UPDATE: Socket 478 vs mPGA 478? Mystery Solved

[SteveJ34]

You know the routine.....you know something about building and repairing systems so people come out of the woodwork to ask you to help them fix their systems....

Older Gateway P4 system which has a mPGA Socket 478 with CPU fan that has broken clips....

...so I pick up a "Socket 478" CPU Fan from local electronic supply but said fan does not fit the mounting on this board.

Is there some difference between Socket 478 and mPGA 478 or is there something special about Gateway motherboard that has caused them to select some non-standard CPU Fan mounting method?

I don't have any other Socket 478 systems to compare against as all my older systems are Socket A or newer Intel P4 Ds or Dual Core.


Steve

[sosuke]

I've never heard of mPGA before. A quick search on newegg for "mPGA fan" gave me one result. Might want to check into it.

[bigdady92]

never heard of it..could be a proprietary fan clip or motherboard. gateway is notorious for that.


what's the make/model of the computer? you do a search based on that?

[knave]

Mpga and Ppga are different types of sockets.

mPGA is Micro-Pin Grid Array. PPGA is Plastic-Pin Grid Array.

I'm not even sure if the P4 478 came in a Ppga layout.  but either way since the layout might be different the fan and heatsinc can be too...

[SteveJ34]

Ya, I understand PPGA vs mPGA which is Socket 478.

Further research would appear to indicate Gateway in their infinite wisdom chose to have a custom fan mount on this particular model series motherboard.....from what I see non-standard from all other Socket 478 CPU Fan mounts.

I found an online resource for Gateway parts with replacement fan but all I really need is the retention clips as the heatsink and fan existing are fine. $20 plus shipping.

I am running a couple of other traps for dead Gateway systems I might pull one off of.

Thanks to all that responded and food for the wise in the future should someone be asked to replace CPU fan on a Gateway....

[SteveJ34]

I solved this puzzle today.....

Gateway in their infinite wisdom as a means to save money I assume put a Socket 423 Fan mount and Fan on a Socket 478 Motherboard.

Steve