The motherboard is an essential component of your PC, acting as the main hub for all hardware and I/O. Sometimes, you may need to know your motherboard model for a CPU or a RAM upgrade. Perhaps you need to identify your motherboard’s chipset to review missing features. If we go by...
we’ll be using your PC parts, the CPU or the motherboard, to identify the socket. For this, if you can't find the name of your motherboard among the numerous labels, you might have to remove the CPU heat sink and thermal paste to gain access to the CPU and socket name, which wi...
Find out which motherboard is compatible for your processor. Visit the Intel Product Compatibility Tool, type in the processor number in the search box located upper-left corner of the page. Related topics How to Apply Thermal Interface Material (TIM) Sockets Supported by Intel® Xeon® Pro...
Q: How do I know what motherboard fits my CPU? A: Check these compatibility factors: Socket type match Chipset compatibility BIOS version support Power delivery capability For example, AMD Ryzen 5000 series CPUs need an AM4 socket with a B550 or X570 chipset. ...
Once you know which motherboard socket you want to buy, the next important thing is to decide which motherboard size is right for you. Desktop motherboards usually come in four sizes:E-ATX, ATX, micro-ATX, and mini-ITX. The primary difference between these form factors is the number of...
Start with the CPU socket The key to picking the right processor The CPU socket is a physical connection on your motherboard allowing the main board and all connected hardware to communicate with the processor. It's either a pin grid array (PGA) or land grid array (LGA), the former havin...
Sockets and Chipsets to know Here are the most important sockets and chipsets today: Intel AMD It’s not so important to understand everything that goes into making a chipset, but it’s vital to understand that you need to select a motherboard with the right chipset—and the right socket—...
Since the CPU socket on a given motherboard can only be used with a chip line designed for it, the CPU you plan to pair with the motherboard will narrow your options. CPU must be compatible with the motherboard. There are only two processor manufacturers: Intel and AMD. And, although ...
socket for all of its mainstream current-gen chips, from Athlons all the way up to 16-core Ryzen 9 parts, althoughyou may run into complications installing newer CPUs on previous-generation motherboards. Intel, on the other hand, has a tendency in recent years to switch sockets (or at ...
It all comes down to one of the most important parts of a motherboard: the CPU socket. Chip makers (AMD and Intel) change sockets every generation or two. This translates to a few years, but it also forces upgrades eventually, because an older motherboard is fore...