Socket Geek

SP3 socket: CPUs, chipsets and cooler fit

SP3 is AMD zero insertion force land grid array socket with 4094 contacts for EPYC server processors from Naples in 2017 through Milan in 2023. The package measures 58.5 × 75.4 mm and mounts with a slide and three screws tightened in order with the torque wrench supplied with the board. Server processors for SP3 carry memory, PCIe and SATA controllers on package, so boards need no desktop-style chipset for basic operation.

Quick facts

MakerAMD
Package typeLGA
Contacts4,094
Package size58.5 × 75.4 mm
IntroducedJune 2017
StatusPrevious generation
MemoryDDR4 ECC RDIMM, 8 channels to DDR4-3200, up to 4 TB per socket
PCIe from the CPU128 PCIe Gen4 lanes per socket, up to 160 in dual socket configurations
Cooler mounting holesBoard specific (server heatsink)
ReplacesSocket G34
Replaced bySP5

Overview

The socket spans three EPYC generations on the same infrastructure: Naples with Zen cores and DDR4, Rome with Zen 2 cores, PCIe Gen4 readiness and up to 64 cores, and Milan with Zen 3 cores and up to 64 cores. Rome boards accept Milan with a BIOS update from the server maker, which kept 2019 platforms useful into the Milan generation. Memory stays DDR4 ECC across all three generations with 8 channels to DDR4-3200.

Milan on SP3 pairs up to 64 Zen 3 cores with 128 PCIe Gen4 lanes and 8 DDR4 channels for mainstream data centres that standardised on DDR4 and PCIe Gen4 before the SP5 move to DDR5. Single socket P variants such as the 7203P trim board cost for right-sized nodes, while dual socket nodes scale to 128 cores per box. Boards for SP5 moved to DDR5 and Gen5 lanes, so SP3 remains the DDR4 era server socket.

Processor generations

CodenameMarketing nameYearsNotes
NaplesEPYC 7001 series2017 to 2018Zen server processors with up to 32 cores that introduced SP3 in June 2017 with 8-channel DDR4 and 128 PCIe Gen3 lanes.
RomeEPYC 7002 series2019 to 2020Zen 2 server processors with up to 64 cores, launched in August 2019 with PCIe Gen4 readiness and DDR4-3200 on SP3.
MilanEPYC 7003 series2021 to 2023Zen 3 server processors from 8 to 64 cores, launched in March 2021 with DDR4-3200 and 128 PCIe Gen4 lanes, plus late 8-core and 16-core additions in September 2023.
Milan-XEPYC 7003X series with 3D V-Cache2022Zen 3 server processors with stacked L3 to 768 MB for HPC and simulation, including 16-core 7373X, 24-core 7473X, 32-core 7573X and 64-core 7773X on SP3. Shares DDR4 and PCIe 4.0 platform with Milan, so board support follows the maker list.

Memory and IO on SP3 boards

SP3 boards wire 8 channels of DDR4 ECC RDIMM per socket to DDR4-3200 with up to two DIMMs per channel for as much as 4 TB per socket. Milan memory bandwidth peaks near 204.8 GB per sec per socket across 8 channels. Population order follows the board manual with primary slots first, and ECC stays enabled for data-centre uptime. Faster DIMMs beyond rated speed add little for server throughput and risk errors.

PCIe Gen4 gives 128 lanes per socket and up to 160 lanes in dual socket configurations for networking, accelerators and NVMe. Rome and Milan share the same lane count, so HBAs and NICs carry across generations. SATA devices hang off spare lanes where boards wire them. Builders should confirm lane bifurcation in the manual before ordering retimers or switch cards.

Cooling and mounting

Every SP3 processor mounts with a carrier slide fixed by three Torx screws in the numbered order, torqued with the wrench supplied with the board. The socket is physically the same size as TR4 and sTRX4, so workstation coolers built for those sockets often fit SP3 server boards with the right standoffs. Paste application follows the multi-die pattern in the manual, since chiplets spread heat across the large package.

