Intel Strategy Shuts Out PC Enthusiasts

[Fireprufe15]

Well this changes exactly nothing. Just now instead of buying a mobo and then searching for a CPU to use with it or vice versa, you're going to buy both as a single package. There's still gonna be a wide variety of board/cpu combinations. Any Intel upgrade now that's worth getting now requires a new board anyway. Third parties are gonna get the processor from Intel and build it into their board like they do with GPU's.

This is more a simplification for the consumer than a complication.

 

[Rednog]

AMD's future looked grim and now their biggest competitor has handed them the golden ticket to salvation, what a moronic move from intel.

 

[Denizen]

Oddly enough, PC enthusiasts take great care in knowing what kinds of parts they're buying and the only way they can pull this off is through pre-built. People putting together a custom machine right now won't think twice about skipping this new brand of processor-motherboard etc hybrid. Bad move intel.

 

[Albino Boo]

The OEM guys are going to hit Intel with an anti trust if they don't license the mainboard with the cpu.

 

[Avaholic03]

From a technical standpoint, is there any advantage to making a direct connection rather than socket? Would that improve performance at all?

This whole story seems blown out of proportion to me. I mean, if I want to upgrade my processor now I already have to look at a new mobo because the sockets and RAM types have changed in the ~6 years since I built my computer. So I'd be looking at a new mobo/CPU combo anyway. Makes no difference to me if it's soldered to the board or not...that's just one less chance for me to screw something up like bending a pin. The only thing that would concern me is if the mobo/CPU combination was more expensive than the two parts would be individually.

 

[Boris Goodenough]

Having read a fair bit about this on different forums, I can tell you right now that the source is from a translated text which got the google-translate treatment, so a lot got lost in translation.

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1729595&page=3

Second last post on that page has the "real" translation of it.

-- Intel will not provide new products for Desktop and non-BGA laptop segments in Broadwell era
-- Instead, they will provide higher clocked Haswell for those segments in 2014
-- Broadwell is "more than tick", and it will include some technologies that were previously planned for Skylake
-- This is because Intel needs to be more competitive in the tablet market, and this may mean the end of Tick-Tock strategy
-- It mentions nothing about Skylake and later or if they will be LGA or not for the desktop

So despair not enthusiasts.

 

[Nihlus2]

Well, I am actually kinda glad I waited with building that custom PC, had eyes on some intel stuff - now? Not so much. Then again, let's wait and see, could easily be the out-of-proportion context that some people claim it to be.

 

[Doom972]

So, does this mean that in order to replace a CPU, one would have to replace the entire motherboard? Fine by me. When my CPU gets too old, it's time to get a new PC.

This has to be the most exaggerated article I read on the Escapist. It might affect custom PC building/modifying, but it shouldn't have much to do with PC gaming.

 

[Stryc9]

This is not only a horribly stupid idea but it's a fucking huge step backwards. I remember the first computer my family had was a Radio Shack Tandy brand computer with a 286 processor that was permanently fixed to the motherboard. I was thinking about my next PC having an Intel processor in it but if they're gonna pull this kind of bullshit I may just go with a higher end AMD.

 

[thesilentman]

And as usual no one gives the technical details. Can I get some to see exactly what the deal is? I don't see a problem with upgrading motherboards. The one thing I also want is the prices on their chips to go down; they're expensive for what they offer at times.

 

[aceman67]

I'll stick with my AMD system, thank you.

Intel has been on the Bleeding edge of performance but AMD has always been quality merchandise. Their CPUs run quiet and cool (My quad core Phenom Black Edition never goes above 50C, and that's with the stock cooling system under heavy load), Their Video cards are currently THE BEST on the market (the ATi Radeon HD6990 out performs GeForces GTX 590) and does so with significantly less power draw and temperature.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

From a technical standpoint, is there any advantage to making a direct connection rather than socket?

Yeah but it comes with just as many disadvantages, too.

 

[Kinitawowi]

-- This is because Intel needs to be more competitive in the tablet market

This is it, people. As much as I hate the things, tablets (and by extension smartphones) are where the next few years are heading, and if you're not in that market then you're not in the market. Microsoft figured that out (hence Windows 8) and Intel are catching on - show me a Samsung tablet where you can swap out the processor. No, on-board is the norm now, to be closely followed by off-chip - the raw clock speed of the die will stop being the thing when they realise that they can lower the heat overhead and thus raise the power output by pulling the GPU out.

Tower machines? Enthusiasts still swear by them, but you can't run a company aiming only for the enthusiasts. Sad but true. And towers are done, as far as the mainstream is concerned.

 

[Boris Goodenough]

I'll stick with my AMD system, thank you.

Intel has been on the Bleeding edge of performance but AMD has always been quality merchandise. Their CPUs run quiet and cool (My quad core Phenom Black Edition never goes above 50C, and that's with the stock cooling system under heavy load), Their Video cards are currently THE BEST on the market (the ATi Radeon HD6990 out performs GeForces GTX 590) and does so with significantly less power draw and temperature.

Why do you mention 1½ year old tech? The lastest battle is between the AMD radeon 7990 ("unofficial" card though) and the Nvidia GeForce 690.

 

[The Lunatic]

If Intel continue to sell socket CPUs at the current standard, I'd buy them, even if they want to have some sideshow where they make freakish abominations in an attempt to capitalize on that market.

If there is no intel option available, I will take AMD.

People want a certain product, if you're not going to sell it, don't expect them to buy "Something similar" when somebody is selling what they want in the first place.

 

[Lunar Templar]

and i understood none of that, but, if it annoys or generally put out the more vocal 'PC Elites', then as some one who cares very little about 'which platform is better' the fallout from this well greatly amuse me

*acquires popcorn*

 

[ResonanceSD]

What, you people think AMD will still be in business in 5 years time? Are you serious?

This would be the equivalent of Intel shutting down the entire PC gaming industry. Unless in partnership with hardware manufacturers of Mobos, Dimms, PSUs and GPUs, it's not going to happen.





Oh it's from SEMIACCURATE of all places. Right, thanks for that tabloid journalism.

 

[Evil Smurf]

I will be buying a Mac, but I can see AMD sales improving.

 

[ResonanceSD]

I may just go with a higher end AMD.

What "higher end AMD" do you think exists? Intel now leads AMD in price/performance at every single tier of the market.

 

[Reyalsfeihc]

If this is true, which I highly doubt it is, I'm truly glad that AMD will be able to expand its business practices. One of the reasons why they have poor profit margins is they simply don't have the money to throw at new manufacturing processes like Intel does, so their chips tend to lag a half generation behind.

However, the source site SemiAccurate has received letters from MULTIPLE hardware vendors requesting they shut down the site as many of the "articles" they post are sketchy at best, with most being straight up incorrect.

Either way, only time will tell I suppose