Why do we all love Intel so much?

Ace Modder · 5 May 2015 at 11:35

I know the CPU's are superior, but they are so restrictive with their motherboard chipsets.

For example most new intel boards are fitted with limiting features!!!

I'm looking at the new Samsung SM951 512MB m.2 SSD
Read speed of 2100mb/s
Write speed of 1500mb/s

Now there seems to be limits as m.2 is limited to 1000mb/s speed, but there is a new technology called NVME, which effective bridges 4 connections to provide a faster speed which is suited to the faster SSD's on the market now.

Currently it seems that on certain Z97 boards for example you can use this technology, however you loose your 16x PCI-e lanes as they drop to 8x/4x.

It seems that AMD do not have any of these limits on lanes etc.

If only AMD CPU's were better!!!!

Ace Modder · 5 May 2015 at 11:48

Prime example is needing a PLX chip enabled motherboard to run PCI-E lanes fully.

Surely this is just a result of Intel limiting things.

cheesyboy · 5 May 2015 at 11:51

I'm not sure how much love there really is for Intel, certainly for UK PC users (USA forums seem to have more genuine Intel fanboys)

Lots of people seem to be reluctant Intel users - they'd switch to AMD if there was performance parity.

smsmasters · 5 May 2015 at 11:51

Is SATA 3 not limited to 6 Gbit/s, 600 MB/s?

Ace Modder said:
I know the CPU's are superior, but they are so restrictive with their motherboard chipsets.

For example most new intel boards are fitted with limiting features!!!

I'm looking at the new Samsung SM951 512MB m.2 SSD
Read speed of 2100mb/s
Write speed of 1500mb/s

Now there seems to be limits as SATA3 is limited to 1000mb/s speed, but there is a new technology called NVME, which effective bridges 4 connections to provide a faster speed which is suited to the faster SSD's on the market now.

Currently it seems that on certain Z97 boards for example you can use this technology, however you loose your 16x PCI-e lanes as they drop to 8x/4x.

It seems that AMD do not have any of these limits on lanes etc.

If only AMD CPU's were better!!!!

d_brennen · 5 May 2015 at 11:54

Intel do because they can, AMD don't as they aren't in any position to do so.

If we were seeing monster 8 core AMD chips which put Intel's workstation line to shame, at regular high end prices, I am sure such tactics from AMD wouldn't be far behind

Ace Modder · 5 May 2015 at 11:55

smsmasters said:
Is SATA 3 not limited to 6 Gbit/s, 600 MB/s?

I thought SATA 3 was 10Gbit/s - maybe I was wrong ? EDIT - ah the m.2 technology that is limited to 10Gbit/s

But the point is why do Intel limit the features, and them board partners have to unlock these features with 3rd party chips - like the PEX 8747 PLX chip, which creates 48 lanes.

AMD boards don't seem to need aftermarket chipsets to enable these type of high end features.

Bittenfleax · 5 May 2015 at 12:04

Ace Modder said:
I thought SATA 3 was 10Gbit/s - maybe I was wrong ? EDIT - ah the m.2 technology that is limited to 10Gbit/s

But the point is why do Intel limit the features, and them board partners have to unlock these features with 3rd party chips - like the PEX 8747 PLX chip, which creates 48 lanes.

AMD boards don't seem to need aftermarket chipsets to enable these type of high end features.

Money maybe? They could make more by selling "extras" and addons instead of incorporating it into their devices/mobo's. ~ Just a suggestion

pastymuncher · 5 May 2015 at 12:15

I never thought you would stoop to a troll thread Ace. You realise that this is going to turn into a flame war of words?

Ace Modder · 5 May 2015 at 12:17

I'm being honest, this is not a troll thread. I've been looking at getting one of the new SM951 SSD's from Samsung, but because I have a Z87X-OC board with 2 waySLI I cannot reap the nice juicy speeds of the SM951 SSD. It is not a trolling thread.

Devrij · 5 May 2015 at 12:20

cheesyboy said:
I'm not sure how much love there really is for Intel, certainly for UK PC users (USA forums seem to have more genuine Intel fanboys)

Lots of people seem to be reluctant Intel users - they'd switch to AMD if there was performance parity.

