So, is there any spec info available yet??? Thank you vbetts, hopefully now this thread can get back on track.
Right there sir. You nailed it. And I'm pretty damn sure they don't need to change sockets every time a new series of CPUs hit the market - but there's less profit in that. Which is why people like me only upgrade their hardware every 3~ years.
With CPUs as they stand...most of those with Nehalem/Lynnfield processors could easily hold out until Haswell....and possibly the 14nm refresh depending on how software development advances.
It all come down to how much power is enough for you. I am still rocking a E8600 (Wolfdale) that was released much earlier than Nehalem. At 4.2GHz it is still enough for my 5870. I'll be upgrading to an Ivy Bridge chip with Nvidia's Kepler. And again that should last me two generations, which means I only buy a new rig once every 4 years. Keeps costs low over a time.
My plans vary with component failures. Current plan is to hold out until Haswell....but, if something worthwhile comes along, it'll be considered.
Prediction: once DDR4 comes out, discrete GPUs will start dying off. I mean dual channel ddr4 bandwidth should be enough to satisfy integrated GPUs. or maybe quad channel dddr4 . all of that assumes that ARM doesn't make it into the laptop/desktop space which given that Windows will run on ARM, I find it hard to believe that it will even be that relevant.
Terrible prediction. Memory bandwidth isnt even half the story of a discrete gpu. try putting a GTX 580s core into a cpus die.. aint gonna happen until 2020...
Memory isn't what's holding integrated graphics back....it's lack of capability. You can't have an iGPU with the performance/capability of a discrete card without having massive thermal issues. Until they can get CPU and high-end GPU's both within a 125watt combined TDP....iGPU's will never replaced dedicated graphics cards.
Hmmm....not likely imho....:3eyes: The enthusiast crowd won't like being forced to choose from predetermined CPU/GPU combinations because hey that's what the manufactures decided upon at the time... Also I can see incremental system upgrades becoming a problem with integrated hardware...lol
i disagree with that. on AMD's APUs, overclocking the memory(ddr3) leads to an almost linear performance improvement in games...bandwidth is definitely holding iGPUs back. I mean GDDR5 has what? 4 times the bandwidth? enthusiasts are...special. no way an iGPU will ever match something like a 580. maybe in 10 years if as I said...there's even a point in it considering everything's going mobile.
Does faster RAM require a new notch and slot design? The recent Kingston OC record was at 3,600mhz with 2500mhz modules. Couldn't they just make higher speed modules that fit in the current DDR3 slot, or does it have to do with the memory controller or is it just business? Off topic, but how much does it cost to fabricate RAM? I've always wondered. When I worked at an electronics store, the store only makes a few bucks from them.
Faster memory doesn't require a different design, but the RAM has to be compatible with the memory controller..... DDR3 ram for example isn't just faster than DDR2 the way data is transmitted is slightly different between the two, so new ram won't work with an older memory controller. DDR3 can send/receive more data per pulse compared to DDR2...some crap like that anyway. Don't know the exact details but yeah you get the idea I'm sure...
AMD's iGPU has the performance of a mainstream card, whereas Intel's has the performance of an entry-level card. For overclocking the memory to provide an "almost linear performance improvement", AMD would have to be understating their iGPU.....which would mean at least a mid-range GPU and not a mainstream GPU. So, any sources to prove this "almost linear performance improvement"?
http://pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-C...-Review-Can-AMD-compete-Sandy-Bridge/Memory-S edit: forgot to mention. the current sandy bridge processors have terrible iGPUs so it doesn't help there. hopefully with Ivy Bridge we will see something more similar to AMD's APUs