The motherboard, essential for PC configuration, has a 3-year warranty for free after-sales service. This is the period of support when a problem occurs with the motherboard. However, BIOS updates or socket support for next generation CPUs are different from the free warranty period.
CPU socket support varies between Intel and AMD, and the ‘timing of support’ varies depending on the motherboard you buy. Therefore, consumers face difficulties every time they make a purchase. In particular, as new GPUs from NVIDIA and AMD are expected to be released along with next-generation CPUs from AMD and Intel in the second half of this year, users who are new to their PCs are worried about which CPU and motherboard combination to use to configure their PC.
What are the CPU socket methods and support differences depending on the motherboard, and what are the buying tips for next generation motherboards according to platform changes?
Intel ‘Motherboard’ socket is LGA, AMD is PGA type
The main board houses all the general PC components, including not only the CPU but also RAM, GPU, and M.2 SSD. So here is the motherboard. However, depending on whether the motherboard is compatible with AMD and Intel CPUs, the CPU socket, that is, the CPU mounting type is different.
Intel is an LGA (Land Grid Array) type, where pins are attached to the motherboard. Since the motherboard has pins, it has the advantage of higher durability compared to the PGA (Pin Grid Array) method, which has pins attached to the CPU.
As a disadvantage, if the motherboard pins are bent, it is more difficult than straightening the PGA type CPU pins.
If the motherboard has pins on the LGA, on the other hand, the CPU has pins on it. This is the PGA type found in AMD CPUs. The advantage is that it is easier to straighten the CPU pins compared to LGA type motherboard pins.
The downside is that the CPU pins are exposed, so the durability of the CPU is relatively low. In addition, when removing the CPU cooler, if you remove the cooler while the thermal grease is being hardened, the CPU may come with it, so you need to be careful. The difference between LGA and PGA depends on the CPU socket method.
Intel, before launching new CPUs in the second half of the year, CPU socket support?
Intel motherboard CPU sockets change to match the new CPU. Intel motherboards that match the current 12th generation CPUs are 600 series chipsets. The 600 series chipset supports the LGA 1700 socket. In addition, it officially supports Raptor Lake, a 13th generation CPU that will get released in the second half of this year.
Similarly, the LGA1200 socket of the Z490 motherboard, including the 10th generation i9-10900K, supported the 11th generation i9-11900K, and the 8th and 9th generation Coffee Lake also supported the 2nd generation with the one socket motherboard 1151v2 Z370 (Z390).
As such, Intel has maintained CPU socket support for over a decade since the two-year Sandy Bridge days. Of course, as the CPU socket changes, there is an advantage of supporting the latest platform and various technologies and functions, but there is also a disadvantage that the support of the next generation CPU varies depending on the time of purchase for some users.
Intel ‘H/B/Z’ motherboard line configuration
Intel’s motherboard line is divided into four main categories.
It includes the H610 which belongs to the entry-level line, the B660 which belongs to the mid-range model, the H670 with better power and expansion for performance and high-performance PCs, and finally the Z690 that matches the high and high performance. -end of computers.
FYI, in terms of overclocking, some memory overclocking is possible from the B660 motherboard, and memory overclocking including the CPU is possible from the top line Z690.
The chipset rating varies according to the weight of the motherboard. Depending on the model, the configuration and quality of the CPU power phase are different, and furthermore, the M.2 expandability, memory socket, and PCIe slot configuration are differentiated. In addition, in terms of performance, CPU and memory overclock support is also different.
Intel’s 13th generation support is last, the 14th generation is expected to apply a ‘new socket’
According to socket support, Intel 12th and 13th generations use the same LGA 1700 motherboard socket. The 13th generation Intel Raptor Lake platform data leaked via Weibo a while ago also confirmed the use of LGA 1700 sockets.
In addition, the latest BIOS for 600 series motherboards on the market has been updated with a Raptor Lake compatible BIOS and responds with official support for the 13th generation CPU. However, starting with the 14th generation CPU, a new socket will appear, not the LGA1700.
AMD also releases new CPUs, AMD socket support?
AMD socket changes are largely divided into AM2→AM2+ and AM3→AM3+. And the AM4 socket, which appeared in 2017, officially corresponds to the latest ZEN3 architecture and is compatible until 2022.
