Intel’s Haswell Could Be Last Interchangeable CPU *Unsubstantiated Rumor*

[wagex]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Tick-Tock found this browsing around if this helps anything?

 

[SF101]

cant see this happening
if it did id stop selling intel cpus i've had far to many mobos die which are cheaper than cpus than cpus die.

2-3 years down the road mobo dies on customer i order a replacement mobo for like 100$.

this method if a mobo dies your screwed order a new mobo/cpu it makes no sense.

also makes no sense to a retailer like myself to have to buy a combo like this as for desktop builds i usually go lower end board and then what ever cpu suits their needs.

this route id have to buy what ever board comes with that cpu so mostlikely high end cpu high end board higher prices.

 

[wingman99]

^^ I agree with you totally, if intel does this it makes no sense for me to repair computers when they could just buy a new one for almost the same cost, for a low end PC.

As far as going green it seems more wasteful and expensive not being able to recycle parts.

 

[azanimefan]

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012...placeable-cpus-may-be-the-future-of-desktops/

 

[petteyg359]

Reasons for thinking this is completely fabricated:

1. Motherboards seem to have vastly higher fault rates than CPUs. Having to trash oodles of CPUs because the boards they're soldered to are faulty would be stupid. You can't test the motherboard or the CPU without first connecting them, which in this case would be semi-permanent; testing would be very NOT cost-effective.
2. This would put a lot of computer repair shops out of business, as their ability to cheaply replace a CPU or motherboard independently (or even test them independently) would be severely hampered. I'm sure Best Buy would be complaining loudly if Intel did this.
3. Servers: LOTS of ISPs around the world sell servers that use desktop components. LOTS of people around the world buy these servers. These servers need spare parts on hand, and need varying configurations available for different customer needs. Having to keep magnitudes more motherboards in stock with built-in CPUs to have multiple CPU types available would drastically increase their costs. Dropping all desktop parts (assuming this BGA-for-everything doesn't cover server parts as well) would drastically reduce their volume of lower-price-preferring customers. Either way, there's a lot of money involved, and I'm sure they'd be complaining loudly, too.

 

[wingman99]

What really worries me if they phase out the LGA is what about warranty and will the motherboard companies allow overclocking because the board or CPU could die and there would be allot of cost involved.

 

[irrykuxeh]

"Back in my day, we built our OWN computers!" I hope I never get to say that.

 

[azanimefan]

I think that article i listed has the most likely scenario listed (if this is true)

That Intel will go with a 1 chip fits all strategy... only they'll "disable" features to make it "many chips" in one.

That solves the problem with the MB makers pretty efficiently. Its also something both Intel and AMD can and have done. I mean the i5s are just i7s only without hyperthreading (for example)... as far as I know the structure of the chip is identical, just hyperthreading is "turned off".

Personally I still think this sounds like a "true" story... to a point. We don't know if they won't just offer some "other" chip for enthusiasts or something. Or maybe they'll end sockets CPUs altogether in one fell swoop.

Either way it's right in line with how Intel has done business in the past. We shouldn't be surprised as a community, until SB intel pretty much did everything in their power to lock their chips and prevent overclocking. It shouldn't be that big of a surprise if this "overclocking friendly" chip phase ends after 2 years. 40 years of corporate culture isn't that easy to change.

 

[jazon1]

naa i think them selling chips on a large scale that could "software upgraded" would be a bad idea for them, it would only take one person to purchase the program reverse engineer it then crack it and distribute it and everyone would be buying there cheapest chips and getting there best ones free.

im sure if any of the rumors are true about the Broadwell being a solder only chip it would be likely just that cpu and intended for all in one pcs or something of that nature and intel would still continue other lines of chips with LGA.

 

[fornoob]

Good lord.

I know they produce CPUs before they're released. I write CPU reviews. I get ES CPUs from Intel and review them. Of course I know they're designed long before they are released.

You made my day

 

[wingman99]

When making CPU dies they get a yield, some chips are top of the line and some are at the bottom with faulty cores or on board memory cache and some don't pass at all, that's how chip manufacturers get a variety of chips. So if they were going to have all the top of the line CPU's and make them unlock able with software there would be allot of silicon die waste with the ones that are not top of the line chips.

