ASSIGNMENT No:2-PACKAGE TYPES

FC-PGA Package Type
The FC-PGA package is short for flip chip pin grid array, which have pins that are inserted into a socket. These chips are turned upside down so that the die or the part of the processor that makes up the computer chip is exposed on the top of the processor. By having the die exposed allows the thermal solution can be applied directly to the die, which allows for more efficient cooling of the chip. To enhance the performance of the package by decoupling the power and ground signals, FC-PGA processors have discrete capacitors and resistors on the bottom of the processor, in the capacitor placement area (center of processor). The pins on the bottom of the chip are staggered. In addition, the pins are arranged in a way that the processor can only be inserted one way into the socket. The FC-PGA package is used in Pentium® III and Intel® Celeron® processors, which use 370 pins.




The first Pentium III core, Katmai, was not much different from its predecessor, Pentium II Deschutes core. Like the Deschutes-based Pentium II processors, the Katmai-based Pentium III CPUs had 512 KB back-side L2 cache running at half of the core frequency. These Pentium 3 CPUs were packaged in SECC 2 package, plugged into Slot 1 connector, used the same 0.25 micron manufacturing technology, and even had the same core voltage as Pentium IIs. As a result new Pentium 3 processors had good compatibility with old Pentium II motherboards.

The major feature of the Katmai core was SSE instruction set - 70 new SIMD instructions. These instructions were originally called KNI, or Katmai New Instructions. The SSE instructions could significantly improve performance of multimedia and graphics applications, but only if the applications were recompiled to take advantage of new instructions.

Another new "feature" of Pentium III processor was Processor Serial Number, or PSN. The PSN was unique for each Pentium III CPU, and it could be used to uniquely identify the computer. Due to privacy concerns this feature was by default disabled on many motherboards.

All CPUs with Katmai core were released during short period of time. First Pentium IIIs, running at speeds 450 and 500 MHz, were introduced in February of 1999. Just in 7 months, in September 1999, Intel released the latest and the fastest Katmai 600 MHz CPU with 133 MHz FSB.

To compare different versions of Pentium III CPUs please see Intel desktop Pentium III CPU chart.



Related Links
Architecture
Identification
Pinouts
Support chips

Pentium III family

At a glance


Introduction:
1999
Technology:
0.25 micron
Frequency (MHz):
450 - 600
L2 cache size (KB):
512



Intel Pentium III 400 - DC1EC501A400 KATMAI
400 MHz
512 KB L2 cache
Single Edge Contact cartridge (slot 1)

This early engineering sample of Pentium III processor is interesting for a few different reasons:


It was manufactured about 8 months before the launch of Pentium III family.

The processor is clocked at 400 MHz, and production version of Pentium 3 400 MHz was never officially released.

The processor has unusual part number. It's also curious that the "Katmai" core name is printed on the CPU next to the part number.

Intel Pentium III 400 - 80525PZ400512

400 MHz (133 MHz bus)
512 KB L2 cache
Single Edge Contact cartridge 2 (slot 1)

Produced later than the DC1EC501A400 CPU this engineering sample has very significant feature - 133 MHz front side. Increasing front side bus speed from 100 MHz to 133 MHz allowed to increase processor performance by 5% - 10% on average.

It's worth to note that this processor was manufactured almost 11 months before the release of first Katmai processors with 133 MHz bus speed

CPU SOCKETS

Socket 775 (LGA775)

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All sockets

Socket 775 (LGA775) is a Land Grid Array (PGA) socket used for the most recent generations of desktop Intel microprocessors starting from Pentium 4 and up to Core 2 Quad / Core 2 Extreme families. The socket LGA775 supports Intel CPUs from 1.8 to 3.8 GHz with Front-Side Bus frequencies ranging from 533 MHz to 1066 MHz. This socket superseded socket 478.

The Socket 775 differs from all earlier x86 sockets in the sense that it doesn't have pin holes. Instead, the socket has 775 gold-plated contacts arranged as a grid 33 x 30 contacts with 15 x 14 section de-populated in the center, with one corner contact and 4 contacts on two sides on the socket removed. After the processor is placed into the socket it has to be secured by pushing socket's load lever down. The LGA775 socket is guaranteed to last at least 20 insert cycles.

