The Socket AM2, renamed from Socket M2 (to prevent using the same name as Cyrix MII processors), is a CPU socket designed by AMD for desktop processors, including the performance, mainstream and value segments. It was released on May 23, 2006, as a replacement for Socket 939 & Socket 754.
AM2 processors are incompatible with 939 motherboards and vice versa, and although it has 940 pins, it is incompatible with Socket 940. Socket AM2 supports DDR2 SDRAM memory but not DDR memory, which the previous Socket 939 supported. AnandTech reported that Socket AM2 system performance was up to 7% faster than Socket 939 equivalents, with most applications about 2% faster, despite having over 30% greater memory bandwidth due to DDR2 support.
The first processor cores to support socket AM2 are the single-core Orleans (Athlon 64) and Manila (Sempron), and the dual-core Windsor (Athlon 64 X2 and Athlon 64 FX). Most processors on Socket AM2 include SSE3 instructions and were developed with 90 nanometer technology. Recent models feature 65 nanometer technology (to compete with Intel and their 65 nm CPUs).
Socket AM2 supports AMD Phenom processors but some motherboard manufacturers did not supply newer bios files required to operate a Phenom processor.
Socket AM2 is a part of AMD's current generation of CPU sockets, along with Socket F for servers and Socket S1 for mobile computing.
There are also single-socket Opteron processors available for AM2.
