Tutorial:Hardware
Understanding
Processor
Sockets And Slots
There's a bewildering array of sockets and slots in modern PCs. Before you can
upgrade the processor in a user's machine, you need to know which type
you have and which processor it can take.
By Matt Jones
T
here are a wide variety of proc
types of slot/socket, but the line is be
should not be assumed that they are
essors used in today's PCs. The
coming more blurred all the time.
superior to Socket 7 boards. There are
Pentium, Pentium Pro and Pen
Socket 7 CPUs require separate cache
now advanced Socket 7 boards that
tium II all use separate and incompat
modules the others do not, having it
have these features, using a new stand
ible socket types. The purpose of this
built in to the chip. Other than that,
ard called Super 7 that was put to
article is to examine the choices avail
there are no performance advantages
gether by some of Intel's competitors.
able and to recommend some cost and
inherent in Slot 1 or Slot 2 designs over
A motherboard of each type with a
performance efficient upgrades.
Socket 7 or Super 7.
100 MHz front side bus will have the
Figure 1 shows the current slot and
While it is true that Slot 1 and 2
same maximum performance level. In
socket types. There are architectural
motherboards often have better fea
tel's patenting of the technologies used
differences between the four main
tures (higher bus speeds, AGP) it
in Socket 8, Slot 1 and Slot 2 mean that
its competitors are currently tied to
Socket 7. This has not been a drawback
CPU
Slot or Socket
as the forthcoming AMD CPUs (K6 2
400 and K6 3) will demonstrate.
Pentium Class CPUs
Socket 7 and Super 7
Along with systems for high per
Pentium Pro
Socket 8
formance floating point work, multi
Pentium II
Slot 1
processor system manufacturers must
Pentium II Xeon
Slot 2
use Intel CPUs. Socket 7 and Slot 1
designs can support a pair of CPUs;
Socket 8 and Slot 2 can go up to four,
Figure 1 Current slot and socket types.
Name
Clock Speed
Bus Speed
Comments
(MHz)
(MHz)
Pentium Classic
Up to 200
Up to 66
Obsolete
Pentium MMX
Up to 233
Up to 66
Still made for another year.
Pentium OverDrive MMX
Up to 233
Up to 66
Cyrix 6x86, 6x86L
100 150
50 75
Obsolete
Cyrix 6x86MX
100 150
50 75
Requires special, rare motherboard for 75 MHz
bus operation.
Cyrix M II
300/333
66 83
Bus speed given is an equivalency rating.
350 MHz coming soon. Architecturally similar
to a Pentium II, but with a smaller primary
cache.
AMD K6
Up to 233
66 83
AMD K6 2
Up to 350
Up to 100
400 MHz version coming soon.
IDT C6
Up to 300
60, 75
Very small, low power chip expect to see
higher CPU and bus speeds soon. Only
recently introduced.
Figure 2 Socket 7 CPUs.
Update 122 (December 1998) page 3
File: T1017.1
PC Support Advisor
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