[News] Intel Coffee Lake CPUs Have Different Pin Configuration than Previous Generati

[StyM]

https://www.techpowerup.com/237508/i...ous-generation

Intel is set to release its newest generation of processors, known as code name Coffee Lake in just a few days. Recent controversy has focused around the inability of newer processors to be used with motherboards supporting the previous generation CPUs. Intel has released data sheets for Coffee Lake CPUs, and images of the socket's layout support Intel's statement that Coffee Lake will indeed need a new socket design. Specifically, there are more pins responsible for delivering the main power for the CPU cores, known as VCC pins, with Coffee Lake motherboards sporting 146 VCC pins illustrated in the first image below, compared to Kaby Lake and Skylake's 128 illustrated in the second image.

With these pins responsible for delivering power to the CPU cores, this may suggest that previous generation motherboards allowed for lower power operation than is possible with the higher core count of Coffee Lake processors. Whatever the reason, it definitely confirms that Coffee Lake CPUs are hardware-incompatible with previous generation motherboards, and not simply a software or BIOS-level lock.

[Sparky]

Hey look another socket!

[iddqd]

This is completely unsurprising

[zanzabar]

why keep it 1151 then. they did this before and made it 1155 or 1156 or 1150 and just changed the key.

[kromosto]

actually motherboards will become outdated earlier than cpus. The main reason for me to want to change my 3770k is because my mobo is not enough.

[HTC]

actually motherboards will become outdated earlier than cpus. The main reason for me to want to change my 3770k is because my mobo is not enough.

True, but why create possible (probable??) confusion when there's no need?

Why not just add a "dummy" pin so that the socket becomes with a different pin count, thus really making it incompatible, physically?

Since they have to make a new socket anyway, why not make it impossible to place older generation CPUs in the 1st place?

[zanzabar]

True, but why create possible (probable??) confusion when there's no need?

Why not just add a "dummy" pin so that the socket becomes with a different pin count, thus really making it incompatible, physically?

Since they have to make a new socket anyway, why not make it impossible to place older generation CPUs in the 1st place?

in the past they even used the same pin count but keyed the edge of the sockets differently like 771 vs 775

[HTC]

in the past they even used the same pin count but keyed the edge of the sockets differently like 771 vs 775

Sorry if it's a dumb question but do socket 771 and 775 have the same pin count???

I always assumed socket 771 had 771 pins while socket 775 had 775 pins!

[zanzabar]

Sorry if it's a dumb question but do socket 771 and 775 have the same pin count???

I always assumed socket 771 had 771 pins while socket 775 had 775 pins!

the boards all have 775 contacts, but they only fill 771 pins since they rotate the socket key 90 degrees and moving the key interferes with 4 pins so they dont have those.

[HTC]

the boards all have 775 contacts, but they only fill 771 pins since they rotate the socket key 90 degrees and moving the key interferes with 4 pins so they dont have those.

I C: was not aware of this.

That's one way of avoiding confusion. Shame Intel "forgot about it": they could do the same thing in this situation too!

[Revv23]

I spent the last few minutes playing wheres waldo - i cant spot the difference other than image formatting. Anyone see the difference?