 

[GoD_tattoo]

Wow, the only thing this thread is missing is Bigfoot..Some of you frighten me.

Good lord.

I know they produce CPUs before they're released. I write CPU reviews. I get ES CPUs from Intel and review them. Of course I know they're designed long before they are released.

And thanks Hokie. That was perfectly put.

 

[petteyg359]

When making CPU dies they get a yield, some chips are top of the line and some are at the bottom with faulty cores or on board memory cache and some don't pass at all, that's how chip manufacturers get a verity of chips. So if they were going to have all the top of the line CPU's and make them unlock able with software there would be allot of silicon die waste with the ones that are not top of the line chips.

Somebody who buys the top-of-the-line 3970X is likely either a benchmark addict with burning wads of cash in their pockets (and can afford to buy whole replacement mobo+CPU combos), or wants absolute-best-there-is-now-and-keep-it-for-years, and either one of them probably needs a new board for when they buy the next super-expensive top-of-the-line upgrade, so it might make sense to use BGA packaging on all the "perfect" product for "upgradable" boards, and leave the lower stuff as LGA and/or PGA. It would allow a much more convenient upgrade path for laptops, too. Dell/HP/Asus/whoever wouldn't have to have separate boards, if they're all the same microcode-upgradable CPU underneath. Not having a socket also saves several mm of height that any cooling system could take advantage of. Just wait for the BIOS-copying thieves, though, giving out free CPU upgrades on the Pirate Bay

 

[EarthDog]

'Sockets' will be around for intel for consumers/enthusiasts.





That is all I can say at this time.

I understand without a source/links that statement is no better than what I or anyone else who doesn't believe this posted before, but in the words of Birdman, "Believe 'dat".

Wow, the only thing this thread is missing is Bigfoot..Some of you frighten me.

You missed the Chupacabra siting earlier in the thread.

 

[djscrew]

'Sockets' will be around for intel for consumers/enthusiasts.





That is all I can say at this time.

I understand without a source/links that statement is no better than what I or anyone else who doesn't believe this posted before, but in the words of Birdman, "Believe 'dat".


You missed the Chupacabra siting earlier in the thread.

Well said.



I think it's more likely to expect Intel to slowly lump more and more motherboard responsibilities into their chips, in order to increase electrical efficiency and also safeguard the necessity of their product. When the NB, RAM, Audio/Network/USB/SATA/Etc... controllers, and probably eventually the SB are all integrated into the chip, the motherboard will be come just a substrate to tie the CPU to the various connectors. I predict that the traditional motherboard much less important and irrelevant.

So quite the opposite of the proposal by the OP, and probably equally as valid at this point.

But it all doesn't matter because the world ends this next month.

 

[txus.palacios]

Well said.



I think it's more likely to expect Intel to slowly lump more and more motherboard responsibilities into their chips, in order to increase electrical efficiency and also safeguard the necessity of their product. When the NB, RAM, Audio/Network/USB/SATA/Etc... controllers, and probably eventually the SB are all integrated into the chip, the motherboard will be come just a substrate to tie the CPU to the various connectors. I predict that the traditional motherboard much less important and irrelevant.

So quite the opposite of the proposal by the OP, and probably equally as valid at this point.

But it all doesn't matter because the world ends this next month.

That would pretty much be a SoC. I don't want a SoC. I can live with integrated NICs on the CPU, and integrated chipsets too, buit I want to replace RAM.

 

[10XTriplet]

This can be the move AMD was waiting for...

 

[EarthDog]

This can be the move AMD was waiting for...

If only it will actually happen...

 

[ivanlabrie]

If it happens...not sure what I'll do
Go for the most fun platform for benching and have a bang/buck gaming rig perhaps.

 

[huntinman13]

Wow, Does anyone believe this? You think Intel will kill of the GPU, Motherboard and every other market that matters to enthusiast? Who in their right mind would buy Intel after that?