The size of LGA775 socket is 1.48" x 1.48" (3.75 cm x 3.75 cm), or about 15% larger than the size of socket 478. At the same time the socket 775 has 60% more contacts. The increase in the number of contacts without equivalent increase of socket size was achieved by reducing the distance between contacts. Another advantage of the new socket design is the lower resistance of the contacts, which reduces the amount of heat generated by socket and socket contacts.

LF-LGA775 socket is RoHS-compliant version of LGA775 socket.

Supported processors

Celeron D (2.4 GHz - 3.6 GHz)
Pentium Dual-Core desktop (1.6 GHz - 1.8 GHz)
Pentium 4 (2.66 GHz - 3.8 GHz)
Pentium D (2.66 GHz - 3.6 GHz)
Pentium 4 Extreme Edition (3.2 GHz - 3.73 GHz)
Core 2 Duo (1.8 GHz - 3 GHz)
Core 2 Quad (2.4 GHz - 2.66 GHz)
Core 2 Extreme (2.66 - 3 GHz)
Xeon (1.86 GHz - 2.66 GHz)
There are no CPUs from other manufacturers compatible with socket LGA775.

Socket 939

Related links
All CPU sockets

Socket 939 is a PGA socket designed for desktop K8 microprocessors. The socket is primarily used with Athlon 64, Athlon 64 X2 and Athlon FX microprocessors. AMD also manufactured uni-processor single and dual-core Opteron processors for the socket 939, although these processors were just re-branded Athlon 64/64 X2 CPUs with larger level 2 cache. In addition to that small number (compared to the total number of processors for this socket) of socket 939 Sempron processors was produced for this socket.

The socket can be used with processors with internal frequencies from 1.8 GHz to 3 GHz, or with rated frequencies 3000+ - 4800+. All processors working in this socket have one HyperTransport link, dual-channel DDR memory controller, and support DDR-200 - DDR-400 unbuffered memory DIMMs.

Supported processors

Sempron / Sempron 64 (1.8 GHz - 2 GHz, or 3000+ - 3500+)
Athlon 64 (1.8 GHz - 2.4 GHz, or 3000+ - 4000+)
Athlon 64 X2 (2 GHz - 2.4 GHz, or 3800+ - 4800+)
Athlon 64 FX (FX-53 - FX-60)
Opteron (1.8 GHz - 3 GHz, or model 144 - model 156)
Dual-Core Opteron (1.8 GHz - 2.6 GHz, or model 165 - model 185)

There are no Intel or VIA processors compatible with this socket.

NOTE: Not all processors may be supported by all motherboards. Please see "Upgrading socket 939 motherboards" section below on how to determine what microprocessors can be supported by your motherboard.

NLX

Much the way the AT form factor eventually became outdated and less suitable for use with the newest technologies, the LPX form factor has over time begun to show the same weaknesses. The need for a modern, small motherboard standard has lead to the development of the new NLX form factor. In many ways, NLX is to LPX what ATX is to AT: it is generally the same idea as LPX, but with improvements and updates to make it more appropriate for the latest PC technologies. Also like ATX, the NLX standard was developed by Intel Corporation and is being promoted by Intel. Intel of course is a major producer of large-volume motherboards for the big PC companies.

NLX still uses the same general design as LPX, with a smaller motherboard footprint and a riser card for expansion cards. Read the section on LPX for a basic understanding of this design concept. To this basic idea, NLX makes the following main changes, most of which are familiar to those who have read about the enhancements introduced by ATX:

• Revised design to support larger memory modules and modern DIMM memory packaging.
• Support for the newest processor technologies, including the new Pentium II using SEC packaging.
• Support for AGP video cards.
• Better thermal characteristics, to support modern CPUs that run hotter than old ones.
• More optimal location of CPU on the board to allow easier access and better cooling.
• More flexibility in how the motherboard can be set up and configured.
• Enhanced design features, such as the ability to mount the motherboard so it can slide in or out of the system case easily.
• Cables, such as the floppy drive interface cable, now attach to the riser card instead of the motherboard itself, reducing cable length and clutter.
• Support for desktop and tower cases.

