Intel's Haswell May Be Last Interchangeable Desktop CPU?

[brechan69]

Let me start by saying sorry for being AWOL for the last little while; with personal health concerns + rebuilding the PC (had to improvise the EK 250 mm reservoir), seems like I've been gone forever (and a day).

Onward; I was reading my emails this morning, and came across this little article...http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Has...tom,19314.html

I'm hoping that this is just gossip around someone's office water cooler; but if it isn't, then the fear that we've all had (since the time when AMD produced the 1st Phenom and failed to compete with Intel), has finally come.

The article basically states that its rumored that Haswell will be the last of Intel's (interchangeable/ upgradeable) CPU's; from that point, future CPU's will be permanently soldered onto the motherboard.

" As of late Intel and AMD have provided two separate desktop platforms, addressing the mainstream desktop and the high-end powerhouses. On the Intel front, it's possible for the general consumer to pull out the CPU and replace it with a meatier upgrade. However replacing those LGA-based CPUs will seemingly eliminate that mainstream DIY option altogether unless the user is handy with a soldering iron...Users of mainstream desktops won't be able to manually swap out one processor for another if the original CPU fails or the user wants to upgrade. Instead, mainstream consumers will be stuck with whatever they bought, forced to upgrade the entire desktop at a higher price. "

I really, really, really hope this is just a silly rumor...

[Tristan]

ive read the same thing, a sad day for computer enthusiasts if it's true, all we can hope for is that amd uses this as an opertunity to pull themselves of the floor, but that seems unlikely.

[Hooded]

The article I had read about this also clearly states that this was not going to be the case for the enthusiast's level CPU. They will remain as removeable.

As per the last paragraph of the report you've posted.

The move to offer BGA MCMs is reportedly fueled by the market trend towards low-powered CPUs and ultra-thin form factors. However there's speculation that Intel will still provide CPUs in LGA packaging for high-end desktop platforms only.

It's a bad thing anyway you slice it though.

[scaccima]

Welcome back brechan! I hope you're feeling better!

I might be wrong, but isn't it cheaper for Intel to produce chips with interchangablity - the way the do it now? I think it would cost more to solder the chip to the mobo, not to mention the added (potentally) costs to the mobo manufacturer.

For a "all-in-one" computer, maybe, but for an enthusiast's computer they would be shooting themselves in the foot. I just hope they are smart enough to see that. Till then I will keep my fingers crossed that this rumor stays as one.

[gdesmo]

Hope you are OK, there would be a major revolt if something like that were to be true !

[bungwirez]

sounds to me like they will still be "sort of interchangable" but only at the manufacture level.
ASUS/GB/MSI/etc would be delivered a batch of various CPU, then marry them to their mobos.
So they'll offer a couple of diff CPU on the same mobo?
Doesn't feel very efficient to me...makes some sense for large business bulk orders
but very much less happy news for us enthusiasts.

that said, if you can pull off the IHS, then I'm guessing we'll find a way to fix this problem too.

[DazMode]

I wonder if mainstream means more like Dells, HPs and other stuff you buy at Future Shop.

[Neo182]

^ exactly.

[Izerous]

This would affect laptops at first, then move to companies like Dell would would revel in the idea that you cannot even upgrade their computers after the fact without sending it back to them for the upgrade. mini-itx platform will probably no-longer exist as it does now and get completely replaced by the new chips. A year or two after the first serious shipments smaller form factors like micro-atx parts would start being hard to get a hold of and you will have to start paying a premium for small form factor swappable parts as manufacturers are no longer producing them in the same amount. Regular ATX, extened ATX etc will become the only option for non-mainstream computers, since if you look at what most people consider mainstream at least as far as companies like Dell and others they are all mico-atx for the most part. Smaller form factor means smaller + cheaper cases etc.