Intel’s upcoming Arrow Lake processors are expected to use a new LGA1851 socket.
The leaked Intel Arrow Lake performance projections keep getting better, and the chip maker is clearly preparing its processors to rival the best in 2024. We’ve already seen performance increases over Coffee Lake and the best AMD Raven Ridge APUs, and the latest leak from Igor’s Lab sheds more light on Arrow Lake.
Now, the overclocking and benchmarking YouTube channel has shared information on the LGA1851 socket that will house Intel’s latest chips. The socket seems to be almost identical to the existing LGA1700, with 151 extra pins bringing the total up to 1,851.
While the increase in pins seems minor, it should improve the I/O interfaces and bring the socket closer to AMD’s AM5 socket. LGA1700 motherboards only provide a single PCIe 4.0 x4 interface for SSDs, which means PCIe 5.0 SSDs have to share lanes with graphics cards.
Arrow Lake will finally bring native support to PCIe 5.0 SSDs, which could prove to be a significant boost in performance compared to its predecessors. The chipset will likely also include a second PCIe 4.0 x4 interface for SSD usage, but it’s unclear if this will be a change from LGA1700.
The LGA1851 socket has the same dimensions as before, measuring 45 x 37.55mm. The increase in pins didn’t affect the socket’s size or other physical characteristics, much like the LGA2050 motherboard we saw earlier this year.
Intel’s Alder Lake processors had issues with warping and bending in the socket, leading to the popularity of LGA1700 frames. The LGA1700’s pin retention system is also still present, and it seems the new LGA1851 socket hasn’t changed in this regard.
The overclocker doesn’t mention whether a new CPU cooler will be necessary, but it seems like it could be until we hear more about Arrow Lake officially launching in 2024. Intel has already informed CPU cooler vendors to prepare new cooling products, so we’ll likely see new models before the chips launch.
The LGA1851 socket looks almost identical to LGA1700, with the only noticeable difference being the 151 extra pins. The design of the socket cover is uncertain, with renders showing it resembling previous socket designs.
Check out our guide on the best Intel LGA1700 motherboards to pair with the upcoming CPU, or perhaps one of the best AMD Raven Ridge motherboards for potential future upgrades. You’ll also need DDR5 memory to pair with the new CPU, which we’ve broken down in our guide on DDR5 specs and compatibility.
