PC Hardware in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition

Installing a Socketed Processor

All modern mainstream processors are socketed rather than slotted. These include the Intel Pentium III and Celeron (Socket 370), the Intel Pentium 4 (Socket 423 and Socket 478), and the AMD Athlon and Duron (Socket A). Fifth-generation processors such as the Intel Pentium and AMD K5 use Socket 5 or Socket 7, and hybrid fifth/sixth-generation processors such as the AMD K6 series and Cyrix 686 series use Socket 7.

Installing any socketed processor is a straightforward operation if you do things by the numbers. The most important thing to remember is that processors are particularly sensitive to static shock. Take great care to observe antistatic procedures while you are handling the processor. It’s a good rule of thumb to always keep one hand in contact with the PC power supply while you handle the processor.

All recent socketed motherboards have a Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) socket. As its name implies, the ZIF socket allows a chip with hundreds of pins to be seated easily. Older friction-fit sockets made it nearly impossible to seat a complex chip with hundreds of pins properly. If you encounter a motherboard without a ZIF socket, that in itself is a good reason to replace the motherboard before installing the new processor.

Regardless of the type of socketed processor you are installing, take the following preliminary steps:

1. If you are installing a new processor in an older system, before you begin work check to see if an updated BIOS is available for ...