Cooling classes run from 120 W single socket nodes to 280 W dual socket flagships with vendor-qualified air or liquid heatsinks. Milan P variants at 120 to 240 W suit 1U single socket chassis with moderate airflow, while 64-core parts need high-flow 2U designs. Inlet temperature and altitude derate sustained boost, so data-centre set points matter.

Identifying SP3 against SP5 and SP6

SP3 uses 4094 contacts with DDR4 for Naples, Rome and Milan. SP5 uses 6096 contacts with DDR5 for Genoa, Bergamo and Turin, so boards and chips do not cross between them. SP6 uses 4844 contacts with 6 DDR5 channels for Siena edge nodes. The AMD product page lists the socket as SP3 under CPU socket data, and that line decides board fit.

Marketing generations can mislead, since Milan resembles Genoa in naming but uses older memory and lanes. When a support list names EPYC 7303 it means SP3 with DDR4, while EPYC 9354 means SP5 with DDR5. The Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works guide covers why server fit follows socket plus board firmware rather than chipset series.

CPUs on SP3

71 processor pages in the database, newest first.

ProcessorCores / threadsBase / boostTDPLaunched
AMD EPYC 7203P8 / 162.8 / 3.4 GHz120 WSep 2023
AMD EPYC 7303P16 / 322.4 / 3.4 GHz130 WSep 2023
AMD EPYC 72038 / 162.8 / 3.4 GHz120 WSep 2023
AMD EPYC 730316 / 322.4 / 3.4 GHz130 WSep 2023
AMD EPYC 7373X16 / 323.05 / 3.8 GHz240 WMar 2022
AMD EPYC 7473X24 / 482.8 / 3.7 GHz240 WMar 2022
AMD EPYC 7573X32 / 642.8 / 3.6 GHz280 WMar 2022
AMD EPYC 7773X64 / 1282.2 / 3.5 GHz280 WMar 2022
AMD EPYC 7D1336 / 720.7 / 3.2 GHz95 WNov 2021
AMD EPYC 72F38 / 163.7 / 4.1 GHz180 WMar 2021
AMD EPYC 731316 / 323.0 / 3.7 GHz155 WMar 2021
AMD EPYC 7313P16 / 323.0 / 3.7 GHz155 WMar 2021
AMD EPYC 734316 / 323.2 / 3.9 GHz190 WMar 2021
AMD EPYC 73F316 / 323.5 / 4.0 GHz240 WMar 2021
AMD EPYC 741324 / 482.65 / 3.6 GHz155 WMar 2021
AMD EPYC 744324 / 482.85 / 4.0 GHz200 WMar 2021
AMD EPYC 7443P24 / 482.85 / 4.0 GHz200 WMar 2021
AMD EPYC 745328 / 562.75 / 3.45 GHz225 WMar 2021
AMD EPYC 74F324 / 483.2 / 4.0 GHz240 WMar 2021
AMD EPYC 751332 / 642.6 / 3.65 GHz200 WMar 2021
AMD EPYC 754332 / 642.8 / 3.7 GHz225 WMar 2021
AMD EPYC 7543P32 / 642.8 / 3.7 GHz225 WMar 2021
AMD EPYC 75F332 / 642.95 / 4.0 GHz280 WMar 2021
AMD EPYC 764348 / 962.3 / 3.6 GHz225 WMar 2021
AMD EPYC 7643P48 / 962.3 / 3.6 GHz225 WMar 2021
AMD EPYC 766356 / 1122.0 / 3.5 GHz240 WMar 2021
AMD EPYC 7663P56 / 1122.0 / 3.5 GHz240 WMar 2021
AMD EPYC 771364 / 1282.0 / 3.67 GHz225 WMar 2021
AMD EPYC 7713P64 / 1282.0 / 3.67 GHz225 WMar 2021
AMD EPYC 776364 / 1282.45 / 3.5 GHz280 WMar 2021
AMD EPYC 7C1364 / 1282.0 / 3.67 GHz225 W2021