The NLX form factor is, like the LPX, designed primarily for commercial PC makers mass-producing machines for the retail market. Many of the changes made to it are based on improving flexibility to allow for various PC options and flavors, and to allow easier assembly and reduced cost. For homebuilders and small PC shops, the ATX form factor is the design of choice heading into the future.

LPX and Mini LPX

Conventionally used in mass-produced "name brand" retail systems, the LPX motherboard form factor goes into the small Slimline or "low profile" cases typically found on these sorts of desktop systems. The primary design goal behind the LPX form factor is reducing space usage (and cost). This can be seen in its most distinguishing feature: the riser card that is used to hold expansion slots.

Instead of having the expansion cards go into system bus slots on the motherboard, like on the AT or ATX motherboards, LPX form factor motherboards put the system bus on a riser card that plugs into the motherboard. Then, the expansion cards plug into the riser card; usually, a maximum of just three. This means that the expansion cards are parallel to the plane of the motherboard. This allows the height of the case to be greatly reduced, since the height of the expansion cards is the main reason full-sized desktop cases are as tall as they are. The problem is that you are limited to only two or three expansion slots!

LPX form factor motherboards also often come with video display adapter cards built into the motherboard. If the card built in is of good quality, this can save the manufacturer money and provide the user with a good quality display. However, if the user wants to upgrade to a new video card, this can cause a problem unless the integrated video can be disabled. LPX motherboards also usually come with serial, parallel and mouse connectors attached to them, like ATX.

While the LPX form factor can be used by a manufacturer to save money and space in the construction of a custom product, these systems suffer from non-standardization, poor expandability, poor upgradability, poor cooling and difficulty of use for the do-it-yourselfer. They are not recommended for the homebuilder, but if you are upgrading one of these systems, you may not have many alternatives.

ATX and Mini ATX

The first significant change in case and motherboard design in many years, the ATX form factor was invented by Intel in 1995. After three years, ATX is now finally overtaking AT as the default form factor choice for new systems (although AT remains popular for compatibility with older PCs, with homebuilders, and with some smaller PC shops). Newer Pentium Pro and Pentium II motherboards are the most common users of the ATX style motherboard (not surprisingly, since the Pentium II is the newest processor and uses the newest chipset families.) Intel makes the motherboards for many major name brands, and Intel only uses ATX.

The ATX design has several significant advantages over the older motherboard styles. It addresses many of the annoyances that system builders have had to put up with. As the Baby AT form factor has aged, it has increasingly grown unable to elegantly handle the new requirements of motherboard and chipset design. Since the ATX form factor specifies changes to not just the motherboard, but the case and power supply as well, all of the improvements are examined here:

• Integrated I/O Port Connectors: Baby AT motherboards use headers which stick up from the board, and a cable that goes from them to the physical serial and parallel port connectors mounted on to the case. The ATX has these connectors soldered directly onto the motherboard. This improvement reduces cost, saves installation time, improves reliability (since the ports can be tested before the motherboard is shipped) and makes the board more standardized.
• Integrated PS/2 Mouse Connector: On most retail baby AT style motherboards, there is either no PS/2 mouse port, or to get one you need to use a cable from the PS/2 header on the motherboard, just like the serial and parallel ports. (Of course most large OEMs have PS/2 ports built in to their machines, since their boards are custom built in large quantities). ATX motherboards have the PS/2 port built into the motherboard.
• Reduced Drive Bay Interference: Since the board is essentially "rotated" 90 degrees from the baby AT style, there is much less "overlap" between where the board is and where the drives are. This means easier access to the board, and fewer cooling problems.
• Reduced Expansion Card Interference: The processor socket/slot and memory sockets are moved from the front of the board to the back right side, near the power supply. This eliminates the clearance problem with baby AT style motherboards and allows full length cards to be used in most (if not all) of the system bus slots.
• Better Power Supply Connector: The ATX motherboard uses a single 20-pin connector instead of the confusing pair of near-identical 6-pin connectors on the baby AT form factor. You don't have the same risk of blowing up your motherboard by connecting the power cables backwards that most PC homebuilders are familiar with.
• "Soft Power" Support: The ATX power supply is turned on and off using signalling from the motherboard, not a physical toggle switch. This allows the PC to be turned on and off under software control, allowing much improved power management. For example, with an ATX system you can configure Windows 95 so that it will actually turn the PC off when you tell it to shut down.
• 3.3V Power Support: The ATX style motherboard has support for 3.3V power from the ATX power supply. This voltage (or lower) is used on almost all newer processors, and this saves cost because the need for voltage regulation to go from 5V to 3.3V is removed.
• Better Air Flow: The ATX power supply is intended to blow air into the case instead of out of it. This means that air is pushed out of all the small cracks in the PC case instead of being drawn in through them, cutting down on dust accumulation. Further, since the processor socket or slot is on the motherboard right next to the power supply, the power supply fan can be used to cool the processor's heat sink. In many cases, this eliminates the need to use (notoriously unreliable) CPU fans, though the ATX specification now allows for the fan to blow either into or out of the case. See here for more on system air flow and cooling.
• Improved Design for Upgradability: In part because it is the newest design, the ATX is the choice "for the future". More than that, its design makes upgrading easier because of more efficient access to the components on the motherboard.

