Glossary
CPU socket
The mechanical and electrical interface that connects a desktop CPU to its motherboard. Determines which CPUs are compatible. Examples: AM5 (AMD Ryzen 7000/9000), LGA 1851 (Intel Core Ultra Series 2).
A socket is a physical pin or pad layout plus an electrical contract. AMD uses Pin Grid Array (PGA) on older Ryzen and Land Grid Array (LGA) on AM5; Intel has used LGA since LGA 775.
Why it dictates the upgrade path
- AM5 (AMD) launched 2022, will support Zen 6 in 2026 — three to four generations on one board, a major value point.
- LGA 1851 (Intel) replaced LGA 1700 in 2024 with the Core Ultra 200 series.
- LGA 1700 is dead-ended at 14th-gen Raptor Lake Refresh.
Pin damage
LGA boards have pins on the motherboard; bending one usually means an RMA. AM5 moved AMD to LGA, so the same caution now applies to both vendors during install.
In comparisons
Two CPUs with different sockets are not direct replacements — switching from LGA 1700 to AM5 means a new motherboard, often new RAM (DDR4 → DDR5), and re-paste of the cooler.
Where this matters
Categories that use cpu socket
See it compared
CPU socket on real comparisons
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