Socket A

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Socket A

Socket A (also known as Socket 462) is the CPU socket

CPU socket

A CPU socket or CPU slot is a connector on a computer's motherboard that accepts a central processing unit and forms an electrical interface with it....
used for AMD processors

Central processing unit

A central processing unit is an electronic circuit that can execute computer programs. This broad definition can easily be applied to many early computers that existed long before the term "CPU" ever came into widespread usage....
ranging from the Athlon Thunderbird to the Athlon XP/MP

Athlon

Athlon is the brand name applied to a series of different x86 Central processing unit designed and manufactured by Advanced Micro Devices. The original Athlon was the first seventh-generation x86 processor and, in a first, retained the initial performance lead it had over Intel Corporation's competing processors for a significant period of t...
3200+, and AMD budget processors including the Duron

Duron

The AMD Duron was an x86-compatible computer central processing unit manufactured by Advanced Micro Devices. It was released on June 19, 2000 as a low-cost alternative to AMD's own Athlon processor and the Pentium III and Celeron processor lines from rival Intel....
and Sempron

Sempron

Sempron has been the marketing name used by AMD for several different entry level desktop CPUs, using several different technologies and CPU socket formats....
. Socket A also supports the recent AMD Geode NX

Geode (processor)

Geode is a series of x86-compatible System-on-a-chip microprocessors and I/O companions produced by AMD targeted at the Embedded system market....
embedded processors (derived from the Mobile Athlon XP

Athlon

Athlon is the brand name applied to a series of different x86 Central processing unit designed and manufactured by Advanced Micro Devices. The original Athlon was the first seventh-generation x86 processor and, in a first, retained the initial performance lead it had over Intel Corporation's competing processors for a significant period of t...
). The socket is a zero insertion force pin grid array

Pin grid array

A pin grid array, often abbreviated PGA, refers to the arrangement of pins on the integrated circuit packaging. In a PGA, the pins are arranged in a square array that may or may not cover the bottom of the package....
type with 453 pins (nine pins are blocked in the socket to prevent accidental insertion of Socket 370

Socket 370

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Encyclopedia

Socket A (also known as Socket 462) is the CPU socket

CPU socket

A CPU socket or CPU slot is a connector on a computer's motherboard that accepts a central processing unit and forms an electrical interface with it....
used for AMD processors

Central processing unit

Athlon

Duron

Sempron

Geode (processor)

Athlon

Athlon is the brand name applied to a series of different x86 Central processing unit designed and manufactured by Advanced Micro Devices. The original Athlon was the first seventh-generation x86 processor and, in a first, retained the initial performance lead it had over Intel Corporation's competing processors for a significant period of t...
). The socket is a zero insertion force pin grid array

Pin grid array

Socket 370

Socket 370 is a common format of CPU socket first used by Intel for Pentium III and Celeron processors to replace the older Slot 1 CPU interface on personal computers....
CPUs, hence the number 462). The front side bus frequencies supported for the AMD Athlon XP and Sempron are 133 MHz, 166 MHz, and 200 MHz.

AMD recommends that the mass of a Socket A CPU cooler not exceed 300 gram

Gram

The gram , ; symbol g, is a Physical unit of mass.Originally defined as "the absolute weight of a volume of pure water equal to the cube of the hundredth part of a metre, and at the temperature of melting ice" , a gram is now defined as one one-thousandth of the SI base unit, the kilogram, or Scientific notation kg, which itself is...
s (10.6 ounce

Ounce

This article is about the unit of mass. For the unit of force, see Pound-force. For the unit of volume, see Fluid ounce. For all other uses, see Ounce ....
s). Heavier coolers may result in damage to the die

Die (integrated circuit)

A die in the context of integrated circuits is a small block of semiconducting material, on which a given functional circuit is fabricated.Typically, integrated circuits are produced in large batches on a single wafer of electronic-grade silicon through processes such as photolithography....
when the system is not properly handled.

Socket A has been discontinued in favor of Socket 754

Socket 754

Socket 754 is a CPU socket originally developed by AMD to succeed its Athlon XP platform . Socket 754 was the first socket developed by AMD to support their new consumer version of the 64 bit microprocessor family known as AMD64....
, Socket 939

Socket 939

Socket 939 is a CPU socket released by AMD in June 2004 to supersede the previous Socket 754 for Athlon 64 processors. Socket 939 was succeeded by Socket AM2 in May 2006....
, and recently Socket AM2

Socket AM2

The Socket AM2, renamed from Socket M2 , is a CPU socket designed by AMD for desktop processors, including the performance, mainstream and value segments....
, except for its use with Geode NX processors. However, microprocessors and motherboards from many vendors are still available.

Technical specifications

Support of processor clock-speeds between 600 MHz (Duron) to 2333 MHz (Athlon XP 3200+)
Double data rate
Double data rate

In computing, a computer bus operating with double data rate transfers data on both the rising and falling edges of the clock signal. This is also known as double pumped, dual-pumped, and double transition....
100, 133, 166 and 200 MHz front side bus
Front side bus

In personal computers, the Front Side Bus is the bus that carries data between the central processing unit and the Northbridge .Depending on the processor used, some computers may also have a back side bus that connects the CPU to the CPU cache....
on Duron, XP and Sempron processors, based on the Alpha 21264
Alpha 21264

The Alpha 21264 is a microprocessor developed and fabricated by Digital Equipment Corporation that implemented the DEC Alpha instruction set architecture ....
EV6 bus.

Initially launched with just 100 MHz FSB support from earlier chipsets, and evolved stepwise to faster FSB, so while the socket has remained pin compatible throughout its lifetime, clock, timing, BIOS and voltage issues restrict compatibility between older chipsets and later processors. These though are still hard to find.

Socket A mechanical load limits

All socket A processors (Athlon, Sempron, Duron and Geode NX) have the following mechanical maximum load limits which should not be exceeded during heatsink assembly, shipping conditions, or standard use. Load above those limits may crack the processor die and make it unusable.

Location	Dynamic	Static
Die Surface	445 N Newton The newton is the International System of Units SI derived unit of force, named after Isaac Newton in recognition of his work on classical mechanics.... (100 lb_f Pound-force The pound-force or simply pound is a Units of measurement of force.... )	133 N Newton The newton is the International System of Units SI derived unit of force, named after Isaac Newton in recognition of his work on classical mechanics.... (30 lb_f Pound-force The pound-force or simply pound is a Units of measurement of force.... )
Die Edge	44 N Newton The newton is the International System of Units SI derived unit of force, named after Isaac Newton in recognition of his work on classical mechanics.... (10 lb_f Pound-force The pound-force or simply pound is a Units of measurement of force.... )	44 N Newton The newton is the International System of Units SI derived unit of force, named after Isaac Newton in recognition of his work on classical mechanics.... (10 lb_f Pound-force The pound-force or simply pound is a Units of measurement of force.... )

Those load limits are quite small compared to the load limits of Socket 478

Socket 478

In computing, Socket 478 is a type of CPU socket used for Intel's Pentium 4 and Celeron series Central processing unit. Socket 478 was phased out with the launch of Socket T....
processors. Indeed, they were so small that many users ended up with cracked processors while trying to remove or attach heatsinks for their fragile processors. It must be noted though that many processors were cracked by non-standard or non-certified heatsink solutions as many, although by no means all, Socket A processors were shipped as bare OEM processors in trays.