This overview is for professional system integrators building PCs with boxed processors and industry-accepted motherboards, chassis, and peripherals.
Boxed processors require proper integration by professional system integrators.
The three major considerations that a system integrator must take into account are satisfying the electrical, mechanical, and thermal specifications of the processor. This document discusses motherboard-supplied pieces that provide mechanical support for boxed processors. Three processor form factors use the 242-contact slot connector to connect to the motherboard. Motherboards designed for system integrators using the 242-contact slot connector ship with retention mechanisms for the processors that the motherboard supports. The boxed processor is not shipped with retention mechanisms.