A technician is inspecting a compact workstation to perform a processor performance upgrade. Upon opening the chassis, the technician notes that the CPU is mounted directly onto the motherboard surface using an array of soldered alloy contacts rather than seated in a socket with a retaining lever. Which CPU packaging standard is present, and how does it impact the technician's upgrade path?
- Ball Grid Array (BGA); the processor is permanently soldered to the motherboard, preventing an independent CPU replacement or upgrade.Answer
- BLand Grid Array (LGA); the processor contains delicate pins that require a specialized desoldering station to unlock from the socket.
- CPin Grid Array (PGA); the processor uses a Zero Insertion Force lever that must be heated to release thermal solder joints before extraction.
- DSingle Edge Contact (SEC); the processor is integrated into an expansion slot card that requires flashing the system BIOS prior to physical removal.
Answer
Ball Grid Array (BGA); the processor is permanently soldered to the motherboard, preventing an independent CPU replacement or upgrade.
The correct answer correctly identifies Ball Grid Array (BGA) packaging. In BGA implementations, the processor chip is permanently surface-mounted to the motherboard via solder balls, which eliminates the bulk of a physical socket but prevents field replacement of the CPU alone.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
CPU Socket Architectures and Packaging Types (BGA vs LGA vs PGA)