book Title: eTextbook: CompTIA A+ Guide to IT Technical Support Motherboard Types and Features Intel and AMD Chipsets and Processor Sockets Intel and AMD Chipsets and Processor Sockets 71 Core 1 Objective 3.4 Given a scenario, install and configure motherboa...

Book Title: eTextbook: CompTIA A+ Guide to IT Technical Support Motherboard Types and Features Intel and AMD Chipsets and Processor Sockets Intel and AMD Chipsets and Processor Sockets 71 Core 1 Objective 3.4 Given a scenario, install and configure motherboards, central processing units (CPUs), and add-on cards. A chipset is a set of chips on the motherboard that works closely with the processor to collectively control the memory, buses on the motherboard, and some peripherals. The chipset must be compatible with the processor it serves. A socket is rectangular with pins or pads to connect the processor to the motherboard and a mechanism to hold the processor in place. This chipset and socket determine which processors a board can support. The two major chipset and processor manufacturers are Intel (intel.com) and AMD (amd.com). Intel dominates the chipset market for several reasons. It knows more about its own Intel processors than other manufacturers do, and it produces the chipsets most compatible with the Intel family of processors. However, AMD’s market share is currently about 20 percent and growing. Intel Chipsets Intel makes desktop, mobile, and server chipsets and processors. To see a complete comparison chart of all Intel chipsets and processors, start at the Intel webpage ark.intel.com. Intel groups its chipsets and processors in generations, and each generation has a code name. Here is the list of generations from the past several years:  600 Series Desktop Chipsets. The latest Intel chipsets are the 600 Series Chipsets, used with the LGA1700 socket, also called Socket V. The 600 Series Chipsets are compatible with the 12th generation (formally called Alder Lake) desktop processors. Thus far, the only chipset in this family is the Z690 chipset, which was released at the end of 2021. The current 12th generation processors include the Core i5, Core i7, and Core i9 processors; these processors can have up to 10 cores. 400 and 500 Series Desktop Chipsets. The 400 and 500 Series Chipsets are used with the LGA1200 socket and are compatible with the 10th and 11th generation desktop processors. Some motherboards based on the 400 Series Chipset may need a BIOS/UEFI update to support the 11th generation of processors, also called Rocket Lake, which were released in March 2021. The 11th generation started a new development cycle based on the new Cypress Cove microarchitecture. The 11th generation offers increased performance in speed, memory, and graphics in an attempt to win back some of the market from AMD, specifically in the gaming market. The 10th generation of chipsets and processors, also called Comet Lake, was announced in 2019. The 10th generation increased cores, speed, and memory support over earlier generations. 72 300 Series Desktop Chipsets. The 300 Series Chipsets are used with the altered pinout of the LGA1151 socket and are compatible with the 9th and 8th generation of processors. The 9th generation of processors, also called Coffee Lake Refresh, was introduced in late 2018 and was defined by adjusting the integrated heat spreader and increasing the core counts. The 9th generation was discontinued at the end of 2021. The 8th generation of chipsets and processors, also called Coffee Lake, began shipping at the end of 2017. The 8th generation was discontinued in 2021. A close-up of this open socket is shown in Figure 2-5.  Figure 2-5 Details The 8th generation LGA1151 socket with the cover removed and load plate lifted, ready to receive the processor 200 Series Desktop Chipsets. The 200 Series Chipsets are used with the original version of the LGA1151 socket and are compatible with the 7th and 6th generation desktop processors. The 7th generation processors, also called Kaby Lake, began shipping in 2016, and mobile processors were launched in 2017. The 7th generation was discontinued in 2020. The 6th generation processors, also called Skylake, were launched in 2015. Even though the 6th generation processors and chipsets were discontinued in 2020, they are the base architecture that the next several generations optimize. Since the release of the 2nd generation Intel Core family of processors, you can identify which generation a processor fits in by the four or five digits in the model number. The first of the four digits is the generation. For example, the Core i5-9600K processor is a 9th generation processor, and the Core i5-11500 processor is an 11th generation processor. Sockets for Intel Processors The Intel name for a socket includes the number of pins the socket has. Intel uses a land grid array (LGA) for all its current sockets. These sockets have blunt pins that project up to connect with lands on the bottom of the processor. You can see these lands when you look closely at Figure 2-5. Here are the current Intel sockets for desktop computers: The LGA1700 socket (also called Socket V) was released in 2021 and is compatible with 12th generation (Alder Lake) processors. Because this socket is larger than previous sockets, heat sinks and coolers that worked with previous sockets won’t work with the LGA1700 socket. The LGA1200 socket was released in 2020. This socket is compatible with Intel’s 10th and 11th generation processors and chipsets and is shown in Figure 2-6. This socket design offers improved power delivery and support for I/O features.  