+1. I use intel because they are just faster chips. I hate changing socket all the time, but I'll pay for the performance. I'd be more than happy to go AMD if they had a good chip.

Kelt · 5 May 2015 at 12:28

Devrij said:
+1. I use intel because they are just faster chips. I hate changing socket all the time, but I'll pay for the performance. I'd be more than happy to go AMD if they had a good chip.

I think this probably goes for a lot of people, me included.

So called "fanboyism" when it comes to objects is a concept utterly alien and incomprehensible to me.

lude1962 · 5 May 2015 at 12:29

'For example most new intel boards are fitted with limiting features!!!'

..most of their sales go to corporate / office users, IMHO not really worth their while to cater for a few enthusiasts...

Roverno · 5 May 2015 at 12:41

It certainly seems that the 32 Lanes on a 990FX chipset would help with these limitations, however, they are also limited to 2.0 speeds. You only really need 8x on a 3.0 pcie to get most of the performance out of your card. Thats leaves you 8 lanes to use for something else. Obviously running SLI you are going to be limited further but that would also take all of your 32 lanes on a 990x chipset. You don't really gain anything from having twice the number of lanes that run at half the speed.

smsmasters · 5 May 2015 at 12:45

Ace Modder said:
I'm being honest, this is not a troll thread. I've been looking at getting one of the new SM951 SSD's from Samsung, but because I have a Z87X-OC board with 2 waySLI I cannot reap the nice juicy speeds of the SM951 SSD. It is not a trolling thread.

5930K + X99 problem solved

Market demand drives technology advancements.

kaku · 5 May 2015 at 12:55

Seems like an inflammatory thread to me.

I don't love Intel, I love performance.

Aretak · 5 May 2015 at 13:29

I don't love Intel at all, but they were the only realistic choice when I was doing my new build last summer, coming from a Phenom II-based system. I'll switch back to AMD in a heartbeat if Zen is competitive.

Ace Modder · 5 May 2015 at 14:06

Skylake supports only 20 PCI-E 3.0 lanes.
So if you have 16 for GPU, your left with only 4 lanes for SSD etc Why can they not support more lanes as standard, like AMD chipsets, the cost wouldnt be any real difference.

I hope that the new AMD offerings are better, but I fear they won't be.

Martini1991 · 5 May 2015 at 14:09

Ace Modder said:
Prime example is needing a PLX chip enabled motherboard to run PCI-E lanes fully.

Surely this is just a result of Intel limiting things.

Intel has PCI-E 3.0, AMD don't, so the 8x/8x crossfire still has the same bandwidth as an AMD 16/16.

AMD also has no M2 slots.

Limiting things perhaps, but 1150 is a mainstream platform.

MrMD · 5 May 2015 at 14:12

Arnt a lot of the chipset limitiations based around cost to produce and then cost paid by the consumer.

A lot of these features the majority of consumers would never use anyways,leave it to the mobo vendors to add the 'extra's' to higher end boards.Those that need them will pay the extra.

This is the way i see it tbh.

Rroff · 5 May 2015 at 14:14

cheesyboy said:
I'm not sure how much love there really is for Intel, certainly for UK PC users (USA forums seem to have more genuine Intel fanboys)

Lots of people seem to be reluctant Intel users - they'd switch to AMD if there was performance parity.

Thats something I've noticed here - Intel isn't the first choice for a lot of people posting in the CPU section but they are using Intel in their main rigs (often not in secondary systems).

Wouldn't say I'm an Intel fanboy but I've always used Intel for CPUs personally - sometimes the feature set side of it has been a bit of a minefield but I've usually managed to get what I wanted - though often means going for some odd setups i.e. Gigabyte N650SLI-DS4 (good) EVGA 750 F.T.W (bad but the best of a bad bunch) and now the X79 system :S

EDIT: Have to say I'm impressed with their latest Atom chipsets though - the upper end Z37xx and newer are basically Core 2 performance in a 2 watt package - coupled with getting 9 hours battery life out of my Encore with moderate use (i.e. youtube, etc.) its quite something.