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[X-bit Labs] Intel’s Haswell Could Be Last Interchangeable Desktop Microprocessors

Final8y

Final8y

Final8y

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As personal computers become smaller, their flexibility is decreasing. According to a media report starting from code-named Broadwell generation of processors, Intel Corp. will only offer mainstream desktop chips in BGA packaging, which will eliminate upgrade options as well as increase risks for PC makers.

Both Intel and Advanced Micro Devices supply two different desktop platforms these days, making a very clear difference between mainstream and high-end desktop. Still, mainstream PCs with simplistic processors may easily be upgraded with very fast processors thanks to the fact that the chips are interchangeable and come in the same LGA1155 form-factor. Unfortunately, the ease of upgrade may come to an end in two years as starting from Broadwell generation of central processing units (CPUs) mainstream chips will cease to use land grid array (LGA) and micro pin grid array (µPGA) packages and will only be available in in ball grid array (BGA) form-factors, just like Intel Atom processors.
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http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/di...hangeable_Desktop_Microprocessors_Report.html
 
The current chips are already like BGA ones, they have been since the pins were moved to the motherboard, the only change might be that the pads on the cpu get too small for a pin based motherboard to be worthwhile making. The cpus are worth too much for them to be fixed to the motherboard, it would mean both the board and the cpu would need replacing every time either fails.
 
I'm worried as i have killed plenty of mobos through Ocing, never a CPU thought and would hate to loose a good clocking CPU because i toasted the mobo and could not remove the CPU.

Im now running a Asus Crosshair V Formula AMD 990FX that i had stashed away because i burnt out the mobo in my sig that i stuck with because it had more sata ports and CD header, no im using external DVD usb as i dont have enough sata port for a sata DVDs unless i down size the RAID, but now im running my CPU at 4.1 so a small blessing.
 
Changing everything to ball grid array doesn't stop the end user changing processor. Heat up the existing processor, lift it off, clean base of new processor, put pre-packaged array of solder balls on the board, put processor on top of the solder, heat it up again.

It makes changing processor more difficult but hardly impossible. It also decreases contact problems between processor and motherboard which is generally a good thing.
 
With the rate Intel change sockets and the fact most users don't upgrade their computers anyway, how many people would a change like this actually affect? A tiny (yet disproportionately loud) minority I think.
 
Balls (pun intended).
I must admit though. I rarely upgrade my CPU/Motherboard separately. I would do them both at the same time. So not a big deal for me. Though i hope this doesn't affect motherboard manufactures too much...
 
forget it Amd have been long gone in the high end x86 cpu arena, and intel could follow eventually.

We're heading for mobile, soc solutions and cloud markets,
Everything in game development has been stalemate for too long now I want to see some innovation, something that pushes the boundaries.
 
Although like several in this thread I always upgrade mobo and cpu together, as pointed out above tying a £100+ mobo to a £150+ cpu is a bit risky in terms of what happens if there is a failure with one or other of the components. I can only imagine it would mean needing to repair rather than replace a lot more mobos (e.g. say there is a dodgy USB port on a mobo with a £500+ cpu stuck in it).
 
I really can't see this happening, because unless as has been suggested we get some form of daughterboards there's going to be a lot of rather anoyed motherboard manufactuers.
 
Been thinking about this, can't help but feel it's scaremongering as we always get.

That, and it's far more likely we'll just get the CPU's on a PCB and slot them in or something.
 
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