What is Slot A?
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| Slot A Processor Cartridge | ||||||||||||||
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This is the proprietary slot design AMD decided to use with the Athlon processor. Design wise, it is similar to the Slot 1. But, Slot A uses a different protocol, called EV6. Using this bus protocol, which was created by Digital, AMD can increase the RAM to CPU data transfer to 200MHz, giving us a 200MHz frontside bus. This is achieved by diong data transfer on both the rise and fall of the clock cycle, effectively doubling the normal 100MHz bus. Slot A stayed in the ballgame for awhile and we saw many motherboards come out using this slot, therefore allowing AMD's Athlon to propogate into the market. When both Intel and AMD moved back into socketed processors, though, this slot was dumped along with Slot 1. Socket 462 (aka Socket A) Just as Intel found it cheaper to leave the PCB off of it's processors, AMD did the same thing and for the same reasons. It's Athlon and Duron processors using the .18 micron process both use Socket A. It supports the 200MHz EV6 bus, as well as the new 266MHz EV6 bus. Unlike Socket 370, Socket7 heat sinks cannot be used on Socket A's, but again, Socket7 heat sinks just aren't powerful enough anyway for these faster SocketA processors. Also, unlike Socket370, there is no daughercard that provides Socket A chips to be plugged into Slot A interfaces. SocketA also offers many more pins than Socket 370, 462 in total. Socket370 chips can not plug into Socket A, and viseversa. The socket is still in use today for all AMD processors, including all Athlons, Athlon XPs, and Durons. |
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