Yes, there are pads on both sides.
Yes, there are pads on both sides.
Bent pins have always led to faulty CPUs. LGA relocated the pins onto the mainboard, meaning bent ones only require swapping the board, not the costly CPU. However, newer models have made mainboards nearly as pricey as CPUs. Could it be feasible to design a socket with LGA connectors on both sides, featuring a small plastic interposer plate that holds the LGA springs? This would let you swap a cheap $3 piece when pins are bent, instead of needing expensive repairs.
It would be very costly because the springs would need to be gold-plated or another durable metal that resists oxidation, ensuring consistent performance over time. The springs and their housing would have to be extremely tiny and thin—this is why LGA designs allow more pads than pins. Intel CPUs have around 1700 pins, while AM4 uses about 1350. Now the pins are only a few millimeters thick, and the LGA pads are similar in size. Creating such minuscule springs is challenging; we're discussing 1500–2000 ultra-small ones, typically found in high-end watches. At that scale, a replacement plastic spring could cost around $50, making it unnecessary to purchase another motherboard.
TBH, I think this concept could work. I’m not sure how feasible it would be in reality, but it might simplify board design. I’d estimate costs around $30 to $40 due to the gold and precise cutting/machining involved. But since we’re expecting this change, I guess it’ll be easier to implement eventually.