Years go by and curiously AMD continues to use the same connection method between the socket and its CPUs in the desktop processors of the mainstream range. Although this is not the case in their Threadrippers, it is quite interesting to know the reasons why they still continue to use the so-called PGA socket in the face of the LGA that Intel uses in the same range, why not copy the strategy of its rival?
Each type of socket has a series of advantages that clearly differentiate it from the other and although we are not going to break down the fight between LGA vs PGA , we must take into account who benefits from its uses and especially its reasons.
Intel directly stopped using PGA for years and focused on LGA, which has sometimes come under fire for what sockets and processors, but remains committed to using it. AMD on the other hand does not seem to want to jump to it in mainstream, what is each hiding?
Costs, need, strategy and backwards compatibility
These four factors determine the current use and commercialization of modern processors. From the point of view of the CPU manufacturer, it should be borne in mind that users are not really a problem for Intel or AMD, that is, their installation and anchoring systems are simple and therefore each user will have their preference, which is not decisive for any of the companies.
On the other hand, not including or including pins in the processor has a direct cost for the company. In the case of AMD, it must assume a higher price for staying in PGA, while motherboard manufacturers save themselves from headaches that imply a higher cost in LGA.
Necessity is another key factor, but at the same time it is at odds and related to the strategy to follow. AMD offers more backwards compatibility on its platforms, so you need to keep the same socket longer and only a platform change with many new features would change this.
Pin density is also key to opting for LGA or PGA
Another key point is the total size of the CPUs and the count of pins they get. It is clear that if we need many pins to connect and supply voltages, buses, channels and cores, the option to choose passes through LGA.
It gets a higher number of pins per square centimeter and as we see in Threadripper, it is not a problem for AMD to work with it. LGA also has a clear advantage over PGA: it is safer to use from the point of view of the processor manufacturer, which passes the responsibility of the pins to the motherboard manufacturers.
Finally, you have to take into account another fundamental detail to understand why AMD and Intel use one or the other: the mounting pressure . In LGA said pressure and strengthening of the CPU is much higher than that offered by PGA, where the latter leaves the pressure requirements to the block or heatsink, since its function is rather retaining.
LGA on the other hand offers a much firmer and safer anchorage, which does put pressure on the pins and guarantees a more equitable distribution of it. Therefore, it is a more secure socket than PGA, which as we will all have verified at some time, is capable of allowing the CPU to come out of it if the heatsink has made very good contact with the IHS, putting the pins of the processor at risk. .
In any of the two sockets, the responsibility for possible bent pins rests with the user, since neither AMD nor Intel are responsible for malpractice, as well as the manufacturers of boards.