Why aren't the integrated parts on mobo's socketed???

[DaFinn]

The sound chip on my Asus board stopped working. I got a blue screen in the middle of recording, machine restarted and my sound was gone. I've tried everything, including repair installation of Win XP SP1...
It won't recognize the sound, and everytime some application tries to use sound, I get a blue screen.

Well, the board will be sent back. I just loose my HT P4 3,4Ghz for a week.

I wonder why the "integrated" parts on mobos are not socketed? This way I could just pop out the sound codec and ship it to manufacturer? No hassle of taking the whole ting apart...

 

[JBT]

$

 

[AFB]

$ and thats why its called integrated.

 

[StageLeft]

$$$$

 

[labrat25]

$$ for all those sockets... not to mention (possibly) losing people who would upgrade the chip rather than the entire board

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: labrat25
$$ for all those sockets... not to mention (possibly) losing people who would upgrade the chip rather than the entire board

That, and have a look at various integrated chips. Different sizes, pinouts, etc. Having sockets would mean either standardizing each chip (expensive to develop and stick to, and you'd probably have layout wars, similar to the DVD-R vs DVD+R battles), or else buying proprietary replacements from each manufacturer, which is also expensive.
Yeah, integration is a risk, but we live with it a lot now - integrated L1 and L2 cache in the CPU for example. Heck, even integrated math coprocessors - years ago, some boards would have an extra socket if you wanted to add the math coprocessor. Nowadays, you don't even hear that term, because all CPU's have it in there already. Why? Cheaper.

 

[DaFinn]

I know the $ part, and all forementioned probs. But thats why we have standards. All sound codecs for example could have same footprint (=same socket) and be interchangeable etc. It would also easily enable manufacturers to change board specs. I don't think the plain socket is that expensive! Hel!, ditch the extra pci slots. Just put sockets insteadt.

 

[DaFinn]

 

[Lonyo]

Actually, lots of components ARE pin-for-pin compatible (northbridges and southbridges especially) as it saves on costs.
If a mfr produces a motherboard with a certain feature set, and then a chipset maker updates the southbridge, often they make it compatible so the motherboard doesn't require a redesign, and that saves the mfr money.

But it would be more expensive to put a socket on the board (although possibly not that much more, and QA might be better as faulty chips could be replaced), but who knows? It probably is cheaper to solder them to the board.

 

[AIWGuru]

They do have such a thing. It's called AMR.

 

[AWhackWhiteBoy]

i consider onboard stuff merely backup incase something decent you plug in stops working.

 

[WackyDan]

Originally posted by: Lonyo
Actually, lots of components ARE pin-for-pin compatible (northbridges and southbridges especially) as it saves on costs.
If a mfr produces a motherboard with a certain feature set, and then a chipset maker updates the southbridge, often they make it compatible so the motherboard doesn't require a redesign, and that saves the mfr money.

But it would be more expensive to put a socket on the board (although possibly not that much more, and QA might be better as faulty chips could be replaced), but who knows? It probably is cheaper to solder them to the board.

QA would be worse as now you would be dealing with a pin on pin connection vs solder.

 

[Sideswipe001]

They do use the same socket: It's called PCI.

To me it sounds like you're asking "Why doesn't my onboard sound come in a PCI slot so I can replace it?"

If it was cheaper that way, they would do it that way.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Because you wouldn't buy it. Instead of buying the $250 100-socket mobo you would buy the $125 no-socket one.

You want a socket now, but only because you happen to need it for one part.

 

[Snooper]

1) Cost
2) Reliability (socketed componets are generally MUCH less reliable than soldered parts due to vibration/heat/etc.)
3) The standardization issue
4) Form factor (a socketed chip is always larger than it's soldered cousin these days), so you can make a smaller soldered board
5) Usability: Just how many people would actually be able to upgrade a chip on their motherboard? 1%? Less? Where is the cost savings in that? How many would if they could? Some fraction of that?

Manufacturer's are not going to spend a whole lot of money to design a system that only a tiny fraction of the buys would/could use. It cost too much with no real gain to the company.

 

[AIWGuru]

This reminds me of the 286 days (shivers) Anyone remember CHIP CREEP!~?

 

[suklee]

As if not enough ppl said this already... but its all about the


$$$

 

[suklee]

This reminds me of the 286 days (shivers) Anyone remember CHIP CREEP!~?

Sounds very familiar but I cannot recall. What is it again?

 

[aka1nas]

Isn't it when thermal expansion/contraction would gradually force expansion cards and CPUs and RAM chips out of their slots or sockets?

 

[Special1Sauce]

Too expensive in the Cash! $

 

[AIWGuru]

Originally posted by: aka1nas
Isn't it when thermal expansion/contraction would gradually force expansion cards and CPUs and RAM chips out of their slots or sockets?

Yep. 286 CPUs sufferend from it and the kind of unsoldered components he is talking about it would too.

Anyway, so...the C-media codec on your ASUS board died and you wish your motherboard maker made it possible to replace it without replacing the whole board.

Well, you could pick up a Hercules Mule LT with exactly the same chip on it for $15 and stick it in (gasp) a PCI slot.