Editing Slot A

{{CPU socket
|name = Slot A
|image = [[Image:Slot A.jpg|290px]]
|formfactors = [[Pin grid array|PGA]]
|type = [[Single Edge Contact Cartridge|SECC]]
|contacts = 242
|protocol = EV6
|fsb = 200 MT/s, 266 MT/s
|voltage = 1.3–2.05 V
|processors = [[Advanced Micro Devices|AMD]] [[Athlon]] (500–1000 MHz)
|predecessor = [[Super Socket 7]]
|successor = [[Socket A]]
}}
{{Short description|CPU socket for AMD Athlon Classic CPUs}}
'''Slot A''' is the physical and electrical specification for a 242-lead single-edge-connector used by early versions of [[Advanced Micro Devices|AMD]]'s [[Athlon]] processor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pchardwarelinks.com/sockets.htm|title=CPU Sockets Chart|accessdate=2009-04-04|publisher=users.erols.com}}</ref>

The Slot A connector allows for a higher bus rate than [[Socket 7]] or [[Super Socket 7]]. Slot&nbsp;A [[motherboard]]s use the EV6 bus protocol, a technology originally developed by [[Digital Equipment Corporation]] (DEC) for its [[Alpha 21264]] microprocessor.

[[File:AMD Slot A (left) and Intel Slot 1 (right)-flickr - by - flickrsven.jpg|thumb|A Slot A CPU on the left compared to a Slot 1 CPU (connector rotated by 180 degrees)]]

Slot A is mechanically compatible but electrically incompatible with [[Intel]]'s [[Slot 1]]. As a consequence, Slot A motherboards were designed to have the connector's installed orientation be rotated 180 degrees relative to Slot&nbsp;1 motherboards to discourage accidental insertion of a Slot&nbsp;1 processor into a Slot&nbsp;A motherboard, and vice versa. The choice to use the same mechanical connector as the Intel Slot&nbsp;1 also allowed motherboard manufacturers to keep costs down by stocking the same part for both Slot&nbsp;1 and Slot&nbsp;A assemblies.

Unlike with Slot 1 CPUs, there were never any converter cards, or [[slotket]]s made that allowed Socket A CPUs to be used on Slot A motherboards, as what happened with the slotkets made for using [[Socket 370]] CPUs in Slot 1 motherboards.

AMD went back into using a traditional socket interface with [[Socket A]] in 2000.

== Chipsets==
AMD offered official chipsets for the Slot A CPUs. These are included in the table below.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! Model 
! Code name 
! Released 
! CPU support 
! [[Front-side bus|FSB]]/[[HyperTransport|HT]] (MHz) 
! Southbridge 
! Features / Notes
|-
! AMD-750 chipset
| AMD-751 
| August 1999<ref>{{cite web |title=AMD-750 Chipset Overview |url=http://www.datasheetcatalog.org/datasheet/AdvancedMicroDevices/mXvvyt.pdf |website=AMD |language=en-US |access-date=August 1, 2001}}</ref> 
| [[Athlon]], [[Duron]]&nbsp;([[Slot&nbsp;A]], [[Socket&nbsp;A]]), [[Alpha&nbsp;21264]]{{Citation needed|date=November 2023}} 
| 50 (100MT/s) 
| AMD-756, VIA-VT82C686A 
| align="left" | AGP&nbsp;2×, SDRAM<br />''Irongate'' chipset family; early steppings had issues with AGP&nbsp;2×; drivers often limited support to AGP&nbsp;1×; later fixed with "super bypass" memory access adjustment.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Orozco |first=Silvino |date=December 29, 1999 |title=AMD's Super Bypass - AMD Improves their 750 Chipset |url=http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amd,155.html |website=Tom's Hardware |language=en-US |access-date=November 11, 2022}}</ref>
|}

Third-party chipsets includes a large number of [[List_of_VIA_chipsets#Slot_A_and_Socket_A|VIA K-series]] chipsets.

In practice, third-party chipsets were heavily favoured by motherboard manufacturers. Stability problems and compatibility quirks from these chipsets abounded from manufacturers not following chipset designers' guidelines. This caused long-lasting damage to AMD's reputation, despite AMD having nothing to do with the poorly-realised hardware.{{cn|date=August 2023}} A similar incident happened with third-party chipsets for [[Super Socket 7]] CPUs, of which AMD tried to remedy it by putting [[quality assurance]] measures for the Athlon, which used Slot A CPUs. Despite this, however, the aforementioned problems mentioned above still lingered on for quite a while, even for Athlon CPUs.

==See also==
* [[List of AMD microprocessors]]

==References==
{{Commons category|Slot A}}
<references/>

{{amdsock}}

[[Category:AMD sockets]]