AMD EPYC 7J1364 / 1282.55 / 3.5 GHz280 W2021
AMD EPYC 7Y4348 / 962.55 / 3.6 GHz280 W2021
AMD EPYC 7D1232 / 641.1 / 3.0 GHz85 WApr 2020
AMD EPYC 7F328 / 163.7 / 3.9 GHz180 WApr 2020
AMD EPYC 7F5216 / 323.5 / 3.9 GHz240 WApr 2020
AMD EPYC 7F7224 / 483.2 / 3.7 GHz240 WApr 2020
AMD EPYC 7H1264 / 1282.6 / 3.3 GHz280 WSep 2019
AMD EPYC 7232P8 / 163.1 / 3.2 GHz120 WAug 2019
AMD EPYC 72528 / 163.1 / 3.2 GHz120 WAug 2019
AMD EPYC 72628 / 163.2 / 3.4 GHz155 WAug 2019
AMD EPYC 727212 / 242.9 / 3.2 GHz120 WAug 2019
AMD EPYC 728216 / 322.8 / 3.2 GHz120 WAug 2019
AMD EPYC 730216 / 323.0 / 3.3 GHz155 WAug 2019
AMD EPYC 7302P16 / 323.0 / 3.3 GHz155 WAug 2019
AMD EPYC 735224 / 482.3 / 3.2 GHz155 WAug 2019
AMD EPYC 740224 / 482.8 / 3.35 GHz180 WAug 2019
AMD EPYC 7402P24 / 482.8 / 3.35 GHz180 WAug 2019
AMD EPYC 745232 / 642.35 / 3.35 GHz155 WAug 2019
AMD EPYC 750232 / 642.5 / 3.35 GHz180 WAug 2019
AMD EPYC 7502P32 / 642.5 / 3.35 GHz180 WAug 2019
AMD EPYC 754232 / 642.9 / 3.4 GHz225 WAug 2019
AMD EPYC 755248 / 962.2 / 3.3 GHz200 WAug 2019
AMD EPYC 764248 / 962.3 / 3.3 GHz225 WAug 2019
AMD EPYC 770264 / 1282.0 / 3.35 GHz200 WAug 2019
AMD EPYC 7702P64 / 1282.0 / 3.35 GHz200 WAug 2019
AMD EPYC 774264 / 1282.25 / 3.4 GHz225 WAug 2019
AMD EPYC 737116 / 323.1 / 3.8 GHz200 WNov 2018
AMD EPYC 72618 / 162.5 / 2.9 GHz170 WJun 2018
AMD EPYC 72518 / 162.1 / 2.9 GHz120 WJun 2017
AMD EPYC 728116 / 322.1 / 2.7 GHz170 WJun 2017
AMD EPYC 730116 / 322.2 / 2.7 GHz170 WJun 2017
AMD EPYC 735116 / 322.4 / 2.9 GHz170 WJun 2017
AMD EPYC 7351P16 / 322.4 / 2.9 GHz170 WJun 2017
AMD EPYC 740124 / 482.0 / 3.0 GHz170 WJun 2017
AMD EPYC 7401P24 / 482.0 / 3.0 GHz170 WJun 2017
AMD EPYC 745124 / 482.3 / 3.2 GHz180 WJun 2017
AMD EPYC 750132 / 642.0 / 3.0 GHz170 WJun 2017
AMD EPYC 755132 / 642.0 / 3.0 GHz180 WJun 2017
AMD EPYC 7551P32 / 642.0 / 3.0 GHz180 WJun 2017
AMD EPYC 760132 / 642.2 / 3.2 GHz180 WJun 2017

Frequently asked questions

Which processors fit SP3?

EPYC Naples 7001, Rome 7002 and Milan 7003 server processors. Threadripper and EPYC Genoa parts do not fit.

Does Milan work on Rome boards?

Yes, after a BIOS update from the server maker that adds Milan support. Check the board support list for the exact revision.

What memory does SP3 use?

DDR4 ECC RDIMM in 8 channels to DDR4-3200, up to 4 TB per socket with two DIMMs per channel.

How many PCIe lanes does SP3 provide?

128 PCIe Gen4 lanes per socket and up to 160 lanes in dual socket configurations for networking, accelerators and NVMe.

Sources and verification

  1. Socket SP3 (Wikipedia)
  2. AMD EPYC 7203 specs (TechPowerUp)
  3. AMD EPYC 7773X specifications (AMD)

Facts last checked against these sources on . Page last edited on .