When assembling or upgrading a computer, each user should know how to find out the socket of the motherboard, because without this information he simply will not be able to choose the right processor, RAM, and even a video card, because it should be selected according to the capabilities of the processor. Some people don’t even know why some processor fits the motherboard, and some don’t. For this, you need a socket - the place where the processor is attached to the computer's motherboard. The numbering of the socket is indicated by numbers.
How to find out the motherboard socket?
There are different ways to find out this information. Let's start with the simplest and most obvious. To do this, we need some tools and programs: a Phillips screwdriver, instructions for the motherboard and processor, Aida64 or Everest program.
The easiest way to find out the motherboard socket is to use the instructions. If you have saved the box (and it should be preserved, otherwise there will be no warranty service without it), then take it and look for the word socket in the technical specifications. Opposite this word will be the designation we need. A processor line that matches this socket can also be specified. However, if there is no instruction, then there are other options.
We look at the socket inside the case
Take a screwdriver and remove the housing cover. There you will immediately see the motherboard, on which the name will be written. Go to the manufacturer’s official website, find the board with the same name on its website and see the technical specifications there. A socket will be indicated as one of the first characteristics.
It’s hard to imagine that there will be no name on the motherboard, but even so, there is still a way to find out which socket on the motherboard. But for this you will have to unscrew another 4 extra bolts. So, let's say you removed the case cover, but you did not find the name on the board. Often manufacturers indicate a socket near the processor mount. Therefore, use a screwdriver to unscrew the bolts that hold the fan and cooling radiator. The processor itself does not need to be touched - let it stand still. Next to it will be a socket. Write it on your paper and insert the radiator with fan back.
How to find out motherboard socket through Aida64?
There are different versions of Aida64, including paid and free. The simplest free version that can be downloaded from the official site is suitable for us. But you can also find a free and full (hacked) version on torrents, although even a free program with truncated functionality is suitable for our purpose.
Suppose you downloaded and installed the Aida64 program. Run it and select the "System Board" section on the left side of the menu. A new branch will open there. In it, click on "Motherboard" again, and the program will show all the information about the motherboard. Opposite the line "Number of sockets for the CPU" the value "1" will be indicated, and the socket will be indicated next. For example, there may be a value of “1 LGA1155”, where the number indicates one available socket, and “LGA1155” is the socket itself.
We use Everest
Instead of Aida64, you can use the Everest program. But how to find out the motherboard socket through Everest? The procedure will be approximately the same, because the Everest program is not much different from Aida64, even the interface is identical. If you can’t find and install Aida64 for any reason, then you can use Everest. Here the procedure will not differ. Run the program and select in the menu on the left the "System Board" - "System Board" section. In the block "Physical information about the system" there will be a line "Number of sockets for the CPU", opposite which the socket of the motherboard is always indicated.
Even simpler is the Cpu-z program. It is also freely distributed on the Web. Download it, run it and select the package column, the socket will be indicated there. Any of the proposed programs will accurately determine this characteristic.
Now you know how to find out the socket of the motherboard and you can pick up the correct central processor instead of the old one. Of course, it would be nice to write tips on choosing a processor, but this is the topic of a separate article.
What happens if you ignore the socket?
A socket is a connector on the motherboard where the processor itself will connect. Before you select and install it in the connector, it is important to make sure that the socket itself is suitable for the motherboard. If you give a simple analogy, then an ordinary socket and plug immediately comes to mind: they are ideally suited to each other. And if you try to insert a euro plug into a Soviet outlet, then they will not fit together. This ideally describes the situation with the sockets of the motherboard and processor.
In general, sockets were not created in order to complicate the process of assembling a computer. They make it possible to update the system, removing old ones and installing newer and more powerful chips with the same socket. Imagine what would happen if the processor were simply soldered to the motherboard (by the way, in some laptops this is the case). We would have to change the motherboard completely to replace the chip and vice versa.
Therefore, when choosing a processor (or motherboard), the name of the socket plays one of the most significant roles. Many users do not know what a motherboard socket is, and do not attach any importance to this. The picture below shows what happens if you try to "shove" the processor into a socket on the motherboard that does not match the CPU socket.
As you can see in the photo, the processor sockets are bent and it is difficult to say whether they can now be restored. In theory, of course, it is possible, but there are no guarantees that after that it will work correctly. Therefore, it is not recommended to try to connect the processor to the motherboard yourself, not being sure of 100% compatibility between them. Otherwise, you just ruin the processor chip and, less likely, the motherboard.
If you have a laptop
The described methods are suitable for desktop computers, but how do I know the socket of the laptop motherboard? In some laptops, getting to the insides is very difficult, so the method of “unscrewing the cover and looking at the model of the motherboard” is not always suitable. It is more appropriate to use the programs discussed above.
But if you want to upgrade the system, you should make sure if there is such a possibility. Indeed, in some models the processors are soldered to the motherboard, which saves valuable space inside the laptop case, but eliminates the possibility of replacing the chip. You can find out only on specialized forums. Manufacturers of such subtleties in the characteristics do not indicate.