Socket AM2
 | |
| Type | PGA-ZIF |
|---|---|
| Chip form factors | Ceramic Pin Grid Array (CPGA) Organic Pin Grid Array (OPGA) |
| Contacts | 940 |
| FSB frequency | 200 MHz System clock 1 GHz HyperTransport |
| Processors | Athlon 64 Athlon 64 X2 Athlon 64 FX Opteron Sempron Phenom |
This article is part of the CPU socket series | |
The Socket AM2, renamed from Socket M2 (to prevent using the same name as Cyrix MII processors), is a CPU socket designed by AMD for desktop processors, including the performance, mainstream and value segments. It was released on May 23, 2006, as a replacement for Socket 939 & Socket 754.
Technology
AM2 processors are incompatible with 939 motherboards and vice versa, and although it has 940 pins, it is incompatible with Socket 940[1]. DDR2 can transfer more data per clock cycle, but suffers from higher latencies, while drawing less power than DDR memory, which the previous Socket 939 supported. AnandTech reported that Socket AM2 system performance was 0-7% faster than Socket 939 equivalents, with most applications about 2% faster [2][3], despite having over 30% greater memory bandwidth due to DDR2 support.
The first processor cores to support socket AM2 are the single-core Orleans (Athlon 64) and Manila (Sempron), and the dual-core Windsor (Athlon 64 X2 and Athlon 64 FX). Most processors on Socket AM2 include SSE3 instructions and were developed with 90 nanometer technology. Recent models feature 65 nanometer technology (to compete with Intel and their 65nm CPUs).
Socket AM2 supports AMD Phenom processors but some motherboard manufacturers did not supply newer bios files required to operate a Phenom processor.
Socket AM2 is a part of AMD's next generation of CPU sockets, along with Socket F for servers and Socket S1 for mobile computing.
There are also single-socket Opteron processors available for AM2.[4]
While technical documentation was readily available for earlier generations of AMD processor sockets, the "AM2 Processor Functional Data Sheet" (AMD document number 31117) has not been made publicly available.
Successors
Multiple sockets have been announced which are pin-compatible with socket AM2, but which differ in terms of features.
- Socket AM2+
Socket AM2+ is an intermediate successor to socket AM2, which features split power planes, DDR2 SDRAM and HyperTransport 3.0. Socket AM2+ chips can plug into a socket AM2 motherboard, but operates only with HyperTransport 2.0.
- Socket AM3
AMD has announced[citation needed] that Socket AM3 processors will be able to run on Socket AM2 motherboards, but not vice-versa. AM3 processors will have a new memory controller supporting both DDR2 and DDR3 SDRAM, allowing backwards compatibility with AM2 and AM2+ motherboards. Since AM2 processors lack the new memory controller, they will not work on AM3 motherboards.
See also
- List of AMD Sempron microprocessors
- List of AMD Athlon 64 microprocessors
- List of AMD Opteron microprocessors