Socket 370

Socket 370
Name	Socket 370
Type	CPU socket
Form factor	Zero Insertion Force (ZIF)
Contacts	370 pins (land grid array)
Introduced	1998
Succeeded by	Socket 423, Socket A, Socket 478

Socket 370 Socket 370 was a CPU socket standard used primarily for Intel microprocessors in desktop and mobile platforms during the late 1990s and early 2000s. It served as a migration point between earlier PGA packages and later LGA designs, supporting a range of processors across consumer and embedded markets. The platform saw widespread use in systems from major manufacturers and in aftermarket motherboard ecosystems.

Overview

Socket 370 appeared in systems from vendors such as Intel Corporation, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq, and IBM and was implemented on motherboards produced by ASUS, Gigabyte Technology, MSI, Abit, and Chaintech. It was part of product roadmaps influenced by projects inside Intel Corporation and by competitive pressures from Advanced Micro Devices, VIA Technologies, and platform developments linked to Microsoft client initiatives. The socket supported both consumer-oriented and mobile processors and interfaced with chipsets from companies including Intel 440BX, VIA KT133, and SiS.

History and Development

Development of the 370-pin interface coincided with chipset and processor transitions that included the shift from the Pentium II and Pentium III eras toward newer microarchitectures. The socket emerged alongside packaging changes driven by thermal, electrical and manufacturing constraints influenced by firms like Intel Corporation and ecosystem partners such as Tyan, Supermicro, and Foxconn. Industry events including trade shows hosted by COMDEX and standards discussions involving consortia such as PCI-SIG and other industry groups shaped adoption. Competitive moves by Advanced Micro Devices with Socket A and by third parties producing slot and socket variations informed engineering choices.

Technical Specifications

Socket 370 used a 370-contact land grid array compatible with low-profile heatspreader and thermal module designs common in the period. Electrical and mechanical specifications intersected with front-side bus frequencies, core voltages, and multiplier locking conventions associated with processors from Intel Corporation. It supported bus speeds and voltage regulation solutions working with companion chipsets such as the Intel 440BX, Intel 815, VIA Apollo Pro, SiS 630, and ALI derivatives. Motherboard implementations exposed interfaces for PCI, AGP, USB, and IDE that matched industry standards advanced at events like IDF and in organizations including USB Implementers Forum.

Compatible Processors

Socket 370 accommodated a line of microprocessors that included models derived from the Pentium III family and some Celeron variants. Specific cores linked to the socket included iterations of the Coppermine core and early iterations of the Tualatin core in certain motherboard revisions. The platform's compatibility matrix was affected by package revisions, voltage requirements, and microcode support from Intel Corporation; aftermarket adapters sometimes enabled other form factors in systems by firms such as AOpen and Thermaltake.

Motherboard and Chipset Support

Motherboards for the socket came from manufacturers such as ASUS, Gigabyte Technology, MSI, Abit, Chaintech, Tyan, and ECS. Chipset ecosystems included the Intel 440BX, Intel 815, Intel 820, VIA Apollo Pro, VIA KT133, SiS 630, and ALi M1535, each influencing memory subsystem choices like SDRAM and later DDR SDRAM on transitional designs. BIOS implementations by vendors integrated firmware updates with contributions from companies such as AMI and Award Software while system integrators tailored configurations for OEMs like Dell, HP, and Compaq.

Cooling and Mechanical Considerations

Cooling solutions compatible with the socket ranged from low-profile mobile cooler assemblies used in systems by IBM and Toshiba to tower air-coolers produced by aftermarket suppliers such as Thermalright, Zalman, and Cooler Master. Mechanical retention, backplate design, and thermal interface materials followed practices common in the era and seen in cooling presentations at trade events like CeBIT and Computex. Thermal design considerations referenced thermal solution specifications and work from companies such as Intel Corporation and suppliers active in thermal management like Fujikura.

Legacy and Succession

Socket 370 played a role in the transition from slot-based packaging and older PGA sockets to newer LGA and refined PGA sockets. Its lifecycle intersected with the introduction of successors such as Socket 423, Socket 478, and platforms exemplified by Socket A (Socket 462) from Advanced Micro Devices. The ecosystem influenced migration paths for system builders, integrators, and aftermarket parts suppliers including ASUS, Gigabyte Technology, Thermaltake, and Tyan, and it remains a reference point in historical overviews of late-1990s and early-2000s x86 platform evolution documented in trade archives and corporate roadmaps by Intel Corporation and industry analysts.

Category:CPU sockets