Side-by-Side Comparison
Processors
LGA vs. PGA
Comparing 2 standards across 5 specifications. 5 key differences identified.
Comparing:
LGA
PGA
LGA (Land Grid Array) puts the pins on the socket rather than the chip -- the processor has flat contact pads instead of pins, reducing the risk of chip damage since a bent-pin problem falls on the cheaper motherboard rather than the CPU. Intel adopted it for desktop CPUs in 2004 with Socket 775.
PGA (Pin Grid Array) puts the pins directly on the processor package, with the socket providing holes instead -- the inverse of LGA. AMD used PGA for its mainstream desktop sockets for years, including AM4, before shifting its mainstream line to LGA with AM5 in 2022.
Specification Comparison Table
5 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Pin Location
|
Socket (motherboard side); chip has flat contact pads ("lands") | Chip package itself; socket has holes |
|
Used By
|
Intel (desktop/server since 2004); AMD (Threadripper, EPYC, and Ryzen since AM5, 2022) | — |
|
Introduced (Desktop)
|
2004 (Intel Socket 775 / LGA775) | — |
|
Notable Example
|
— | AMD Socket AM4 (1331 pins) |
|
AMD Transition to LGA
|
— | Late 2022 (Socket AM5) |