Computer Instructor: HELNER D.

TAGHAP

CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU)

CPU is the device that gets, interprets and executes instructions. The CPU has the ability to fetch,
decode, and execute instructions and transfer information to and from other resources over the
computer’s main data-transfer path, called bus. By definition, the CPU is the chip that functions as the
“brain” of the computer.

Pentium - The name Pentium was derived from the Greek pente, meaning 'five', and the Latin ending -
ium, a name selected after courts had disallowed trade marking of number-based names like "i586" or
"80586". In 1995, Intel started to employ the registered Pentium trademark also for x86 processors with
radically different micro architectures (Pentium I / II / III / 4 / D / M). In 2006, the Pentium brand briefly
disappeared from Intel's roadmaps, only to re-emerge in 2007.

Two popular brand of Microprocessor:

1. Intel
2. AMD

Some classifications of CPU: socket type

1. Pentium Pro - The Pentium Pro is a sixth-generation x86 microprocessor developed and manufactured
by Intel introduced in November 1, 1995. It introduced the P6 microarchitecture (sometimes referred to
as i686) and was originally intended to replace the original Pentium in a full range of applications.

Produce From November 1, 1995 to 1998

Common Manufacturer (s) Intel
Maximum CPU Clock Rate 150 MHz to 200 MHz
FSB Speeds 60 MHz to 66 MHz
Instruction Set X86
Microarchitecture P6
Cores 1
Socket (s) Socket 8

2. Pentium II – The Pentium II brand refers to Intel's sixth-generation microarchitecture ("P6") and x86-
compatible microprocessors introduced on May 7, 1997. Containing 7.5 million transistors (27.4
million in the case of the mobile Dixon with 256 KB L2 cache), the Pentium II featured an improved
version of the first P6-generation core of the Pentium Pro, which contained 5.5 million transistor

Produce From mid-1997 to early 1999

Common Manufacturer (s) Intel
Maximum CPU Clock Rate 233 MHz to 450 MHz
FSB Speeds 60 MHz to 100 MHz
Instruction Set IA-32, MMX
Microarchitecture P6
Cores 1
Socket (s) Slot 1, MMC-1, MMC-2, Mini-Cartridge, PPGA-B615
 Computer Instructor: HELNER D. TAGHAP

PENTIUM II

3. Pentium III – The Pentium III (marketed as Intel Pentium III Processor, informally PIII, also stylized
as Pentium!!!) brand refers to Intel's 32-bit x86 desktop and mobile microprocessors based on the
sixth-generation P6 microarchitecture introduced on February 26, 1999.

Produce From early 1999 to 2003

Common Manufacturer (s) Intel
Maximum CPU Clock Rate 450 MHz to 1.4 Ghz
FSB Speeds 100 MHz to 133 MHz
Instruction Set IA-32, MMX, SSE
Microarchitecture P6
Cores 1
Socket (s) Slot 1, Socket 370, Socket 479 (Mobile)

4. Pentium 4 - Pentium 4 was a line of single-core central processing units (CPUs) for desktops,
laptops and entry-level servers introduced by Intel on November 20, 2000 and shipped through
August 8, 2008.
 Computer Instructor: HELNER D. TAGHAP

Produce From 2000 to 2008

Common Manufacturer (s) Intel
Maximum CPU Clock Rate 1.3 GHz to 3.8 GHz
FSB Speeds 400 MT/s to 1066 MT/s
Instruction Set X86 (i386), x86-64
Microarchitecture NetBurst
Cores 1
Socket (s) Socket 423, Socket 478, LGA 775

5. Pentium D – The Pentium D brand refers to two series of desktop dual-core 64-bit x86-64
microprocessors with the NetBurst microarchitecture, which is the dual-core variant of Pentium 4
"Prescott" manufactured by Intel.

