Intel's new LGA 1851 socket breaks cover giving us even more pins to mush with an errant thumb

HardwareProcessorsIntel’s new LGA 1851 socket breaks cover giving us even more pins to mush with an errant thumbWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Future)

Intel Core i5 13400F CPU in a motherboard socket

The new Intel CPU socket, set to house the upcoming Arrow Lake desktop processors, has been unveiled. In a bit of a weird way. It’s going to be the socket for desktop versions of the Meteor Lake chip architecture, which are only going to appear in the boring embedded space.

At this year’s Embedded World conference in Germany, Intel has been letting visitors get all handsy with its new embeddedMeteor Lakeplatform. The previously laptop-only chips don’t require a separate motherboard chipset, so they’re perfect from the space-restricted embedded sector. But something else that was showcased at the event was the LGA 1851 processor socket—Intel’s replacement for LGA 1700, the socket which has been in service since the 12th Generation of Core CPUs.

Intel has retained the same 37.5 mm × 45 mm socket size but stuffed an additional 151 pins into the same area. To prevent you from trying to fit an LGA 1700 chip into the socket, though, notches in the plastic surround are in a different location.

Some of the extra pins are going to be for PCI Express lanes, but I suspect quite a few of them won’t be used until later processors require them. The latest 14th Gen Core CPUs offer 16 PCIe 5.0 and four PCIe 4.0 lanes, and the higher spec ones can be split into two groups of eight, allowing for a PCIe 5.0 SSD, like theNextorage X series, to be directly connected to the CPU.

However, that essentially wastes four lanes and there’s no way around this. In some motherboards, puttinganySSD into the dedicated PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot forces the main graphics card slot into x8 mode. With LGA 1851, that problem will be a thing of the past, because even though the next generation of desktop CPUs will still only have 20 PCIe 5.0 lanes at most, they can be split into three groups: x8, x4, and x4.

AMD’s AM5 socket is of a similar design, albeit completely square (40 x 40 mm) and with over a hundred fewer pins, 1718 in total. Zen 4 processors have up to 28 PCIe 5.0 lanes, 16 for graphics, eight for SSDs, and four to connect to the motherboard chipset (Intel has a similar system for its chips, but it’s not quite PCI Express).

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

So you might be wondering how does AMD manage to have 24 lanes of PCIe 5.0 but Intel only has 20? What are the extra pins in LGA 1851 for, if it’s not just for connectivity? At this stage, it’s not entirely clear—Intel is switching to DDR5-only for all its forthcoming CPUs, so the memory system has been simplified.

Your next upgrade(Image credit: Future)Best CPU for gaming: The top chips from Intel and AMD.Best gaming motherboard: The right boards.Best graphics card: Your perfect pixel-pusher awaits.Best SSD for gaming: Get into the game ahead of the rest.

Your next upgrade

(Image credit: Future)Best CPU for gaming: The top chips from Intel and AMD.Best gaming motherboard: The right boards.Best graphics card: Your perfect pixel-pusher awaits.Best SSD for gaming: Get into the game ahead of the rest.

(Image credit: Future)

Nvidia RTX 4070 and RTX 3080 Founders Edition graphics cards

Best CPU for gaming: The top chips from Intel and AMD.Best gaming motherboard: The right boards.Best graphics card: Your perfect pixel-pusher awaits.Best SSD for gaming: Get into the game ahead of the rest.

It’s possible a good number of the additional connections are for power and grounding, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

While a 9% increase in pin density isn’t especially big, you’ll certainly need to be a tad more delicate when building a PC with one of Intel’s next CPUs. But at least with the socket size staying the same, you stand a good chance of using mostLGA 1700 coolerswith anArrow Lakeprocessor.

TOPICSHardware

TOPICS

More about processorsNvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang’s simple reminder that useful quantum computing is a long way off has somehow caused industry stocks to plummetNvidia seems to have just confirmed upcoming Arm and Blackwell laptop chips based on its new GB10 processor in collaboration with MediaTekLatestAsus reveals three new Slash Travel Bags for carting around your ROG Ally—however, none of them are particularly fashion forwardSee more latest►

More about processors

Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang’s simple reminder that useful quantum computing is a long way off has somehow caused industry stocks to plummetNvidia seems to have just confirmed upcoming Arm and Blackwell laptop chips based on its new GB10 processor in collaboration with MediaTek

A photo of a quantum computer hanging from the ceiling of a clean room laboratory

Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang’s simple reminder that useful quantum computing is a long way off has somehow caused industry stocks to plummet

Nvidia Project Digits supercomputer on a desk showing words and graphics and code on a screen with keyboard and mouse

Nvidia seems to have just confirmed upcoming Arm and Blackwell laptop chips based on its new GB10 processor in collaboration with MediaTek

LatestAsus reveals three new Slash Travel Bags for carting around your ROG Ally—however, none of them are particularly fashion forwardSee more latest►

Latest

Asus reveals three new Slash Travel Bags for carting around your ROG Ally—however, none of them are particularly fashion forward

Three of Asus ROG’s fourth generation Slash bags float in a blue-magenta gradient void. The backpack, sling bag, and sleeve all feature a black all-over colourway with an indent design on the bottom left corner of each bag that looks a bit like tire tracks.

Asus reveals three new Slash Travel Bags for carting around your ROG Ally—however, none of them are particularly fashion forward

See more latest►

Most PopularAlan Emrich, the game designer and writer who coined the term ‘4X,’ has diedTrack down a missing person in this ‘Geoguessr-inspired detective game’ set on an alien planetOld meets new as classic MMO players worship a famous Vtuber via gifts of bones so she can max out the Prayer skillHyper Light Breaker will cost $30 and for a limited time come with a free copy of DrifterFallout season 2 filming delayed due to massive LA firesAssassin’s Creed Shadows is delayed again ‘to better incorporate player feedback gathered over the past three months’The Freewrite Wordrunner with a built-in word counter might be the keyboard to look out for if you want to improve your writing process’I created it, let me move on’: Ex-Cloud 9 player, the Overwatch team whose blunder inspired the infamous ‘C9’ slang, watches in horror as the term moves onto Marvel RivalsLenovo’s rollable laptop screen isn’t just a CES party trick—you’ll be able to pick one up yourself in JuneNvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang’s simple reminder that useful quantum computing is a long way off has somehow caused industry stocks to plummetAfter 15 years, Minecraft has finally added two new pig variations: The warm pig and the cold pig, meaning I can delete one mod off my list

Most Popular

Alan Emrich, the game designer and writer who coined the term ‘4X,’ has died

Track down a missing person in this ‘Geoguessr-inspired detective game’ set on an alien planet

Old meets new as classic MMO players worship a famous Vtuber via gifts of bones so she can max out the Prayer skill

Hyper Light Breaker will cost $30 and for a limited time come with a free copy of Drifter

Fallout season 2 filming delayed due to massive LA fires

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is delayed again ‘to better incorporate player feedback gathered over the past three months’

The Freewrite Wordrunner with a built-in word counter might be the keyboard to look out for if you want to improve your writing process

‘I created it, let me move on’: Ex-Cloud 9 player, the Overwatch team whose blunder inspired the infamous ‘C9’ slang, watches in horror as the term moves onto Marvel Rivals

Lenovo’s rollable laptop screen isn’t just a CES party trick—you’ll be able to pick one up yourself in June

Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang’s simple reminder that useful quantum computing is a long way off has somehow caused industry stocks to plummet

After 15 years, Minecraft has finally added two new pig variations: The warm pig and the cold pig, meaning I can delete one mod off my list

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals