Socket 775 is a central processing unit socket that semiconductor manufacturer Intel Corp. introduced in 2004 for motherboards supporting four of its processor brands, in particular its then-premier Pentium 4 chip. It is better known as LGA 775, with the prefix denoting the form-factor and interface standard that it uses. Another alternate term that Socket 775 uses is Socket T.
Purpose
Like other CPU sockets, Socket 775 is meant to offer the processor electrical and physical support. The electrical support entails connection with the motherboard of a personal computer for data transfer. The physical support concerns holding the processor in place on the motherboard. This is done to prevent possible damage to the CPU -- either during insertion or removal. Socket 775 is named after its 775 pins, which serve as the contacts upon which the CPU is fitted.
Manufacture
The LGA acronym is often used for Socket 775 to denote the form factor standard it uses, which is Land Grid Array. It means that it has the pins on the socket rather than on the processor; many CPU sockets have holes instead, with the pins on the CPU enabling users to connect it with the socket. The LGA variant that Socket 775 uses is flip-chip, which means that the CPU is flipped around to expose the back of its die. Since this is the hottest part of the processor, the FCLGA format allows users to introduce a heat sink for cooling purposes.
Processors
Intel primarily released Socket 775 for the Pentium 4, which was then its flagship brand, as well as its high-performance but less energy-efficient Pentium D and Pentium Extreme Edition variants. However, when the company introduced Core 2 -- the second iteration of a brand that would eventually relegate Pentium to mid-range status -- it extended Socket 775 compatibility to some of its other chips. Other compatible chips come from the budget-oriented Celeron and the server- and workstation-oriented Xeon. The Socket 775-compatible CPUs combine for a processing range of around 1.6GHz to 3.73GHz.
Succession
In 2008, Intel introduced LGA 1366. Also known as Socket B, it was designed for part of the next production cycle of the Intel Core series, specifically the high-end 900 series of the eventual high-end Core i7. It was also used for some Xeon chips. LGA 1156, or Socket H, followed in 2009, with more expansive Core i-series compatibility; it includes the low-end i3 and mid-range i5. It also accommodates entries from Pentium, Celeron and Xeon. With the presence of LGA 1366 and LGA 1156, Intel effectively ended its reliance on Socket 775.
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