By: Ricardo B (ricardo.b.delete@this.xxxxx.xx), August 17, 2014 7:01 am
Room: Moderated Discussions
Doug S (foo.delete@this.bar.bar) on August 16, 2014 8:06 pm wrote:
> Intel's server parts always follow later, first the two way server CPUs, then
> the 4+ way server CPUs. They have much longer validation cycles. Following
> the mobile parts by a year is not a "delay", it has always been that way.
The 4+ server CPUs take so long they sometimes skip architectures.
> Broadwell desktop parts are another matter. A year or two ago there were rumors that Intel
> would not offer any socketed Broadwell parts. Everyone became worried that Intel CPUs
> would be soldered into future desktops like they already are in laptops, and it would be
> the end of upgradability, and cause Intel to lose the enthusiast market to AMD.
>
> What if that rumor was true, but true because Intel never planned to make any Broadwell desktop parts? After
> all, what's the point of making them at the end of next year? Shouldn't their next tock hit by then? Maybe
> there never will be any Broadwell desktop parts, but instead they'll sell Skylake desktop parts?
>
> The PC market itself has been shrinking the last few years (there's a recent blip upward probably connected
> with XP replacement, but it won't last) and the desktop market in particular has been shrinking as the PC market
> had already been shifting away from desktops toward laptops, and there's little reason to believe that will
> change. Maybe Intel has reached the point where they don't think it is worth having a new line of desktop CPUs
> every year, and will only sell the "tocks" and not the "ticks" on the desktop in the future? It isn't like
> AMD is going to be able to steal market share from them if they do this, and it'll cut Intel's costs.
I basically agree that Intel may not care to push Broadwell for the desktop market, as the desktop market won't care about Broadwell too much either.
But Intel will want to sell Broadwell based Xeon E3 and I guess they'll offer a few desktop SKUs which share the same production die.
I can see them cut production dies though. Eg, by killing the versions with integrated GPU.
> Intel's server parts always follow later, first the two way server CPUs, then
> the 4+ way server CPUs. They have much longer validation cycles. Following
> the mobile parts by a year is not a "delay", it has always been that way.
The 4+ server CPUs take so long they sometimes skip architectures.
> Broadwell desktop parts are another matter. A year or two ago there were rumors that Intel
> would not offer any socketed Broadwell parts. Everyone became worried that Intel CPUs
> would be soldered into future desktops like they already are in laptops, and it would be
> the end of upgradability, and cause Intel to lose the enthusiast market to AMD.
>
> What if that rumor was true, but true because Intel never planned to make any Broadwell desktop parts? After
> all, what's the point of making them at the end of next year? Shouldn't their next tock hit by then? Maybe
> there never will be any Broadwell desktop parts, but instead they'll sell Skylake desktop parts?
>
> The PC market itself has been shrinking the last few years (there's a recent blip upward probably connected
> with XP replacement, but it won't last) and the desktop market in particular has been shrinking as the PC market
> had already been shifting away from desktops toward laptops, and there's little reason to believe that will
> change. Maybe Intel has reached the point where they don't think it is worth having a new line of desktop CPUs
> every year, and will only sell the "tocks" and not the "ticks" on the desktop in the future? It isn't like
> AMD is going to be able to steal market share from them if they do this, and it'll cut Intel's costs.
I basically agree that Intel may not care to push Broadwell for the desktop market, as the desktop market won't care about Broadwell too much either.
But Intel will want to sell Broadwell based Xeon E3 and I guess they'll offer a few desktop SKUs which share the same production die.
I can see them cut production dies though. Eg, by killing the versions with integrated GPU.