Produce From 2005 to 2008

Common Manufacturer (s) Intel
Maximum CPU Clock Rate 2.66 GHz to 3.73 GHz
FSB Speeds 533 MT/s to 1, 066 MT/s
Instruction Set MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, and x86-64
Microarchitecture NetBurst
Cores 2
Socket (s) LGA 775

6. Pentium M - The Pentium M is a family of mobile 32-bit single-core x86 microprocessors (with the
modified Intel P6 microarchitecture) introduced in March 2003 and forming a part of the Intel Carmel
notebook platform under the then new Centrino brand.

Produce From March 12, 2003 to August 8, 2008

Common Manufacturer (s) Intel
Maximum CPU Clock Rate 900 MHz to 2.26 GHz
FSB Speeds 400 MT/s to 533 MT/s
Instruction Set MMX, SSE, SSE2
Microarchitecture P6 variant
Core 1
Socket (s) LGA 479

7. Dual Core - The Pentium Dual-Core brand was used for mainstream x86-architecture
microprocessors from Intel from 2006 to 2009 when it was renamed to Pentium.

Produce From 2006 to 2009

Common Manufacturer (s) Intel
Maximum CPU Clock Rate 1.3 GHz to 2.6 GHz
FSB Speeds 400 MHz to 800 MHz
Instruction Set MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE, x86-64
Microarchitecture Core
Cores 2
Socket (s) LGA 775, Socket M, Socket P

8. Core 2 - The Core 2 brand refers to Intel's x86/x86-64 microprocessors with the Core
microarchitecture targeted at the consumer and business markets (except servers) above Pentium.
The Core 2 solo branch covered single-core CPUs for notebook computers, Core 2 Duo – dual-core
CPUs for both desktop and notebook computers, Core 2 Quad – quad-core CPUs for both desktop
and notebook computers, and Core 2 Extreme – dual-core and quad-core CPUs for both desktop
and notebook computers
 Computer Instructor: HELNER D. TAGHAP

Model Spec
Frequency Socket Release date
number number

• SL9TB (L2)
Core 2 Duo E4300 • SLA99 (M0) 1.8 GHz – 3 GHz LGA 775 January 2007
• SLA5G

Core 2 Quad Q6700 SLACQ (G0) 2.67 GHz LGA 775 April 2007

Core 2 Extreme
SLAFN (G0) 3 GHz LGA 775 July 2007
QX6850
Core i3-2100 SR05C (Q0) 3.1 GHz LGA 1155 January 2011
Core i5-2310 SR02K (D2) 2.9 GHz LGA 1155 May 2011
Core i7-3820 SR0LD (M1) 3.6 GHz LGA 2011 February 2012

9. Core i3 - Developed and manufactured by Intel, the Core i3 is a dual-core computer processor,
available for use in both desktop and laptop computers. It is one of three types of processors in the
"i" series (also called the Intel Core family of processors).The Core i3 processor is available in
multiple speeds, ranging from 1.30 GHz up to 3.50 GHz, and features either 3MB or 4MB of cache.
It utilizes either the LGA 1150 or LGA 1155 socket on a motherboard. The most common type of
RAM used with a Core i3 processor is DDR3 1333 or DDR3 1600. It has 2 cores.
10. Core i5 – it has 4 cores
11. Core i7 – it has 4 – 8 cores

Intel Sockets that are popular until now: LGA 775, LGA 1156, LGA 1366, and LGA 1155

Socket LGA 775

Socket LGA 775 (also called Socket T) is used by the Core 2 Duo/Quad processors, the most recent
versions of the Intel Pentium 4 Prescott processor and the Pentium D and Pentium Extreme Edition
processors. Some versions of the Celeron and Celeron D also use Socket LGA 775. Socket LGA 775,
unlike earlier Intel processor sockets, uses a land grid array format, so the pins are on the socket, rather
than the processor.

