PGA

A PGA socket on a motherboard

A PGA processor

A pin grid array, often abbreviated PGA, refers to the arrangement of pins on the integrated circuit packaging. In a PGA, the pins are arranged in a square array that may or may not cover the bottom of the package. The pins are commonly spaced 2.54 mm (0.1") apart. PGAs are often mounted on printed circuit boards via two methods, through hole or by using a socket. PGAs are primarily used in applications that require more pins than what older packages such as the dual in-line package (DIP) provide.

PGA VARIANTS

• PPGA: Plastic pin grid array - used by Intel for late model Mendocino core Celeron processors based on Socket 370. Some pre-Socket 8 processors also used a similar form factor, although they were not officially referred to as PPGA.
• FCPGA: flip-chip pin grid array - introduced by Intel with the Coppermine core Pentium III and Celeron processors based on Socket 370, later used for Socket 478-based Pentium 4 and Celeron processors, and still used today for mobile Intel processors.
• SPGA: Staggered pin grid array - used by processors based on Socket 5 and Socket 7. Socket 8 used a partial SPGA layout on half the processor.
• CPGA: Ceramic pin grid array - used by AMD for Athlon and Duron processors based on Socket A, as well as some AMD processors based on Socket AM2 and Socket AM2+. While similar form factors have been used by other manufacturers, they are not officially referred to as CPGA.
• OPGA: Organic pin grid array - originally introduced for the AMD Athlon XP processors based on Socket A, also used for AMD processors using Socket 754, Socket 939, Socket 940, Socket AM2, and Socket AM2+.