Figure 2-6 Details The LGA1200 socket is compatible with the 11th and 10th generation Intel processors 73 The LGA1151 socket was first released in 2015. The first release of the socket works with Intel’s 6th and 7th generation processors and chipsets and is shown in Figure 2-7. The second release works with Intel 8th and 9th generation processors and chipsets.  Figure 2-7 Details The 6th and 7th generation LGA1151 open socket and the bottom of an Intel processor 74 Here are the Intel sockets used in servers and high-performance workstations: The LGA2066 socket is used with 8th through 6th generation processors and chipsets. It was introduced with Skylake-X high-end 6th generation processors in 2017. LGA2011 is used with 5th through 2nd generation processors and chipsets and has several variations for different generations, including LGA2011-0, LGA2011-1, and LGA2011-v3.  Caution When a processor is installed in a socket, extreme care must be taken to protect the socket and the processor against ESD and from damage caused by bending the pins or scratching the processor pads during the installation. Take care not to touch the bottom of the processor or the pins of the socket. Doing so can leave finger oil on the gold plating of the contact surfaces. This oil can later cause tarnishing and lead to a poor contact. To ensure that even force is applied when inserting the processor in the socket, sockets have one or two levers on the sides. These sockets are called zero insertion force (ZIF) sockets, and the levers are used to lift the processor up and out of the socket. When you push the levers down, the processor moves into its pin connectors with equal force over the entire housing. Because the socket and processor are delicate, processors generally should not be removed or replaced repeatedly. AMD Chipsets and Sockets Currently, AMD has four chipset and socket categories for personal computers: Figure 2-8 shows the sTRX4 socket, a land grid array (LGA) socket that supports 3rd generation Threadripper processors and uses the TRX40 chipset. The sTRX4 socket was released in 2019. The Threadripper processors are part of the AMD Ryzen series of high-end processors.  Figure 2-8 Details Source: asrock.com The sTRX4 socket supports the 3rd generation Threadripper processors and the TRX40 chipset 75 The TR4 (Threadripper 4) socket, released in 2017, is an LGA socket that supports Threadripper processors and uses the AMD X399 chipset. The AM4 chipset family and AM4 socket are used with AMD Ryzen and Athlon processors. While the AM4 socket was launched in 2016, it is still a highly popular socket. AMD chipsets in the AM4 family include A300, B300, and X300. The processors and chipsets support mainstream desktop systems. The socket has 1331 holes in a pin grid array (PGA), which means the socket has 1331 holes and the AMD processor has 1331 pins that fit into those socket holes. AMD has announced that in 2022, the  Ryzen processors will use a new socket and chipset to replace the popular AM4 socket and chipset. The AM3+ and AM3 are PGA sockets used with AMD Piledriver and Bulldozer processors and the 9 series chipsets, including 970, 980G, and 990X. The processors and chipsets are used in high-end gaming systems. AM3+ and AM3 processors can fit in either socket. Figure 2-9 shows the AM3+ socket and the bottom of the AMD FX processor. Figure 2-9 Details The AMD AM3+ open socket; notice the holes in the socket and pins on the bottom of the processor The FM2+ is an older PGA socket used with AMD Athlon, Steamroller, and Excavator processors and A-series chipsets such as the A58 and A68H. Match a Processor to the Socket and Motherboard For both Intel and AMD, the processor families (for example, Intel Core i3, Intel Core i5, AMD Athlon, or AMD Ryzen) are used with various chipset generations and sockets. Therefore, you must pay close attention to the actual model number of the processor to know which socket it requires and which motherboards can support it. If you install a processor on a motherboard that can fit the socket but has the wrong chipset for the processor, you can damage both the motherboard and the processor. Sometimes, you can install a newer processor on an older motherboard by first updating the firmware on the motherboard, which you learn to do later in this module. To match a processor to a motherboard and socket: Look at the motherboard manufacturer’s website or user guide for a list of processors the motherboard supports. If a motherboard requires a firmware update to use a newer processor, the motherboard manufacturer’s website will alert you and provide the downloaded firmware update. Updating chipset firmware is covered later in this module. If an update is required, you must update the firmware before you install the new processor. You can also search the Intel (ark.intel.com) or AMD (amd.com) website for the exact processor to make sure the socket it uses is the same as the socket on the motherboard. You can also use the website to find other information about the processor. Exam Tip The A+ Core 1 exam does not expect you to be familiar with the processor sockets used by laptop computers. It is generally more cost effective to replace a laptop that has a damaged processor than to replace the processor. If you are called on to replace a laptop processor, however, always use a processor the laptop manufacturer recommends for the particular laptop model and system board CPU socket.