Socket 6 was a CPU socket manufactured by Intel in the late 1980s and early 1990s for its 486 generation computer chips. It used PPGA packaging and a ZIF design, supporting CPUs with a data transfer rate range of 60 to 66 MT/s. However, it failed to gain widespread use due to the phasing out of 80486 processors and the popularity of Socket 3.
Socket 6 is a central processing unit (CPU) socket that the semiconductor company Intel Corporation began manufacturing in the late 1980s and early 1990s for its CPUs or microprocessors. It is notable for being the last CPU socket manufactured by Intel to house its 486 generation computer chips. The appearance of Socket 6 during the last few years of production or the prominence of the 486 generation chip mainly contributed to its lack of popularity in the semiconductor market.
Each socket 6 uses a form of integrated circuit packaging called plastic pin grid array (PPGA). This meant that it consisted of a plastic square with evenly spaced rows of pins, four rows combining for a total of 235 pins, located on the underside. Like other CPU sockets, it functions as a processor housing structure on the computer motherboard. This role involves electrically connecting the chip to the motherboard for data transfer. Socket 6 in particular uses a zero insertion force (ZIF) design to allow users to safely remove or attach CPUs instead of causing glitches.
The CPUs used by Intel for this particular socket were the Intel 80486 microprocessor, which the company introduced in 1989 and is notable for being the first Intel chip to contain up to a million processing transistors. Intel also used Socket 6 for a CPU brand called Pentium OverDrive, which debuted in 1993 as a motherboard upgrade. Socket 6 supports Intel CPUs that have a data transfer rate range of 60 to 66 million transfers per second (MT/s). Also, it runs on 3.3 volts (V).
Socket 6 is considered to be a slightly revised version of Socket 3. This CPU socket has adhered to PPGA form factor and ZIF design. Some of them, however, follow the low insertion force (LIF) design rather than ZIF, meaning they didn’t offer the same protection from damage via CPU insertion. Despite this disadvantage, socket 3 has two more pins and accommodates a wider range of microprocessors than socket 6. Its data transfer rate range is 25 to 83 MT/s, while its operating voltages are 3.3 V and 5V.
Unfortunately, Socket 6 failed to gain widespread use in the computer technology industry. It came at a time when Intel was phasing out its 80486 processors; the company stopped production entirely in 2007. As a result, motherboard manufacturers felt that there was no need to revise their product designs to fit the socket if the processors it was designed for were already being released.
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