How to find your CPU socket type

The socket is the connector on the motherboard that holds the processor. You need its name when you want to replace a CPU, when you buy a cooler, and when you check whether a used motherboard fits the processor you already own. Finding it takes a few minutes, and the safest method is to confirm it in two places.

Start from the processor name

Every processor has a model name, and the model name tells you the socket. On Windows 11 open Settings, then System, then About, and read the line called Processor. Windows 10 uses the same path. Task Manager shows it too, on the Performance tab under CPU.

Once you have the name, such as Core i7-10700K or Ryzen 5 5600X, type it into the search box on this site. Each processor page states its socket at the top. The manufacturers publish the same fact: Intel lists it under Sockets Supported on the processor's specification page, and AMD lists it as CPU Socket.

For orientation, these are the main mappings in the database:

Ask the operating system

Windows can report the socket, but the answer comes from the motherboard firmware, so it is only as good as what the maker typed in. Open PowerShell and run this command:

Get-CimInstance Win32_Processor | Select-Object Name, SocketDesignation

Some systems answer with the socket name. Others return an internal code instead. On one Intel system with a Core i7-10700, which uses LGA 1200, the field read U3E1. If the output is not a recognisable socket name, ignore it and use the processor name instead.

On Linux, the command sudo dmidecode -t processor prints the processor details, and the Upgrade line names the socket when the firmware fills it in. The lscpu command is less useful here, because its Socket(s) line counts how many sockets are installed and does not name the type.

Free tools such as CPU-Z also show a Package field on their CPU tab, which names the socket. It reads the same firmware data, so it can be wrong on unusual boards.

Read the motherboard

The motherboard model is the second place to look. The model name is printed on the board, usually between the expansion slots or near the processor socket, and the socket is often printed there as well. On Windows, this command shows the model:

Get-CimInstance Win32_BaseBoard | Select-Object Manufacturer, Product

Search for that model on the maker's website. The specification page has a field called CPU Socket or Processor Socket, and a CPU support list that names every processor the board accepts. That list matters more than the socket name alone, as the guide on Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works explains.

Look at the hardware

If the case is open, you can identify the socket by eye. Intel's desktop sockets since LGA 775 and the AM5 socket are land grid arrays, which means rows of tiny contacts inside the socket under a metal load plate and a lever. AM4 and the older AM sockets are pin grid arrays, which means a grid of holes that accept the pins on the processor. The LGA, PGA and BGA: CPU package types explained guide describes the difference.

Be careful with the contacts. Never touch the pins or pads, never press on the contacts, and do not remove a processor just to read a printed marking. If you need to confirm a model, use the software methods above first.

Laptops and small systems

Most laptops solder the processor to the board, so there is no socket to find and no processor to swap. A few older laptops and some small form factor desktops use standard sockets, but you need the exact model to know. Check the maker's service manual for the machine before you plan any upgrade.

Check before you buy

Matching the socket is the first step and never the last one. Before buying a processor for an existing board, look at the board's CPU support list for the BIOS version that adds the processor, confirm the memory type, and check that your cooler fits. The CPU cooler compatibility by socket guide covers the last point.