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[GUIDE] Understanding Sockets and Links on your Path of Exile Items

One of the features Path of Exile changed in their dungeon-crawler is the Socket system. This change is more than just cosmetic however. With this guide, you’ll learn how this system affects the value of your Path of Exile items. Read on for more.

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Use of colored sockets on Path of Exile items

Like in other dungeon-crawlers, sockets allow players to put gems to improve their equipment. In Path of Exile however, this goes a step further as skills take the form of gems. The color of a socket must match the color of the gem being put into it. The color of the socket also hints at what statistics the item requires the most. Path of Exile items that need strength will often have more red sockets. Dexterity hungry ones will have mostly green sockets while blue sockets mean you need high Intelligence. All items, with the exception of Kaom’s Heart, have a chance to have sockets.

Importance of linked sockets on Path of Exile items

As an integral part of the gem system, sockets in an item can be linked. You can tell if two sockets are linked by the golden line between them. If you place a Support Gem in a socket, it then modifies the effects of the gems in sockets it is linked to. This makes Path of Exile items with multiple linked sockets very valuable.