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AMD copies the design of Intel’s LGA sockets for its AM5 CPUs

AMD is ditching the archaic PGA system that motherboard manufacturers loved so much and moving to Intel’s side in its mainstream CPU lineup with the new socket AM5. This is something that Threadripper had already overcome from the beginning and now it is going to do it in a big way with its new CPUs, but the leaked renders have somewhat blurred the company’s innovation aspect for these new processors.

AMD socket AM5: retention design almost identical to Intel in form and workmanship

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Looking at the images it is impossible not to think that we are facing a socket designed by Intel. The blue ones have been using very advanced socket retention systems for decades, evolved from time to time and of course, using the LGA pin system.

But how could it be otherwise, AMD has given its particular vision and touch to this new retention system. And it is that as we can see there are substantial changes that can go unnoticed.

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First of all we see that it is a large socket, not as much as Intel LGA 20XX, much smaller than SP3r2 of course, a middle ground between the mainstream and HEDT range that is more sympathetic to the former than to the latter.

However, what is new is the height of it, since it seems taller just like the CPU itself. Possibly this is due to the trade-off that must be made in the vertical stacking of the new AMD and TSMC system.

Two distinct parts reminiscent of the Core 2 Duo

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In a flashback to the past and continuing with the similarities of Intel we can see how the retention system consists of two parts: the lever and the pressure cover.

  • The lever keeps the cover fixed and immobile, exerting the pressure of “sealing” the processor with the pins of the motherboard.
  • The aluminum cover will be raised independently of the pressure lever and therefore is not part of it, being two different pieces. The pressure is made at a single point which pushes the entire structure.

AMD-Ryzen-Raphael-Zen-4-Desktop-CPUs-For-AM5-LGA-1718-Socket-1

In addition, the cover pushes the IHS at two pressure points that are on the sides, very much in the Skylake-X style that gave Intel such a good result. However, it is surprising the greater distance from the edge of the socket itself for the CPU and in anchoring itself, which could show that we are facing processors of a larger general size, very square (it is rumored that 45 x 45 mm).

The reason is speculated to be a better pressure distribution to better balance the thermal load. In any case, we will have to wait for AMD to show us all the details to be sure, but it cannot be said that it has not worked, far from it.

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