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Since you can add sockets to an item, it is possible for an item to have more sockets than what it dropped with. What is the maximum amount of sockets that each equipment type can support? Can the maximums be reached on any item (by adding sockets) regardless of it's initial socket count, or does the initial socket count matter? Are there any other rules to consider?

Edit It has been clarified that sockets can no longer be added. Leaving the description above, so the answers below still make sense.

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  • I can't finds the max number of sockets per slot, but FYI this page says the Jeweler can only add sockets to shields, helms, belts, or pants.
    – Wikwocket
    May 17, 2012 at 14:32

2 Answers 2

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+100

I've taken half an hour just looking through the auction house, and I have taken my own experience and various forum posts into account, and these are my findings:

The maximum number of sockets per equipment type varies. It seems to be independent of item rarity (magic and rare items, legendaries are something special). Instead, it seems to depend entirely on the body type of the item.

These are the maximums I was able to identify:

First of all: Shoulders, belts, gloves, and boots can't have sockets at all (more on that later).

Helmets, rings, amulets, weapons, and offhands:

  • one socket

Pants

  • two sockets

Chest Armor

  • three sockets

Legendary items are a special case: They always have a certain fixed amount of sockets per named item, but just for completeness: The maximum number of sockets on legendaries I could find was two.

There's something I have to add about Shoulders, belts, gloves, and boots: Even though there seem to be no belts with sockets, it is theoretically still possible that belts can have sockets, and simply nobody has found one yet. I come to this conclusion from a simple fact: Shoulders, gloves, and boots have no search option for "has sockets" in the auction house, indicating that it is indeed not possible for them to have one. Belts, however, do have this search option. It is entirely possible that Blizzard just left it in by accident, though.

Another interesting fact about items and sockets: Items have a fixed amount of random properties (this can differ, even for same rarity and body placement). When an item is dropped, or identified, the contents of these properties are randomly rolled out. Sockets, no matter how many there are in the item slot, take up exactly one of these random properties.

This make for an interesting conclusion: If you're unlucky, sockets may take away important stats from your item. In general, pure item stats will always be higher than you could at to it with gems. For example, perfect strength gems provide +22 strength. In comparison, items of roughly the same level seem to hit an upper cap of around +60 strength. This means that if you, for example, identify a rare chest armor piece and it finds +50 vitality, +20 experience per kill and +1.2% chance to stun on hit, plus one socket, then that last socket could have been a slot for +50 strength, whereas now you can only try to compensate for it with gems.

On the contrary, however, this becomes a nice bonus when you actually want to stack a certain stats. Items can't roll the same bonus stat twice. If we go with the example from above, you now can circumvent this fact by adding another +22 vitality gem into the socket, thus giving you even more life on the item (good for tanks, for example).

This thread discusses all of this (notice Bashiok's post later in the thread, acknowledging these facts).

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  • Ooops, just noticed I left something out, fixing it now :)
    – heishe
    May 19, 2012 at 21:29
  • That doesn't address the part about various item-types. I highly doubt that a ring can have more than 1 sockets. Also I just recently searched the auction house for a helm with 2 sockets (or more), to no avail.
    – bummzack
    May 19, 2012 at 22:58
  • You're right, I forgot about rings and helmets. It makes sense that both would have restrictions, I'm editing it in.
    – heishe
    May 20, 2012 at 7:38
  • Haven't seen any bracers with sockets either.. also I found a chest-armor piece with 4-5 magical properties (3 of them base stats) AND 3 sockets.. which seems to kinda contradict your logic?
    – bummzack
    May 20, 2012 at 12:12
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    it should be added that the manticore is a special unique weapon with the ability to have 2 sockets instead of one. Its the only weapon know to have that property right now.
    – l I
    Oct 8, 2013 at 19:42
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The ability to add sockets does not appear to have made it to the live game. Strangely enough the game info page still mentions it. I believe the idea was that you could just add 1 socket to each piece of gear regardless of already existing sockets on it.

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  • Thanks for responding. I realize I combined a couple of questions, but I'm also interested in the max number, even if they are only available as drops.
    – EBongo
    May 19, 2012 at 0:09
  • The most I have seen is 3 so far. I believe it is a per item basis as well, so while you might be able to find a 3 socket chest, a 3 socket bracer might not exist.
    – path411
    May 22, 2012 at 18:27

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