Monday, November 26th 2012
Is Haswell the Last Interchangeable Intel Client Processor?
The processor-motherboard combination as PC enthusiasts know it could end, with Intel LGA1150 processors under the "Haswell" micro-architecture, likely to becoming the last client processors to ship in the retail channel (processor-in-box). Future Intel client processors, codenamed "Broadwell" could ship only in BGA (ball-grid array) packages, with existing motherboard vendors selling their products with processors permanently soldered onto them. The information comes from Japanese PC Watch, which cites sources in the PC industry.
With a compacted socket-processor launch cycle that spans nearly 2 years under the company's "tick-tock" product strategy, the scope for processor updates in the client computing industry might be lower than what it was in the LGA775 days. Perhaps statistics at Intel don't show a sizable proportion of people upgrading processors on existing motherboards, or upgrading motherboards while retaining the processor, rather buying a combination of the two, not to mention the fact that pre-built PCs outsell DIY assembled ones in major markets. With the processor being "tied" to the motherboard, Intel gets room to compact the platform further, combining processor and core logic completely into a single package. It's likely that Intel could still leave processor interchangeability to its HEDT (high-end desktop) platform, which sees processors start at $300, and motherboards at $200.
Source:
X-bit Labs
With a compacted socket-processor launch cycle that spans nearly 2 years under the company's "tick-tock" product strategy, the scope for processor updates in the client computing industry might be lower than what it was in the LGA775 days. Perhaps statistics at Intel don't show a sizable proportion of people upgrading processors on existing motherboards, or upgrading motherboards while retaining the processor, rather buying a combination of the two, not to mention the fact that pre-built PCs outsell DIY assembled ones in major markets. With the processor being "tied" to the motherboard, Intel gets room to compact the platform further, combining processor and core logic completely into a single package. It's likely that Intel could still leave processor interchangeability to its HEDT (high-end desktop) platform, which sees processors start at $300, and motherboards at $200.
89 Comments on Is Haswell the Last Interchangeable Intel Client Processor?
Even if it doesn't I'm not worried. Think about what it would mean with current chips. You have a performance board bundled with either a 3770k or a 3570k, the exact chips you'd buy with it anyways, only now probably for less money since they don't have to test and account for as many configurations and there's less shipping cost to get it to you.
I'm still rocking a Q9550.
And when it becomes obsolete, I'll just declare myself a hipster and keep on using it. 775 FTW.
Meanwhile, our post-PC era venture has just left dry-dock.
However, I wouldn't be surprised if this actually went through in the low- to mid-end spectrum, leaving the i7 series (or maybe only K CPUs) being the ones sold separately.
If you keep changing the sockets almost every friggin year and none of them are compatible with the older cpu, of course most people won't upgrade their cpu on their old motherboards and vice versa since it's incompatible.
While I like Intel for it's performance, this is the reason why sometimes I think AMD has major advantage especially for the budget builders or non-enthusiast since they are not upgrading frequently and when they do upgrade, most of the parts are compatible
I just got a 3570K, motherboard and memory. The speed difference over the 775 rigs are unbelievable, far far far more than I expected.
And for the lower end board they could design them just to handle the low power chips bundled with them. Without the need for low-end boards to support higher wattage chips they would be cheaper to produce, and hopefully cheaper for us in the end.
This is a smart move for Intel financially. Motherboard makers will have to buy CPUs for each board they make. For every board out there Intel would have made a sale. When the next gen rolls around Intel will have already sold all their chips. The motherboard makers will be the ones needing to unload old product rather than them and Intel.
But anyway I was planning on Haswell and a AMD HD 8000/ Nvidia GTX 700 to be my last computer build for a long time. Still rockin the Q6600.
I would have thought this go the other way around... socket SoC CPUs with onboard ram, gpu, cpu all integrated and the motherboards would get smaller and smaller. Just drop in another CPU and there's your upgrade/replacement etc etc.
If it won't be bad enough to have limited choice, it will be horrible to have cold solder joints and be forced to buy a completely new combo. Seeing how it will be possible, and probably preferable to have PCH + CPU + GPU on a single package, maybe even a single die, the number of solder balls will be huge, possibly over
90002000, and they'll need to be of the 0,1 mm variety. Because they'll be under constant pressure and vibrational stress (from the heatsink), and the temperature delta is expected to be significant, I don't see such a setup lasting very long.I really do hope no manufacturer agrees to this bullsheit, or everyone who appreciates what a Desktop PC is and should be will have to go AMD. Perhaps that won't be so bad after all...