So what the heck is this?
Mar 06 '01
The Bottom Line Slot 1 is the connector on the motherboard for an SECC or SECC2 processor.
What are you talking about?
A microprocessor is a very small piece of silicon that would be difficult to actually plug into a motherboard. This is where the processor package, or "form factor" comes into play. The form factor is the bit of stuff around the processor to connect it to the motherboard. Slot 1 refers to a particular type of slot on the motherboard. The two processor form factors that will fit this slot are SECC and SECC2.
For the SECC and SECC2 package, the processor is mounted on a circuit board which is then covered in a black plastic "shroud." The shroud protects the processor from dust and other damage while providing a mount for the heat sink and fan. On one edge of the circuit board is a series of gold contacts, much like an expansion card, where the package plugs into a Slot 1 connector on the motherboard.
How do I recognize them?
Both the SECC and SECC2 form factor are recognizable by the black plastic shroud. The SECC package, the gold contacts are seated inside the plastic housing, while on the SECC2 package they extend past the housing. Otherwise, the two are very similar in appearance.
Of course, this is difficult to explain in words. Luckily, pictures of both packages (and others) are available at:
http://support.intel.com/support/processors/procid/ptype.htm
What good does this do me?
Generally speaking, your Pentium III motherboard will have either a Slot 1 connector (for SECC or SECC2) or a Socket 370 connector (for PPGA or FC-PGA). Knowing the difference between the two is important if you want to choose the right processor for your motherboard.
So which form factor is better?
This is a tough question to answer in some ways, and very easy in others. As time goes by, Intel develops new form factors for their processors and implements them. As the old ones get old enough, they discontinue them. The newest form factor for the Pentium III is the Flip Chip processor (FC-PGA), so it will be used with the fastest and most advanced Pentium III processors available. If you are buying a new motherboard, and you want a fast processor, this is the form factor for you.
On the other hand, if you already have a motherboard, you want to buy a processor with whatever form factor it supports. Alternately, it is possible to buy a "Slocket," or slot to socket converter. This is an adapter that lets you plug a Socket 370 processor into a Slot 1 motherboard. Some of them work better than others, and all of them can potentially cause issues, so be careful, but it's a lot cheaper than buying a new motherboard.
Regardless of whether your processor will physically connect to the motherboard, you still want to be sure your motherboard supports the processor itself. Just because it fits doesn't necessarily mean it will work. On the other hand, if it doesn't fit, it definitely won't work.
Wrap-Up
If you have a motherboard, pick a processor that matches. If you have a processor, pick a motherboard that matches. It really is that simple.
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