Socket 940

Socket 940 is a 940-pin socket for 64-bit AMD server processors. The socket is entirely covered with leads, except for four key pins used to align the processor. AMD Opterons and the older AMD Athlon 64 FX (FX-51) use Socket 940. Being an intended server platform, processors using this socket only accept registered memory, because, in servers, memory errors are less acceptable and cause more damage.

The more common use of Socket 940 is in the Server market. Dual Socket 940 boards use the 200-series Opterons. Four(Common) or Eight(Rare) socketed boards use the 800-series Opterons. The Socket 940 platform is designed for raw power and professional accuracy, not bleeding-edge gaming performance.

There is a new 940-pin socket called AM2. Though the current Socket 940 and the AM2 both share the same number of pins, they are not pin-compatible. That is, a Socket 940 processor will not fit in a AM2 socket. The same is true in reverse; a Socket AM2 processor will not fit in Socket 940. The reason for this is because all 64-bit AMD processors, unlike all current Intel processors, include the memory management functionality not as a discrete chip on the motherboard, but rather on the CPU die itself.