To round up the AM4 socket support, it supports from the Ryzen 1000 series to the 5800X3D released earlier this year. Apart from the official architectural changes, CPU socket compatibility was maintained for about 5 years.
Of course, as the latest chipsets are released in between, there is a slight difference in the scalability of the latest platforms such as PCIe Gen4 and M.
It uses the same AM4 motherboard socket, but AMD also has a series of motherboard chipsets ranging from A320 to X570 in line with the release of new CPUs.
The motherboard configuration of the AM4 socket includes the A320 / B350 / X370, which corresponded to the early 1st generation ZEN CPU, to the latest A520 / B550 / X570, which corresponds to the ZEN3. FYI, AMD supports memory overclocking by default in all chipset products, including early A320 chipset motherboards.
And for CPU overclocking, mainstream class motherboards are supported from the B line, and the X570 includes high-end products with better power supply and expansion as well as CPU and RAM overclocking.
AM5 compatible AMD ZEN4, compatible with next generation CPUs
Although AMD has maintained the AM4 socket for 5 years, the ZEN4 Ryzen 7000 series to be released in the second half of 2022 will be switched to the AM5 socket. Since there are major platform changes such as DDR5 and an official response to PCIe 5.0, it is analyzed that they are trying to introduce a new socket rather than the existing socket.
The socket method will also change. It changes from the PGA method, which has pins placed on the current CPU, to the LGA method, which has pins on motherboards like Intel. AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su, who predicted this socket change, said, “The AM5 socket also maintains long-term socket compatibility support like AM4. “A response to ZEN5 is also expected.
Is there anything other than a ‘motherboard select’ CPU socket? CPU power supply and heatsink
In the second half of the year, along with the next generation CPU, the main board undergoes a major platform change. In addition, the next generation CPU is expected to increase the TDP along with the overall CPU clock increase. Therefore, when purchasing a product in the future, users should also look at the configuration of the CPU power supply and whether there is a heat sink.
In the main board, the power supply is ‘the organ that supplies current and voltage to the parts needed for each when electricity is supplied to the main board, such as CPU and RAM’. That is, the more steps in the power supply, the more stable power supply is possible.
When the load is high, high power is consumed, which is directly related to heat generation. Therefore, in mainstream and high-end motherboards, not only a generous power supply configuration, but also a VRM (power supply unit) heat sink has an advantage in heat management.
Therefore, users need to compare and check the configuration of the power supply and the presence / absence of a heat sink, even if it is a product of the same motherboard chipset, before buying.
PCIe 5.0 to be officially introduced, M.2 storage scale verification is required
With the DDR5 platform change, next generation motherboards support PCIe 5.0. This is true for both AMD and Intel. Of course, Intel has some motherboards that support PCIe 5.0 even in the 12th generation CPU, but the expansion configuration and support is different depending on the board.
AMD will support PCIe 5.0 and GPU with the X670 chipset motherboard with AM5 socket. The problem is the B650. B650 only supports PCIe 5.0 for NVMe M.2 SSD, which is storage, and a separate lineup called B650E is also expected to be released.
Since Intel also has different PCIe M.2 storage expansion and PCIe support lanes depending on the chipset line of the motherboard, like AMD, the differences need to be carefully checked according to the PCIe version.
CPU support time varies depending on the same motherboard and time of purchase
Users can choose between AMD and Intel when choosing a CPU before purchasing a PC. CPU motherboard socket support differs between the two manufacturers. Intel typically supports two years of compatibility per socket. As AMD switched to socket AM5 after supporting socket AM4 for 5 years, AM5 is also expected to be supported for a long time.
In particular, in the second half of this year, as AMD and Intel release next-generation products, there will be platform changes along with full support for DDR5 and PCIe 5.0. In addition, the next generation GPU, NVIDIA RTX 40 series, and AMD RDNA3 are also expected to be released, so the time for major PC upgrades such as CPU + GPU is approaching.
Therefore, when choosing a motherboard when configuring a PC in the future, users should buy after checking the difference in expandability depending on the power supply and PCIe version, starting with the support of the motherboard socket, etc.
