{"id":53306,"date":"2025-02-17T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-17T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.overclockers.co.uk\/blog\/?p=53306"},"modified":"2025-02-06T10:45:41","modified_gmt":"2025-02-06T10:45:41","slug":"sockets-explained-lga-and-pga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.overclockers.co.uk\/blog\/sockets-explained-lga-and-pga\/","title":{"rendered":"Sockets Explained: LGA and PGA\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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To get the right combination of motherboard and CPU, you need to ensure they have a matching socket. But just what does LGA and PGA mean?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sockets<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we\u2019ll be detailing the main differences between these two socket types, sharing their pros and cons, and showcasing the products that use them.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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LGA and PGA<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For gaming hardware, there are two main types of socket: LGA<\/strong> and PGA<\/strong>. These are acronyms that stand for Land Grid Array (LGA) and Pin Grid Array (PGA). Both are used to interface your processor with your motherboard via pins and contacts (or lands), and each has a variety of layouts and designs that make them compatible with a specific set of CPUs.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main difference between the two is pin placement. On LGA sockets, the pins are on the socket and the compatible CPUs have the matching pattern of contacts. PGA sockets are the opposite, pins on the CPU and contacts on the motherboard. As such, an LGA CPU won\u2019t work with a PGA motherboard and vice versa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"LGA
LGA socket<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"PGA
PGA socket<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Image credit: Wikipedia<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Closer Look: LGA<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As we know, Land Grid Array (LGA)<\/strong> sockets feature pins on the motherboard and contacts or lands on the processor. This socket type is commonly used by Intel, widely used on their Intel Core, Core Ultra, and Xeon Series. With the introduction of the AM5 platform, AMD has also adopted the LGA format over PGA. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The LGA format enables a higher pin density, as they are located on the motherboard rather than the CPU. As such, they offer incredible power and data delivery with great stability and efficiency, making them well suited for high-performance applications. Additionally, the platform is future-proofed for upcoming innovations that may require more from your system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This makes LGA generally more advanced than PGA, which is great if you want to get the most out of your gaming system. However, this does potentially make the platform less accessible to newer users. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pros:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n