Intel exits the desktop motherboard business to focus on new form factors

[tcsenter]

Most businesses buy Dells and their Foxconn-built Intel mobos.

FTFY

Basically it just looks like own-brand retail and bulk motherboards will be phased-out. e.g. the boxed and 10-pack mobos sold in the channel for system builders. Probably will still produce the OEM boards for larger customers who can order in quantity, most of which are made by Foxconn or other company, anyway.

 

[ShintaiDK]

Laptops also keeps expanding over desktop.

And look how many mobo makers that gave up sofar. Too many people for too few chairs.

 

[blakeatwork]

This started in 2008 (for business class) with Rich Creek 2:

http://www.crn.com/news/channel-pro...ich-creek-2-to-debut-in-laptops-next-week.htm









Still waiting to see what happens for enthusiast and mainstream.

Powered by Intel laptops were strictly for the Channel Partners. The program itself was killed off in 2011 I think, when Intel finally told us that it wasn't working.

 

[ShintaiDK]

After Haswell and Broadwell, mobos are barely anything more than a PCB with a few sockets. VRM and PCH moving on the CPU die/package.

 

[pablo87]

very positive move for...AMD.

 

[RU482]

very positive move for...AMD.

Yeah, lets go get an AMD brand motherboard

 

[Raincity]

If you wanted a stable non OC board with a integrated Intel NIC, Intel was the way to go. Intel was also excellent with their RMA service. Foxcon has been producing the Intel desktop boards for the last five years. Foxcon still followed and maintained Intel high quality control standards for the mainboards produced for Intel. While I was never really a fan of Intel mainboards. They where my choice for every non OC mainboard purchase.

 

[nitromullet]

I think I've almost always considered an Intel board every time, but they always just fell short somewhere. With my latest purchase it was that fact that none of the Intel X79 boards in my price range had enough room between the PEG slots to allow for at least one blank space between two dual slot video cards.

 

[Arachnotronic]

very positive move for...AMD.

No.

 

[cbn]

Powered by Intel laptops were strictly for the Channel Partners. The program itself was killed off in 2011 I think, when Intel finally told us that it wasn't working.

Right now there is something called an Intel B-14 ultrabook. See my Anandtech thread here--> http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2296930

However, I am a little unclear about the extent of Intel's involvement with B-14? (In contrast, Rich Creek 2 and Spring Peak laptops descriptions claim they are completely designed by Intel.)

 

[cbn]

Intel is focusing on ultrabook and smaller handheld, tablet form factors - not the laptop. I just can't see intel investing any amount of time in user upgrade-ability of the ultrabook platform. It isn't really feasible, IMO.

The best we can hope for is RAM and SSD upgradeability.

I would also hope the battery form factor would be standardized (so we could upgrade to packs with higher amp-hour cells down the road) and it would be great to see some type of standardization of the display (so resolution could be changed, if necessary):

(See 4:53 into this video for the ability to change resolutions on the original Rich Creek 2 notebook)

 

[pablo87]

No.

Yes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nature_of_the_Firm

 

[bleucharm28]

I'm not going to miss Intel as a MB manufacturer.

same

 

[tcsenter]

I liked the longer-term BIOS support than the norm you get with others. A typical Intel board will get 10 or more BIOS updates over a period of two or even three years, not just the $200+ enthusiast boards. Particularly since many mainstream Intel boards shared a common BIOS with an OEM board (or was essentially identical to an OEM board), which other MB companies rarely do. So many Intel MB models were getting the benefit of not just the installed base, bug reporting, and subsequent BIOS refinement from retail MB customers but also major OEMs as well (who have more pull and better systems for tracking/identifying bugs).

Also, I've gleaned some useful information from Intel's more comprehensive BIOS release notes that were helpful in identifying a problem or bug in motherboards marketed by other companies who skimp on BIOS change notes. i.e. Intel boards were having the same problem/behavior, which got fixed and provided some ammunition to use when trying to convince another mobo company that the problem was real and needed to be addressed.

Or when another mobo company would try to claim something like "Sorry, there is no newer option ROM from Intel, our BIOS already has the latest" and BAZINGA - you could show them they were wrong by referencing the Intel BIOS change notes that documented newer oprom versions (sometimes two or three newer ones).

 

[Z15CAM]

once they go soldered on CPUs on all motherboards.

My 3rd Platform was an Integrated Cyrix 386DX40 MB and could do Direct Draw one pixel at a time. Don't ask me what I paid for it or the 286SX before that or the Commador 64 before the 286 ;o)

Personally I'm a "Control Freak" when it comes to Electronics and Digital Programming and could never conceive not being in Control - So I will always use a Main Frame to build Lesser Platforms.

Is this Concept Logical Today?

PS: I'm typing this on a 1.8G Socket A Barton that has been running at 2.3G's for the last 10 years on a GA-7N400 Pro2 (rev2) /AGP Radeon HD 2600XT supporting HDMI and presently running Win7 x86 - Great Main Frame PC by the way but somewhat slow by to days standards. Before that I have an Asus P3V4X Slot 1 / Radeon 9800XT still running a 1.3G 100Mhz Taulatin at 136Mhz @ 1.8G's loaded with WinSE (Great Web Surfer and Audio Platform with a SB Audition 2. Doesn't mean I can't do AVC but your back at one Pixel at a time - LOL). My main Fame is presently an ASUS P8Z68V-Pro Gen3 running an i7 2700K anywhere I want somewhere below 5.2+GHz's / an EVGA 280GTX - I'm into Video Encoding - Not gaming.

Here in lies my argument.

It's not about Speed but it's about living up to your Personal Expectations on how much Work you can do in the Background while enjoying Play Time with Anonymity and pushing the Limits of your PC Experience.

I can't about to express my pleasure communicating with all the Wonderful People I've encountered around the World using a PC over the last 30 years.

If you Google me, "Z15CAM or SafeMode", you will note I keep my Anonymity Relatively Minor (ARM).

Is ARM the Future - Possibly Yes - But you if you are a "Control Freak" and require access to a Main Frame you will Loose Anonymity with "PATENTED" System Embedded Designed Profit Gimmick ARM Controllers.

That's my Opinion.