Socket S1 (S1g4)

S1g4 is the fourth and the last revision of socket S1. The S1g4 was employed exclusively by mobile AMD microprocessors from 2010 mainstream platform, codenamed Danube. The platform and the 4th socket revision were launched in May 2010, after that the CPU lineup was refreshed twice in less than a year. The last of S1g4 microprocessors were released in January 2011. All processors from the Danube platform were based on "Champlain" core, which was a variation of desktop Regor and Propus cores with added low-power features. The "Champlain" CPUs, and consequentially socket S1g4, were succeeded in June 2011 by "Llano" microprocessors and incompatible socket FS1.

The S1g4 revision works with single-, dual-, triple- and quad-core mobile processors, operating at frequencies up to 3.2 GHz, having Thermal Design Power up to 45 Watt, and packaged in 638-pin lidless micro-PGA package. The socket supports dual-channel DDR3 memory with data rates up 1333 MHz, and one HyperTransport 3.0 link with 1.8 GHz or lower frequency.

Physically, the S1g4 is similar to previous three revisions of socket S1, but electrically it's different due to added support for DDR3 memory and faster version of HyperTransport protocol. As a result, the S1g4 is not compatible with previous generations of socket S1. All processors from Danube platform will not work in S1g1, S1g2 and S1g3 socket revisions, and S1g1/S1g2/S1g3 CPUs are not supported by socket S1 (S1g4).

The socket S1 (S1g4) has 638 pin holes. The pin holes are arranged as 26 x 26 grid, with 4 x 4 section cut from the center, and 22 pin holes plugged. As a locking mechanism, the socket uses a special actuator, that needs to be turned by half-turn to lock or release the inserted microprocessor. Visually, the S1g4 looks identical to previous revisions of the socket.

Supported processors

All CPUs in the table below will physically fit into the socket, but not all of them may be supported by all motherboards. If you're upgrading a processor in existing system, make sure that the CPU is compatible with your motherboard. Please see "Upgrading socket S1 (s1g4) motherboards" section below for more information.

CPU Family	Cores	Frequency	TDP	The fastest CPU(s)
Athlon II Dual-Core Mobile	2	2.1 GHz - 2.5 GHz	25W - 35W	Athlon II P360 (25W, 2.3 GHz) Athlon II N370 (35W, 2.5 GHz)
Phenom II Dual-Core Mobile	2	2.6 GHz - 3.2 GHz	25W - 45W	Phenom II P650 (25W, 2.6 GHz) Phenom II N660 (35W, 3 GHz) Phenom II X640 (45W, 3.2 GHz)
Phenom II Quad-Core Mobile	4	1.6 GHz - 2.4 GHz	25W - 45W	Phenom II P960 (25W, 1.8 GHz) Phenom II N970 (35W, 2.2 GHz) Phenom II X940 (45W, 2.4 GHz)
Phenom II Triple-Core Mobile	3	1.8 GHz - 2.3 GHz	25W - 35W	Phenom II P860 (25W, 2 GHz) Phenom II N870 (35W, 2.3 GHz)
Sempron Mobile	1	2.2 GHz	25W	Mobile Sempron N120
Turion II Dual-Core Mobile	2	2.3 GHz - 2.7 GHz	25W - 35W	Turion II P560 (25W, 2.5 GHz) Turion II N570 (35W, 2.7 GHz)
V Series for Notebook PCs	1	2.2 GHz - 2.4 GHz	25W	V Series V160 (2.4 GHz)

There are no processors from other manufacturers, compatible with this socket.

Compatible sockets

None

Compatible package types

638-pin micro-PGA. Please note that older generations of socket S1 CPUs will fit into socket S1 (S1g4), but they are not electrically compatible with it.

Upgrading socket S1 (S1g4) motherboards

The good thing about Danube platform is that all "Champlain" processors were launched in relatively short period of time (less than a year), and all of them have the same core stepping, which means that most motherboards will support full line of S1g4 microprocessors. Although all "Champlain" CPUs are very likely to be supported by majority of motherboards, you still need to consider other factors, such as Thermal Design Power, that may limit your upgrade choices. Also, your upgrade options could be different depending on the type of applications, that you're running on your laptop:

• If you're planning to run multi-threaded applications or many CPU-intensive processes at once then consider upgrading to any processor from Phenom II Quad-Core family. Be aware that these CPUs are slower in single- and dual-threaded applications than Turion II and dual- and triple-core Phenom IIs, therefore go with quad-core CPU only if you really need it.
• If you need maximum performance in existing games, or single- and dual-threaded applications, then the best upgrade option is any one of Phenom II Dual-Core microprocessors. If finding dual-core Phenom II proves to be difficult, then the second upgrade option is one of Turion II CPUs, preferably the fastest ones from the "Supported processors" table above.
• Phenom II Triple-Core CPUs have decent performance in single- and dual-threaded tasks, and good performance in multi-threaded apps. These are a good compromise between the Dual-Core and Quad-Core mobile CPUs.

Other upgrade considerations:

• Be careful when upgrading to CPU with higher TDP. If you have weak fan/heatsink then you may end up with a system, that automatically shuts down during heavy workloads. Usually, upgrading from 25W to 35W CPU, or from 35W to 45W CPU should not present a problem. If you want to be on the safe side then choose upgrade processor with the same or lower TDP.
• Finding the fastest processors from specific series (Phenom II Quad-Core or Dual-Core) could be difficult. As an alternative, look at slightly slower version from the same series - they could be easier to find and cheaper to buy. For example, Phenom II X940 is impossible to find at reasonable price, while X920 model is available on the site like eBay for less than $100.
• The last, but not least: all notebook designs are different. Some laptops can be upgraded in minutes, while replacing a CPU on other laptops may literally take hours. If you don't have experience upgrading laptop processors then try to locate laptop disassembly instructions first, or do a quick check in online computer forums whether other people had problems upgrading the CPU on your notebook model or not.