What CPU is Compatible with My Motherboard?
To know which CPU is compatible with your motherboard, you need to know what type of socket your motherboard uses. The socket is the interface between the CPU and the motherboard, So they must be the same type for your computer to work.
In the rest of this article, we want to know what a CPU socket is and look at four common sockets in use today. We’ll learn a few ways to find out what socket your motherboard can use and what CPUs it’s compatible with.
What is a CPU socket?
In a simple definition, the CPU socket is the interface between the CPU and the motherboard. In this way, the CPU and motherboard communicate with each other. Each socket has a different physical structure; Therefore, even at the most basic level, they are incompatible. For a CPU to be compatible with your motherboard, you must use the same socket.
AMD and Intel are two CPU manufacturers that each have their sockets. It is important to remember that simple differences between companies are not enough. Although AMD mainly, and not exclusively, uses one socket, Intel has many sockets, each incompatible with the others.
AMD AM4 socket
If your motherboard is AMD, the socket used is probably the 4 AM socket. First released in 2016 to provide an interface before many companies did, the introduction of AM4 has made it easier for AMD motherboard owners to find the right CPU.
It is still important to remember that this is not their only socket. AMD’s Threadripper processors use different interfaces, and there is no cross-compatibility between them. AMD will also launch Socket 5 AM in 2022, which is set to replace AM4 as the standard for the company’s CPUs.
Intel LGA 1151 socket
Although this socket is the oldest of the three Intel sockets we’re looking at (unless you bought a new, high-end CPU), most Intel processors you can buy use the 1151 LGA socket.
The microarchitecture supported by Socket 1151 LGA, which was first launched in 2015, includes several CPUs from the 3Core I, 5Core i, 7Core I, Pentium, and Celeron brands. It may seem like this socket covers almost all Intel processors on the market, so it’s important to remember that only some models from those brands use this socket, not all of them.
Intel LGA 1200 socket
1200 LGA is a direct replacement of 1151 LGA. Launched in 2020, it also replaced the less-used LGA 2066 as the socket used by newer 9Core I processors.
Intel LGA 1700 socket
The 1700 LGA replaced the 1200 LGA just a year after its release. The 1700 LGA, the latest socket model at the time of writing, is designed to fit processors using the Alder Lake architecture and includes models from Intel’s most popular CPU brands, including the latest 9 Core I s.
How to determine which CPU socket is compatible with our motherboard?
The most important thing before buying a new CPU is to know what socket your motherboard uses so that you can buy a CPU of the same type. Depending on which approach you’re most comfortable with, there are several ways you can do this. In the following, we discuss a standard method, a user-friendly method, and a classic method.
System Information (Windows 10)
The traditional way to find out what CPU socket your motherboard supports is to check your existing CPU or motherboard model in the Windows System Information program. To access this program in Windows 10, type “System Information” in the Start bar and press Enter.
In this program, select the “System Summary” page from the list on the left. The text on the right shows your CPU and motherboard models to the right of the “Processor” and “BaseBoard Product” labels, respectively. Then you can enter these models into the search engine and find their specifications, including the sockets used.
Different versions of Windows present this program in slightly different ways, which can make things difficult for novice users. In addition, it is difficult for novice users to find the right information among all the available specifications.
Speccy software
If you are not a professional user, you can use programs like Speccy to provide the information you need directly. The free version of Speccy can tell you what CPU socket your motherboard uses.
First, download the program. Then open the “Motherboard” page by clicking on it in the left panel. In the right panel in the “Model” section, you can see your inserted socket with the motherboard model.
If this is not available, you can click on “CPU” in the left panel to bring up your available processor screen, which is always the same as your motherboard socket. The socket is inserted on the right side of the “package” label.
