CPU types (socket, slots)

[mmatteson]

Hello there! I've been around computers for a while now, but mostly I focused on the software aspect of the system. Recently I have just started to get into the hardware part. My first question is what are the different types of CPUs? no vendor, but socket, slot, etc. and which one is the best?

 

[TheGame]

major vendors are AMD and Intel.
as for sockets there are...
Socket 8 (Pentium Pro)
Socket 7 (AMD K-6 and Pentium)
Slot 1 (Pentium 2 and 3)
Slot A (AMD Athlon)
Socket A (AMD Duron, Athlon, XP)
Socket 423 (Early Pentium 4s)
Socket 478 (Current Pentium 4s)

thats what i can think of off the top of my head right now.

-TheGame-

oh yeah forgot to say this, it depend on your outlook, right now Intel has the edge, but im partial to AMD, lol.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by TheGame on 10/30/02 07:11 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[miahallen]

To elaborate the difference between slots, and sockets...The Slot design was started by Intel with the P2...it was somewhat of a gimmick. L2 (level 2) cache was always placed on the mobo until then. It is accessed by the proccessor very frequently, the closer it is, the faster the proccessor works (the hierarchey of memory types in a PC: L1 cache, L2 cache, RAM, and HDD). Putting the L2 "on the chip" shortened the path effectively decreasing access time, hence the "slot". Since then, newer socket designs have thier L2 cache right on the die (core) itself.

 

[mmatteson]

thanks guys.

 

[Crashman]

You forgot about Socket 370 and it's 3 flavors of compatability!

<font color=blue>You're posting in a forum with class. It may be third class, but it's still class!</font color=blue>

 

[baldurga]

I've never have a Pentium III (or socket 370 mobo), but 3 diferent configuratios for the same socket seems a little headache for me. Probably some people has ended with the wrong CPU ...

That's why people call computers complicated.

DIY: read, buy, test, learn, reward yourself!

 

[Crashman]

It was like this-the original Celeron went on the first Socket370 boards back when the Celeron had no L2 cache. It was replaced by Coppermines, but the coppermine needed a couple more traces, so the thing got rewired. Then the Tualatin came out and Intel purposely made earlier boards non-compatable to prevent the accidental use of boards that wouldn't support the lower voltages.

<font color=blue>You're posting in a forum with class. It may be third class, but it's still class!</font color=blue>

 

[baldurga]

Oh great! So people that has mobos capable of running at the right volts, where disppointed by the Taulatin changes. A BIOS update can solve the problem, so at least some vendors give an option?

DIY: read, buy, test, learn, reward yourself!

 

[Crashman]

BIOS couldn't solve the problem because there was a pin that was previously connected to VSS that was changed to another assignment. When that pin detects a VSS connection, the processor won't turn on.

They also changed the signal voltage from 1.50v to 1.25v, even though the core voltage was 1.475v (close enough that they could have made the whole thing 1.5v instead). Intel was concerned that this lower signal would not be read properly by the boards that were on the market at the time. But that turned out to be nonsense, as many people have actually REWIRED the tualatin processor (!) pins to work. And Powerleap was the first company to introduce a slotket with the properly reassigned pins.

Intel purposely made the CPU non-compatable based on the SLIGHT POSSIBILITY that it wouldn't work otherwise. But it did, once Intel's preventative measures were undone.

<font color=blue>You're posting in a forum with class. It may be third class, but it's still class!</font color=blue>

 

[MeTaLrOcKeR]

Socket 3....................(486 CPU's from AMD, Cyrix & Intel)
Socket 5....................(Intel Pentium 'Classic' and AMD K5, Cyrix 5x86)
Socket 7....................(AMD K6, K6-2, K6-III, Intel Pentium, Pentium MMX, Cyrix 6x86 & derivatives)
Socket 8....................(Intel Pentium Pro)
Socket A/462................(AMD Duron 'Spitfire', AMD Duron 'Morgan', AMD Athlon 'Thunderbird', AMD Athlon XP 'Palomino', AMD Athlon MP 'Palomino', AMD Athlon XP 'Thoroughbred', AMD Athlon XP 'Thoroughbred B', AMD Athlon MP 'Thoroughbred')
Socket 370 PPGA.............(Intel Celeron 'Mendocino', VIA Cyrix III 'Samuel')
Socket 370 FC-PGA...........(Intel Celeron 'Cu-Mine', Intel Pentium III 'Cu-Mine')
Socket 370 PC-PGA2..........(Intel Celeron 'Tualitin', Intel Pentium III 'Tualitin')
Socket 423..................(Intel Pentium IV 'Williamette')
Socket 478..................(Intel Celeron 'Williamette', Intel Celeron 'Northwood', Intel Pentium IV 'Williamette', Intel Pentium IV 'Northwood')
Slot A......................(AMD Athlon 'Classic', AMD Athlon 'Thunderbird'[very rare, was mainly distributed through the OEM Market])
Slot 1......................(Intel Celeron 'Cacheless', Intel Celeron 'Mendosino', Intel Pentium II, Intel Pentium III 'Katmai', Intel Pentium III 'Cu-Mine')
Slot 2......................(Intel Pentium II 'Xeon', Intel Pentium III 'Xeon')

If I missed anything....sum 1 else fill ti in...I think ive covered most of the important stuff.......

<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=13597" target="_new">-MeTaL RoCkEr</A>

 

[ritesh_laud]

If I missed anything....sum 1 else fill ti in...I think ive covered most of the important stuff.......

Socket 603 - Intel PIV Xeon
Socket ??? - Itanium

Ritesh

 

[TheGame]

oops thanks for filling in about the socket 370, totally forgot about it, lol.

-TheGame-