A. Primary and Secondary IIDE Controllers
B. ROM/BIOS
C. ISA slots
D. CMOS Battery
E. PCI slots
F. DIN/5 Keyboard Connector
G. AT Socket
H. ATX Socket
I. DIMM Slots
J. SIMM Slots
K. Chipset
L. L2 Cache
M.CPU Socket
N. Floppy Drive Controller
O.LPT Connector
P.COM Connector

AT and Baby AT

Up until recently, the AT and baby AT form factors were the most common form factor in the motherboard world. These two variants differ primarily in width: the older full AT board is 12" wide. This means it won't typically fit into the commonly used "mini" desktop or minitower cases. There are very few new motherboards on the market that use the full AT size. It is fairly common in older machines, 386 class or earlier. One of the major problems with the width of this board (aside from limiting its use in smaller cases) is that a good percentage of the board "overlaps" with the drive bays. This makes installation, troubleshooting and upgrading more difficult.

The Baby AT motherboard was, through 1997, the most common form factor on the market. After three years and a heavy marketing push from Intel, the ATX form factor is now finally overtaking the AT form factor and from here out will be the most popular form factor for new systems. AT and Baby AT are not going anywhere, however, because there are currently just so many baby AT cases, power supplies and motherboards on the market. These will need an upgrade path and I believe that at least some companies will make motherboards for the newer technology in AT form factor for some time, to fill this upgrade market demand.

A Baby AT motherboard is 8.5" wide and nominally 13" long. The reduced width means much less overlap in most cases with the drive bays, although there usually is still some overlap at the front of the case. There are three rows of mounting holes in the board; the first runs along the back of the board where the bus slots and keyboard connector are; the second runs through the middle of the board; and the third runs along the front of the board near where the drives are mounted. One problem with baby AT boards is that many newer ones reduce cost by reducing the size of the board. While the width is quite standard, many newer motherboards are only 11" or even 10" long. This can lead to mounting problems, because the third row of holes on the motherboard won't line up with the row on the case. (Some reduce or skip the third row entirely). Fortunately, it is almost always possible to solidly mount the motherboard using only the first two rows of holes, and then using stubbed spacers for the third row. See the Motherboard Physical Installation Procedure for more perspective on these issues.

Baby AT motherboards are distinguished by their shape, and usually by the presence of a single, full-sized keyboard connector soldered onto the board. The serial and parallel port connectors are almost always attached using cables that go between the physical connectors mounted on the case, and pin "headers" located on the motherboard.

The AT and Baby AT form factors put the processor socket(s)/slot(s) and memory sockets at the front of the motherboard, and long expansion cards were designed to extend over them. When this form factor was designed, over ten years ago, this worked fine: processors and memory chips were small and put directly onto the motherboard, and clearance wasn't an issue. However, now we have memory in SIMM/DIMM sockets, not directly inserted onto the motherboard, and we have larger processors that need big heat sinks and fans mounted on them. Since the processor is still often in the same place, the result can be that the processor+heat sink+fan combination often blocks as many as three of the expansion slots on the motherboard! Most newer Baby AT style motherboards have moved the SIMM or DIMM sockets out of the way, but the processor remains a problem. ATX was designed in part to solve this issue.