Socket 370 socket: CPUs, chipsets and cooler fit
Socket 370 is the Intel zero insertion force pin grid array socket that carried Pentium III and Celeron processors from 1998. It holds 370 contacts for plastic and flip-chip pin grid array packages measuring 49.53 × 49.53 mm. Intel first used it for Mendocino Celeron parts on 66 MHz buses, then for Coppermine Pentium III parts on 100 MHz and 133 MHz buses, and finally for Tualatin FC-PGA2 parts on 133 MHz buses with dedicated blue sockets. The number 370 gives the socket its name.
Quick facts
| Maker | Intel |
|---|---|
| Package type | PGA |
| Contacts | 370 |
| Package size | 49.53 × 49.53 mm |
| Introduced | 1998 |
| Status | Legacy |
| Memory | SDRAM and DDR through the board chipset |
| PCIe from the CPU | Front side bus to 133 MT/s; AGP and PCI slots hang off the board chipset |
| Cooler mounting holes | Socket lug (clip) |
| Replaces | Slot 1 |
| Replaced by | Socket 478 |
Overview
The socket matters for this batch because Tualatin Pentium III-S parts such as the 1.4 GHz 1400S with 512 KB of L2 cache at 32.2 W from January 2002 use Socket 370 blue boards with Tualatin chipsets. Tualatin Celeron parts such as the 1300 MHz Celeron 1300 at 33 W from January 2002, the 1000 MHz 1000A at 28 W, the 900 MHz 900A at 27 W and the 1400 MHz Celeron 1400 at 35 W from May 2002 use the same blue sockets with 133 MHz buses. VIA C3 Nehemiah parts also used Socket 370, but no opened table lists an 800 MHz Nehemiah at 11 W, so that row stays pending separately.
Memory is SDRAM and early DDR through the board chipset with PC100 and PC133 modules on Tualatin boards. Late Tualatin chipsets add DDR paths where fitted. Cooling clips to the socket lug, with Intel capping cooler mass at 180 grams to protect exposed dies. Processors with an integrated heat spreader from 1.13 GHz to 1.4 GHz accept larger heatsinks with higher static limits.
Processor generations
| Codename | Marketing name | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coppermine | Pentium III and Celeron Coppermine | 1999 to 2000 | 180 nm single cores with 256 KB of full-speed L2 cache, including the 500 MHz 500E at 13.2 W and the 533 MHz 533EB at 14 W from October 1999. |
| Coppermine T | Pentium III Coppermine-T | 2001 | 180 nm single cores with 256 KB of L2 cache on a 133 MHz bus, from the 800 MHz part at 38 W to the 1133 MHz part at 29 W in June 2001. |
| Tualatin | Pentium III and Celeron Tualatin | 2001 to 2002 | 130 nm FC-PGA2 single cores with 256 KB or 512 KB of L2 cache, including the 1.4 GHz Pentium III 1400S with 512 KB at 32.2 W from January 2002 and Celeron parts from 900 MHz at 27 W to 1400 MHz at 35 W from 2002. |
| Ezra | VIA C3 Ezra | 2001 | 130 nm single cores with 64 KB of L2 cache, including the 800 MHz 800A with 64 KB at 8 W from September 2001. |
| Ezra-T | VIA C3 Ezra-T | 2001 to 2002 | 130 nm single cores with 64 KB of L2 cache, including the 866 MHz 866T at 9.2 W from September 2001 and the 1000 MHz 1.0 at 133 MHz bus from June 2002. |
| Nehemiah | VIA C3 Nehemiah | 2003 | 130 nm single cores with 64 KB of L2 cache and SSE, including the 1000 MHz 1.0A at 15 W from January 2003. |
Who Socket 370 serves
Socket 370 fits budget SDRAM towers that pair a Tualatin Celeron or Pentium III-S part with a blue Tualatin board that lists the exact model. A Celeron 1300 at 1300 MHz suits office towers at 33 W with a 100 MHz bus, while the Pentium III 1400S at 1400 MHz with 512 KB suits small servers at 32.2 W with dual-processor support on listed boards. Every installation needs the board maker CPU list because white Coppermine sockets lack Tualatin power delivery, even though pin counts match.
Blue sockets normally run white-socket Coppermine parts at reduced performance, but white sockets do not run blue-socket Tualatin parts. That one-way compatibility decides whether an old board can carry a Tualatin upgrade.
Memory and cooling
Memory on Socket 370 is SDRAM through the board chipset, with PC133 modules as the common Tualatin choice and DDR on late Tualatin chipsets where fitted. The CPU carries 256 KB or 512 KB of L2 at full core speed, with no on-chip memory controller. Expansion hangs off the board chipset because these CPUs provide no PCIe lanes. AGP 4x serves graphics on 815 chipsets, with PCI slots for other cards. Cooling uses the socket lug clip centered on the die or heat spreader with a 180 gram mass cap. Paste condition and case airflow decide stability, since dried paste raises temperatures quickly on small dies.
