Socket #/Pin Count The Mobile Chips
Q. What is the difference between Socket 5 and Socket 7 and how will that affect upgradability?
A. Socket 7 is a superset of socket 5. Its specification was developed to support processors with higher electrical current and power requirements, such as the 200-MHz Pentium OverDrive Processor with MMX Technology. The minimum socket 7 specification defines a system with a motherboard that has a voltage regulator which can supply 5.0 Amps to the processor socket, a minimum of 1.75" of clearance above the socket, and sufficient ventilation to dissipate 17 Watts of processor power.
Installing the 200-MHz Pentium OverDrive processor with MMX technology into upgradable Socket 5 systems not meeting the minimum Socket 7 specification may result in reduced system reliability. Additional Socket 5 and 7 information and their upgradability with the 200-MHz Pentium OverDrive processor with MMX technology is available in the unbranded system section of the this web site.
Socket Requirements for 200-MHz Upgrades
The 200-MHz Pentium® OverDrive® processor with MMX™ technology was designed for Socket 7 specification-compliant systems. Its power requirements are higher than the minimum Socket 5 specification. However, many manufacturers designed their Socket 5 PCs to exceed the minimum Socket 5 specifications. Those PCs can accommodate the 200-MHz Pentium OverDrive processor with MMX technology.
If your system contains Socket 7, you can upgrade with the 200-MHz Pentium OverDrive processor with MMX technology.
If your system contains Socket 5, you can upgrade with the 200-MHz OverDrive processor with MMX technology if your system has:
Check with the PC manufacturer to be sure your Socket 5 system meets these requirements before upgrading with the 200-MHz Pentium OverDrive processor with MMX technology. If your system does not meet these requirements, or if you are unsure, Intel recommends upgrading with the 166-MHz Pentium OverDrive processor with MMX technology.
Installing the 200-MHz Pentium OverDrive processor with MMX technology into a Socket 5 system that does not meet these requirements can cause erratic operation, intermittent system lock-ups, decreased system reliability, and possible motherboard failure.
Q. What's the difference between the Intel Pentium OverDrive processor with MMX technology and the Intel Pentium processor with MMX technology? Does it matter which one I use to upgrade my system?
A. Pentium OverDrive processors with MMX technology have been specially designed to provide an upgrade path to Intel's MMX technology for existing upgradable Pentium processor based systems. They have the following capabilities designed in to provide worry-free upgradability*:
On-Package voltage regulator to adapt the 3.3v system voltage in existing Pentium processor based system's to the 2.8v processor voltage. Without this voltage regulation, the processor would be damaged by the system's higher voltage input. Added capacitors to provide the required voltage filtering needed when putting a faster Pentium processor in a system originally designed for a slower processor. A fully integrated on-package fan heatsink for effective processor cooling without the need for a separate power connection. Redesigned clock buffer circuitry for older systems which use Socket 5. Pre-configured bus-to-core ratio. · Some systems may require a BIOS upgrade. ******************************************************************************************************
Two upgrade sockets have been defined for Pentium processor-based systems as part of the processor architecture. Socket 5 has been defined for the Pentium processor-based systems with core frequencies from 75 MHz to 120 MHz. When upgraded, the Pentium processor is simply removed from the Socket 5 Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) socket and replaced by the Pentium OverDrive processor.
Socket 7 has been defined as the upgrade socket for Pentium processor (75/90/100/120/133/15/166/200)-based systems. The flexibility of the Socket 7 definition makes it backward compatible with Socket 5. Socket 7 should be used for all new Pentium processor-based system designs. Socket 7 supports the Pentium processor family, the Pentium OverDrive processor, and the future Pentium OverDrive processor with MMX technology. To support the future Pentium OverDrive processor with MMX technology, systems should be designed using the electrical specifications described in this chapter. Note that in some cases, the electrical specifications of the Pentium processor with MMX technology differ from the Socket 7 specifications. Systems designed to support the Pentium processor with MMX technology must adhere to the specifications outlined in Chapter 7 of this manual.
This section contains general information concerning the upgrade socket for the future Pentium OverDrive processor with MMX technology (Socket 7). Socket 7 is an enhancement to the Socket 5 definition that allows for future upgradability and installation of the future Pentium OverDrive processor with MMX technology. The socket is a 321-pin ZIF socket compatible to the 320-pin Socket 5 pinout with minimal system design changes. Throughout this document, any significant differences that exist between Socket 5 and Socket 7 that would impact a system design will be detailed.
The pinout of Socket 7 is compatible with Socket 5 with the addition of a mechanical key pin at location AH32 and VCC2DET# at AL01. AH32 is defined as an internal no-connect for Socket 7 compatible processors. ******************************************************************************************************
The form factor for fifth-generation CPU chips Intel, Cyrix, and AMD. All x86 chips, except Intel's Pentium Pro (Socket 8) and Pentium II (Slot 1), conform to the Socket 7specifications. Intel has indicated that it is phasing out Socket 7 and replacing it with Slot 1. But Intel's competitors, such as AMD and Cyrix, are sticking with Socket 7, though they'll probably need to enhance it.
Socket 8
The form factor for Intel's Pentium Pro microprocessors. The Pentium Pro was the first microprocessor not to use the venerable Socket 7 form factor. The Pentium II microprocessors use an even newer form factor called Slot 1. Socket 8 is a 387-pin ZIF socket with connections for the CPU and one or two SRAM dies for the Level 2 (L2) cache.
NEW MOBILE CHIPS FOR NOTE BOOKS
(From PC Magazine & Other Resources)
Q. What is Tillamook anyway ?
A. Tillamook - a name of a locale in Oregon - the silicon used in the chip is from here.
Intel Corporation in Sept. '97 unveiled its new processor for mobile computing, formerly code-named Tillamook. 1.8 VOLT !!
The new 200- and 233-MHZ mobile Pentium MMX CPUs are up to 20 percent faster than the previous fastest portable chip, the Pentium MMX-166, according to Intel. And thanks to a new process technology, the new chips consume as much as 50 percent less power than the previous generation.
In September '97, Intel increased the ante with the first releases of its 0.25-micron design rule mobile Pentium MMX processors, code named Tillamook. The first Tillamook chips will reach clock speeds of 200 MHz and 233 MHz and will be targeted for machines priced $3000 and up, sources said.
Early in '98 Intel will follow up with a 166-MHz Tillamook chip, that already by next year's second quarter could be the mainstream solution for entry-level notebooks in the sub-$2000 segment, they added.
The smaller 0.25 micron design rule--compared to today's 0.35 micron design rule--will allow for much lower power consumption: a 166-MHz Tillamook chip could consume as much as 50 percent less power than a 166-MHz mobile Pentium MMX does today, sources said. The new chip offers increased performance together with Tillamook's power-consumption efficiency.
A 0.25-micron manufacturing process means that the circuits in the processor are closer together, thus speeding up communication within the CPU and reducing the voltage needed to maintain current in the circuits. Since the Tillamook processors are the first ones to run at only 1.8 volts internally (previous processors varied from 2.45 to 2.9 volts), you get reduced power consumption by the CPU, which can result in longer battery life.Compaq has added the 266-MHz Tillamook to all three of its high-end Armada notebooks: the bulky but well-equipped Armada 7700, the slim but limited Armada 4100, and the hybrid Armada 7300.
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