LGA uses gold pads (called lands) on the bottom of the processor to replace the pins used in PGA
packages. It allows for much greater clamping forces via a load plate with a locking lever, with greater
stability and improved thermal transfer (better cooling). The first LGA processors were the Pentium II
and Celeron processors in 1997; in those processors, an LGA chip was soldered on the Slot-1 cartridge.
LGA is a recycled version of what was previously called leadless chip carrier (LCC) packaging. This
was used way back on the 286 processor in 1984, and it had gold lands around the edge only. (There
were far fewer pins back then.) In other ways, LGA is simply a modified version of ball grid array (BGA),
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with gold lands replacing the solder balls, making it more suitable for socketed (rather than soldered)
applications. Socket LGA 775 is shown in the figure below.

Socket LGA 1156

Socket LGA 1156 (also known as Socket H) was introduced in September 2009 and was designed to
support Intel Core ix-series processors featuring an integrated chipset Northbridge, including a dual-
channel DDR3 memory controller and optional integrated graphics. Socket LGA 1156 uses a land grid
array format, so the pins are on the socket, rather than the processor. Socket LGA 1156 is shown in
the figure below.

Socket LGA 1366

Socket LGA 1366 (also known as Socket B) was introduced in November 2008 to support high-end
Intel Core i7-series processors, including an integrated triple-channel DDR3 memory controller, but
which also requires an external chipset Northbridge, in this case called an I/O Hub (IOH). Socket LGA
1366 uses a land grid array format, so the pins are on the socket, rather than the processor. Socket
LGA 1366 is shown in the figure below.
 Computer Instructor: HELNER D. TAGHAP

Socket LGA 1155

Socket LGA 1155 (also known as Socket H2) was introduced in January 2011 to support Intel’s Sandy
Bridge (second-generation) Core ix-series processors, which now include Turbo Boost overclocking.
Socket LGA 1155 uses a land grid array format, so the pins are on the socket, rather than the processor.
Socket LGA 1155 uses the same cover plate as Socket 1156, but is not interchangeable with it. Socket
LGA 1155 is also used by Intel’s Ivy Bridge (third-generation) Core ix-series processors. LGA 1155
supports up to 16 PCIe 3.0 lanes and eight PCIe 2.0 lanes.

Socket LGA 2011

Socket LGA 2011 was introduced in November 2011 to support high-performance versions of Intel’s
Sandy Bridge (second-generation) Core ix-series processors (Sandy Bridge-E), which now include
Turbo Boost overclocking. LGA 2011 supports 40 PCIe 3.0 lanes, quad-channel memory addressing,
and fully-unlocked processor multipliers.
 Computer Instructor: HELNER D. TAGHAP

Some popular AMD sockets:

Socket AM2/AM2+

In May 2006, AMD introduced processors that use a new socket, called Socket AM2 (see figure below).
AM2 was the first replacement for the confusing array of Socket 754, Socket 939, and Socket 940 form
factors for the Athlon 64, Athlon 64 FX, and Athlon 64 X2 processors.

Although Socket AM2 contains 940 pins the same number that Socket 940 uses—Socket AM2 is
designed to support the integrated dual-channel DDR2 memory controllers that were added to the
Athlon 64 and Opteron processor families in 2006. Processors designed for Sockets 754, 939, and 940
include DDR memory controllers and are not pin compatible with Socket AM2. Sockets 939, 940, and
AM2 support Hyper Transport v2.0, which limits most processors to a 1 GHz FSB.

Socket AM2+ is an upgrade to Socket AM2 that was released in November 2007. Although Sockets
AM2 and AM2+ are physically the same, Socket AM2+ adds support for split power planes and
HyperTransport 3.0, allowing for FSB speeds of up to 2.6 GHz. Socket AM2+ chips are backward
compatible with Socket AM2 motherboards, but only at reduced HyperTransport 2.0 FSB speeds.
Socket AM2 processors can technically work in Socket AM2+ motherboards; however, this also
requires BIOS support, which is not present in all motherboards.

AMD CPU Socket AM3 (Launched in 2009)

 Computer Instructor: HELNER D. TAGHAP

AMD APU Socket FM1 (Launched in 2011) AMD CPU Socket AM3+ (Launched in 2011)

AMD APU Socket FM1 and FM2 (Launched in 2012)

AMD APU Socket FM2+ (Launched in 2014)