CPUs on Socket 370
27 processor pages in the database, newest first.
| Processor | Cores / threads | Base / boost | TDP | Launched |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIA C3 Processor 1.0 | 1 / 1 | 1.0 GHz | 10 W | Jun 2002 |
| Intel Celeron 1400 | 1 / 1 | 1.4 GHz | 35 W | May 2002 |
| Intel Celeron 1000A | 1 / 1 | 1.0 GHz | 28 W | Jan 2002 |
| Intel Celeron 1300 | 1 / 1 | 1.3 GHz | 33 W | Jan 2002 |
| Intel Celeron 900A | 1 / 1 | 0.9 GHz | 27 W | Jan 2002 |
| Intel Pentium III 1400S | 1 / 1 | 1.4 GHz | 32.2 W | Jan 2002 |
| VIA C3 Processor 1.0A | 1 / 1 | 1.0 GHz | 10 W | 2002 |
| Intel Pentium III 1333 | 1 / 1 | 1.33 GHz | 30 W | Dec 2001 |
| Intel Pentium III 1400 | 1 / 1 | 1.4 GHz | 31 W | Dec 2001 |
| Intel Celeron 1100A | 1 / 1 | 1.1 GHz | 30 W | Oct 2001 |
| Intel Celeron 1200 | 1 / 1 | 1.2 GHz | 30 W | Oct 2001 |
| VIA C3 Processor 866T | 1 / 1 | 0.87 GHz | 9 W | Sep 2001 |
| VIA C3 800A | 1 / 1 | 0.8 GHz | 8 W | Sep 2001 |
| VIA C3 Processor 866A | 1 / 1 | 0.87 GHz | 9 W | Sep 2001 |
| Intel Pentium III 1000 | 1 / 1 | 1.0 GHz | 30 W | Jul 2001 |
| Intel Pentium III 1133 | 1 / 1 | 1.13 GHz | 29 W | Jul 2001 |
| Intel Pentium III 1200 | 1 / 1 | 1.2 GHz | 30 W | Jul 2001 |
| Intel Pentium III 1266S | 1 / 1 | 1.27 GHz | 30 W | Jul 2001 |
| Intel Pentium III 1000S | 1 / 1 | 1.0 GHz | 30 W | Jun 2001 |
| Intel Pentium III 1133S | 1 / 1 | 1.13 GHz | 29 W | Jun 2001 |
| Intel Pentium III 800 | 1 / 1 | 0.8 GHz | 38 W | Jun 2001 |
| Intel Pentium III 866 | 1 / 1 | 0.87 GHz | 38 W | Jun 2001 |
| Intel Pentium III 933 | 1 / 1 | 0.93 GHz | 27 W | Jun 2001 |
| VIA C3 Processor 900A | 1 / 1 | 0.9 GHz | 9 W | 2001 |
| Intel Pentium III 500E | 1 / 1 | 0.5 GHz | 13.2 W | Oct 1999 |
| Intel Pentium III 533EB | 1 / 1 | 0.53 GHz | 14 W | Oct 1999 |
| Intel Pentium III 550E | 1 / 1 | 0.55 GHz | 14.5 W | Oct 1999 |
Frequently asked questions
Which processors fit Socket 370?
Tualatin Pentium III-S server parts such as the 1.4 GHz 1400S with 512 KB at 32.2 W from January 2002 covered here, plus Tualatin Celeron parts such as the 1300 MHz Celeron 1300 at 33 W and the 1400 MHz Celeron 1400 at 35 W, all in FC-PGA2 packages for Tualatin boards with blue sockets. Coppermine Pentium III and Celeron parts use the same 370 contacts on older white sockets. This page covers Tualatin FC-PGA2 parts, since later batches add Coppermine where needed.
Is Socket 370 the same as Socket 478?
No. Socket 370 has 370 contacts with AGTL bus protocols at 66 MT/s to 133 MT/s, while Socket 478 has 478 contacts with AGTL+ at 400 MT/s to 800 MT/s and a different power plane. Forcing a chip can damage the board. The move from Socket 370 to Socket 478 needs a new board and DDR memory.
What memory does Socket 370 use?
SDRAM and early DDR through the board chipset, with PC100 and PC133 modules on Tualatin boards. The board fixes the slot count and the maximum capacity, with Tualatin chipsets adding DDR support where fitted. A move to DDR2 means a move to LGA 775 with a new board.
How many PCIe lanes does Socket 370 provide?
No lanes come from these CPUs in the PCIe sense. A front side bus at 100 MT/s to 133 MT/s ties the CPU to the board chipset, while AGP 4x and PCI slots hang off the chipset. The Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works guide covers pairing rules.
Sources and verification
- Socket 370 (Wikipedia)
- List of Intel Pentium III processors (Wikipedia)
- List of Intel Celeron processors (Wikipedia)
Facts last checked against these sources on . Page last edited on .