Intel Strategy Shuts Out PC Enthusiasts

[nodlimax]

I've seen this coming. For some time now I've seen indications that CPU and GPU for example will start becoming one and the same. And they'll most likely try to get everything together on the same piece of hardware combined with sound and control functions.

This is kind of expected as the notebook and the mobile devices market is growing quickly. I think in 10 years tower PCs might be a thing of the past. There are of course positive and negative aspects to this "evolution" but it will come anyway. It's all about the money....

 

[V8 Ninja]

...So if the anti-Intel revolution comes, that means I won't have to do anything as I've already got an AMD machine! Wonderful!

 

[Kenjitsuka]

If Intel really does this regulators will be mad, and AMD can always become big again filling the gap.
Even though their designs are far inferior in the high end at the moment.

yes, but they are the ones who experiment the most.

the only thing that really pushes amd back is that nvidia and intel crawl into everyones ass with a bucket of money so they will be preferred when it is time to optimise the software to the hardware....

Actually, the AMD architecture just doesn't scale for crap...
They commited to something they thought would rule thread-performance, but it didn't work out.
Now they are left with the cheap, low end budget PC segment.
Which is a real shame, I loved AMD for a long time.

But they really cannot compete at the top, and that will be a problem until they finally can get new machines in their factories and switch to a new design. And that is extremely expensive.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

Yep. Assuming AMD doesn't pull the same bullshit, they've just gained themselves another customer...

 

[newwiseman]

This can only be good for AMD, if they become the only option then they'll grow.

 

[Krantos]

Well well well, looks like high time for me to abandon the Intel ship. Does this mean I'll have to give up NVIDIA?

No, Nvidia cards work fine on AMD products. My Computer runs an AMD MB and CPU and an NVidia GPU and it works great.

Theoretically, AMD Cards work better on AMD boards, but that's just theory as far as I know, and since there's no problem running AMD/NVidia builds...

 

[NLS]

Good thing I haven't used Intel in almost 10 years since my last Pentium 3 burnt up.
But then again, motherboards are already locked to either Intel or AMD depending on what socket they support, and since socket standards seem to change at about the same pace as I upgrade my computer, it's rare that I've ever experienced *not* having to change my whole system during an upgrade.
I always think "Hell yeah, this new setup will not only be a cheaper alternative, but I'll just be able to switch out some core parts in a year or two for a few bucks and still be keeping up with the latest hardware". Then a 1-3 years passes, I decide to upgrade, and suddenly the world now runs on AM4+ sockets and DDR6 memory, making a full upgrade pretty much the only option. And thus goes the circle of hardware-life.

 

[Waaghpowa]

I doubt this will affect much at all. Even if it does, AMD is far better for backwards compatibility. Don't necessarily have to buy a whole new god damn board to upgrade a processor.

 

[Platypus540]

Well, another reason to keep using AMD I suppose.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Or is Broadwell the successor to haswell

Broadwell is the 14nm die shrink of the new Haswell 22nm CPU micro-architecture that will replace the 22nm Ivy Bridge die shrink of the 32nm Sandy Bridge micro-architecture.

 

[MorganL4]

This could mean MAJOR changes to my uber build I was planning.... Might have to give up on Intel as a whole.

 

[The Artificially Prolonged]

Well I've never really had the money for Intel CPUs and thus have went with AMD. Looks like this won't be changing. Also what is it with all the companies locking down their products lately?

 

[Redhawkmillenium]

I peruse tech websites and forums and I can tell you that Semiaccurate is just that -- a very, very sketchy site. The equivalent of a tabloid in hardware journalism. It's wrong just as often as it is right.

 

[Eri]

I'm confused. Why does this end custom built PC's? Sure, you might not be able to upgrade the cpu, but beside that, there is effectively no difference? Or am I missing something?

 

[Baresark]

I'm a little worried by this. But I think they will hurt themselves so much with it that they will have to go back. Also, in order for the new architecture to be successful, software will need to written for it, and one thing about developers, they will only ever go with the platform that has the biggest consumer base. Intel makes awesome processors, but everything else they do is shit, so I don't anticipate this to do much for them. They are effectively hurting the only thing they are good at.

 

[fix-the-spade]

This really isn't that big a deal.

Intel keeping a socket standard more than two years/chip generations is already pretty rare, the standard cpu upgrade usually involves a new motherboard and this just makes it necessary.

With any luck it will make the assembly as a whole (mobo plus cpu) cheaper. It could make life difficult for smaller board manufacturers though, I bet Asus, Msi and Foxcon will already be having their supply deals for chips booked in right now.

Alternatively, this could be Intel moving towards a more ARM like model, where they design, sell the designs and other people manufacture. That could be interesting.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Yawn this means Intel will sell CPU's to OEM's who will sell CPU/Motherboard combos exactly like how Nvidia and AMD sell GPU's to OEM's to put on graphic cards.

That sounds far, FAR more likely than Intel trying to get into a pissing match with OEMs... at least not until their reputation outside of CPU manufacture improves significantly.

 

[ASnogarD]

Its hard to say how it will pan out...

As some have noted , the sockets change nearly every time Intel make a new CPU so most Intel fans have had to change mobo's anyways.
I still have AMD myself and took advantage of the AM,AM+,AM2 (etc) backwards compatibility of my mobo... bought the mobo and put in the old CPU from my older mobo, then later when the higher end AMD CPU's dropped in price I put in the newer CPU straight in.

If Intel do get too pushy though they will do well to remember what happened to IBM and its dominance over the PC market, IBM got too greedy compatibles were born (I think Intel started that ?!?)
There are other CPU manufacturers out there ready to jump in if Intel slip up, Cyrix, Motorola (who generally make RISc based chips), AMD (of course).

I am suprised , I figured Intel would be more about preventing OC'ing rather than hard inserting CPUs.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

I am suprised , I figured Intel would be more about preventing OC'ing rather than hard inserting CPUs.

Look at how many Ivy Bridge CPUs are locked out from OCing already.

 

[insanelich]

Seriously Andy, for shame.

This is a half-accurate scare piece, and you do need to verify your sources better.

To be exact - nothing's been confirmed, and even the likely scenario is one architecture not supporting sockets. All the rest is conjecture. It's likely these processors will go to uses the performance enthusiasts do not care about anyway.