# item.guide
Side-by-Side Comparison Processors

PGA vs. RISC-V

Comparing 2 standards across 8 specifications. 8 key differences identified.

Comparing:
PGA
RISC-V

PGA (Pin Grid Array) puts the pins directly on the processor package, with the socket providing holes instead -- the inverse of LGA. AMD used PGA for its mainstream desktop sockets for years, including AM4, before shifting its mainstream line to LGA with AM5 in 2022.

View full PGA spec sheet →

RISC-V is a free, open-source RISC instruction set architecture developed starting in 2010 at UC Berkeley -- unlike ARM or x86, it can be implemented without paying any licensing royalty. It's currently most common in microcontrollers and embedded systems, with higher-performance implementations for mobile, desktop, and server use still in development.

View full RISC-V spec sheet →

Specification Comparison Table

8 Parameters
Parameter / Spec
Pin Location
Chip package itself; socket has holes —
Notable Example
AMD Socket AM4 (1331 pins) —
AMD Transition to LGA
Late 2022 (Socket AM5) —
Type
— Open-source, royalty-free RISC architecture
Origin
— UC Berkeley, 2010
Specification Published
— 2011
Governing Body
— RISC-V Foundation formed 2015; reorganized as RISC-V International (Switzerland), 2020
Current Primary Use
— Microcontrollers and embedded systems