Arr, Intel’s latest processor be a sight to behold, but be the tech giant sailin' straight into a storm o' failure?
2023-07-19
Arrr, ye scurvy dogs! This LGA1851 CPU socket be a savage blow to all ye landlubbers who be fond o' upgradin' yer PC. 'Tis like a dagger to yer heart, aye!
Intel’s upcoming Arrow Lake processors are generating excitement with their expected 2024 release date and impressive performance leaks. These chips are anticipated to outperform Intel’s previous offerings, such as the Meteor Lake and the underwhelming Raptor Lake refresh. However, there is a significant drawback to these new processors that Intel cannot easily fix.According to leaked information from German tech site Igor’s Lab, the Arrow Lake chips will require a new motherboard socket, the LGA 1851, instead of the current LGA 1700 socket. This means that users who want to upgrade to these new chips will not only need a new motherboard but likely a new CPU cooler as well. Additionally, early LGA 1700 boards have shown to be expensive, adding to the overall cost of upgrading.
This problem is a result of Intel’s own decisions. While Intel has a history of introducing new motherboard socket variations more frequently than its competitor AMD, the introduction of the LGA 1700 socket just a year and a half ago seems excessive. The LGA 1700 socket was designed to support Intel’s 12th-gen Alder Lake chips, which offer support for DDR4 and DDR5 RAM, creating a divide in the current lineup of Intel motherboards.
The new LGA 1851 socket, expected to support Arrow Lake processors, will likely be DDR5-only and provide support for Gen5 SSDs. This advancement will bring Intel up to speed with AMD’s AM5 socket, which already allows dedicated PCIe lanes for the latest SSDs.
Overall, Intel’s decision to introduce a new socket so soon after the LGA 1700 socket may frustrate users who recently invested in Intel CPUs and motherboards. It also makes it challenging to recommend buying a new Intel CPU at the moment, unless there is a significant budget available. Despite this setback, the Arrow Lake chips are expected to offer substantial performance improvements and enhanced integrated graphics capabilities.
In conclusion, while the Arrow Lake processors show promise, Intel’s frequent socket changes can be frustrating for consumers who do not want to upgrade their motherboards and coolers regularly. It remains to be seen how Intel will address this issue in the future.