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PGA sockets are a type of CPU socket that use a pin grid array packaging. They are mounted on the motherboard and connect the CPU to conduct data transmission. PGA sockets protect the computer chip and use zero insertion force. There are three popular variants: PPGA, FCPGA, and OPGA. PGA sockets can hold up to 1,000 pins, but LGA sockets have overtaken them in popularity since 2008.
A PGA socket refers to a type of central processing unit (CPU) socket that uses the pin grid array form of integrated circuit packaging. With PGA, the socket’s pin holes are arranged neatly in a grid, which is an evenly spaced network of criss-crossing horizontal and vertical lines. This framework is used to give the PGA socket a structured format. The pins or pin contacts of a PGA socket are typically spaced no more than 0.1 inch (2.54 millimeters) apart on a square-shaped frame.
A motherboard, which serves as the “heart” of the personal computer (PC), is where the PGA socket is mounted. Also called a motherboard or circuit board, the motherboard contains many of the major components and functions of a PC, such as audio jacks, video display connectors, graphics card, connectors for hard and optical drives, and system memory. The CPU socket is used to connect the CPU, or processor, of the PC to the motherboard to conduct data transmission.
The PGA socket also protects the computer chip from possible damage when plugging or removing it. Most PGA sockets use zero insertion force (ZIF), which requires no force to insert and remove, and may sometimes involve leverage to aid in such actions. A much less common standard is low insertion force (LIF), which requires very little force and may also include a lever.
There are a significant number of PGA variants. The three most popular are the plastic pin grid array (PPGA), flip-chip pin grid array (FCPGA), and organic pin grid array (OPGA). PPGA means that the socket is made of plastic and OPGA stands for that it is made of organic plastic. FCPGA means that the CPU is turned over to expose its back, making it ideal for introducing a heat sink and dissipating the heat it produces.
In the early 1980s, integrated circuit manufacturers began producing PGA sockets. Over the next two decades, the grid-based layout dominated the integrated circuit market. One of the main reasons for this popularity was because it could hold more pins than previous packs. For example, single inline package (SIP) usually contains one row of nine pins, and dual inline package (DIP) offers two rows, for a total of 14 pins.
Conversely, PGA sockets can offer pin counts of nearly 1,000. An example is Socket 939, which was released by semiconductor manufacturer Advanced Micro Devices and has the most pin contacts of any PGA socket as of May 2011. In 2008, however, manufacturers began using the form LGA (land grid array) and eventually overtook the PGA.
