The standard for CPU performance in gaming PCs seems to be constantly changing, and with these changes comes a change in motherboard socket type compatibility. PC hardware, to the chagrin of new-to-the-industry PC builder, are not an independently functioning tools. The CPU cannot act without communicating with compatible RAM and motherboards, the GPU cannot get its job done without a compatible CPU, and none of these pieces of hardware do anything without an operating system. The act of building a PC is a complicated ropewalk of ensuring all desired components can play nice with each other, and this can be a tedious task for the inexperienced.

None of this is going to change with the addition of the new Ryzen 7000 and Intel 13th generation CPUs. In fact, organizing a state-of-the-art build is going to get a little more complicated for the next year or so, especially for AMD users. This is because, as new generations of hardware are created, advancements are made from a foundational level, and with foundational changes comes changes that need to be made to supporting hardware.

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The motherboard is one such supporting piece of hardware, and although most modern motherboards share similar characteristics in terms of DIMM, PCIe, and M.2 slots, the most important, and trickiest, asset that one should consider first and foremost is their respective socket type. Socket types are the single most important feature motherboards carry when it comes to CPU compatibility. Today, the two most common socket types in the world are AM4 and LGA 1700. Both of these socket types, belonging to AMD and Intel, respectively, are home to the most popular gaming CPUs on the market. Because of this, knowing the differences between the two allows a PC builder to understand the supported motherboards for that vast majority of gaming PCs today.

AM4 vs. LGA 1700

AMD Ryzen processor on custom background

AMD's AM4 socket has been a success in terms of marketing towards the gaming community as the socket had been supported for over five years. This meant that AMD CPUs, from one generation to the next, were always compatible with older motherboards. This has arguably been a huge reason for the creation of AMD's current status of the most "entry-level friendly" CPU manufacturer. A new PC builder opting for a Ryzen 3000 CPU, for instance, would be able to use a motherboard from a previous generation for their build so long as it was AM4 compatible. The only caveat is that the builder would also need to update their bios to support the 3000 series chipset, which an older motherboard might not have.

Intel, on the other hand, is give and take with its motherboard compatibility. The current 12th gen CPUs use the LGA 1700 socket type, short for "Land Grid Array" 1700. The core difference between AM4 and LGA 1700 is that the AM4 socket is a PGA (Pin Grid Array) where the LGA 1700 socket is a Land Grid Array. In short, this means that AM4 sockets work with CPUs that have their own pins built right into them, whereas the LGA 1700 socket has the pins built into the socket itself, leaving the CPU pinless. This is important because AMD is updating their socket type to AM5 for its Ryzen 7000 series CPUs, which will be an LGA construct instead of PGA. This will make that benefit of reverse compatibility rendered moot on new AMD systems, so keep that in mind when hunting for a new motherboard.

So long as a PC builder understands the socket type of the CPU they want, they can filter out their compatible motherboards with ease. After that, it's just a matter of double-checking to ensure the chipsets match up and, if not, choosing another motherboard or going ahead with a Bios update (assuming said motherboard can receive a bios update). At which point, the process of gathering compatible parts becomes fairly easy. Its always important, just the same, to keep track of which hardware is newer and which has been established for at least a year, as the newer hardware might have updates to its construction or chipset, which can then lead to changes in its RAM and power requirements, for example. Aside from those situations, the basics will keep any PC builder covered.

Source: AMD