Intel to Drop Low-end Chipsets

SimilarityEngine writes "Intel is planning to terminate production of its 910GL, 915GL and 915PL chipsets by the end of August, as part of a shift in focus towards higher-spec products, possibly with support for new FSB architectures, multi-core processors and a host of other much-requested features relating to virtualisation and security."

Comments

Now when you say "security"

[Anonymous Coward]

Do you mean "security for the end user" or "security for Microsoft, to keep the end user from doing things which Microsoft does not want them to"?

Re:Now when you say "security"

[TCaM]

They are talking about the former, while thinking about the latter.

Re:Now when you say "security"

[Tackhead]

> Do you mean "security for the end user" or "security for Microsoft, to keep the end user from doing things which Microsoft does not want them to"?

The latter. You are not the customer, and neither Intel nor AMD are the vendors.

Microsoft is the vendor. Intel and AMD are the customers. The guy who actually sits behind the keyboard is the product.

Its all about the Benjies

[BigMFC]

I don't believe that the margins are worthwhile at all on the lower end chipsets. Sis/AMD/VIA provide really stiff competition in that arena... Its a sensible move on Intels part

Re:Its all about the Benjies

[mpapet]

It does seem sensible, -today-.

For tomorrow, are they abandoning the price point?

If they are abandoning the price point because it's not rich enough for them, I think they've planted the seeds for yet another american powerhouse company to fail in 20 years or less.

Unfettered and unwatched competition in the low-end will clobber them one day soon. I don't care how many uptainiums and Pentium M's they've got and how big their lead may be.

A different way of saying it is that Intel needs to know how to make low-cost chips and effectively compete in these low margin high-volume segments. To be lean-and-mean like their competitors in this space is mandatory. Plus, the volume helps their more expensive product remain profitable.

Why doesnt the summary mention...

[imsabbel]

that intels chipset fab are at their limit and they are simply dropping their lowest margin products?
(its even in the article)

Re:Why doesnt the summary mention...

[DigiShaman]

Simple, because Slashdot gains readership through controversy. While a great deal of the subjects posted is warranted for controversy, this issue does not given the obvious as you so mentioned.

Where is the honor and dignity of journalism these days?

Re:When for a general purpose mainboard and chipse

[aztracker1]

Also with things like the memory controller going into the cpu (athlon-64) for performance, things that further separate the cpu from the motherboard, won't have a decent upgrade path, in addition to memory architectures changing nearly as rapidly as cpu architectures, you are just as well off upgrading mb+cpu+ram at the same time, replacing subsets of those, only when one or the other fails, and upgrading the three when upgrading your system.

Doesn't make sense to upgrade your cpu to the new Uber-Pro5 when you are stuck with crappy DOA-533 ram, and the older PCIxtreme-2048 bus for your video.

Reminds me of GM/Ford/Chrysler

[putko]

In the 90s the American carmakers got out of the low-marign car business, and moved with all their gusto to the high margin trucks and SUVs.

This was a disaster, and only now are the chickens coming home to roost. Already Chrysler is history, and we are all just wondering whether Ford or GM will be next to go. And now the Germans, Japanese and Koreans compete with them in the high end -- there is nowhere else to go. I guess cars like the Maybach are even higher margin, but the Americans can't economically build it (nor something like a Lamborghini).

So Intel better be makign some new, super-breakthrough stuff, that the other guys just don't have at all -- or the current high-margin business will become medium and then low-margin; at which point VIA will eat them alive.

Japanese companies understand that you need to keep on making stuff, even low margin stuff, if only to stop the other folks from entering your citatdel and killing you one day. A bit like Cisco making cheapo stuff (Linksys) to keep the wolves at bay. You've got to get through Linksys before you can attack Cisco.

Re:Reminds me of GM/Ford/Chrysler

[guacamole]

I think you're mostly right with the car industry analogy except for this.

Already Chrysler is history, and we are all just wondering whether Ford or GM will be next to go.

Perhaps Chrysler is a history as an independent US corporation but it is not history in its function as the North American branch of Daimler Chrysler after merging (some say being taken over by) with Mercedes Benz. Last year, was the first year Chrysler not only finished in blue ink but they also turned a decent profit. And recently (before the loss making discounts of GM and Ford) they were the only company to gain a significan market share together with some Japanese and Korean rivals. This revival is probably due to introduction of a few new attractive models such as Crysler 300M or Dodge Charger (which surely were designed with the help of their German bosses). This demonstrates that even North American car makers and strive and make profits as long as their design cars that don't suck.

Re:When for a general purpose mainboard and chipse

[DogDude]

Get rid of the "throw-away" atmosphere, and build some dignity in the market that products will keep their value. Only a shithole like China would think of such a bad idea, as buy-once throw-away computer hardware; because China values life of the people as verry cheap and replacable, just like the products they export.

It's not the Chinese throwing away perfectly good computers... it's the US. The Chinese just make what the US demands. By contrast, Chinese culture is such that people tend to use all kinds of things until they fall apart. I don't know where you get the idea that China is a "throw away" economy, and the US isn't.

Hell, I'm thrilled about this announcement, and every hardware "upgrade" announcement. I don't buy into the consumer culture, so all of our PC's come from the local thrift shop (generally $25 for a PC, $100 for a 17" monitor). This just means more stupid Americans throwing away perfectly good machines that I can snap up for peanuts. Schweet!

Could be a good thing,

[ratatask]

This might turn out good, as it hopefully will allow the "high" end chips to be manufactured and sold in bigger quantities.
Which ought to lead to cheaper prices.
More bang for the buck for /us/.

Whatever.

[Council]

possibly with support for new FSB architectures, multi-core processors and a host of other much-requested features relating to virtualisation and security.

I think I speak for the entire Slashdot readership when I say:

We don't care about computers anymore. It was a fad, it's over. Whatever. Let's move on with our lives.

Re:A very large, empty market.

[42Penguins]

If the biggest of one of the only 2 consumer processor manufacturers drops production on low-end processors, who are people going to buy low-end processors from? Most people don't even know who AMD is.

Sorry, but...
They're phasing out chipsets, not processors.
There's still Sis, Via, and all that good stuff in that market.

Intel is Low End

[krakrjak]

Except for the Itanium2 which is sort of a running joke, everything Intel has out there right now is low end. The only great product they have on the market is the Pentium-M. Their Dual-Core is a joke, both in architecture and in heat/power consumption. IF you compare AMD's current products (Opteron x65/70/75 line and the Dual Core 64's) to intel's best offerings, there is no comparison AMD wins hands down in almost all categories. The categories that matter to me there is not a real choice AMD runs away with it.

Also has anyone gotten SLI mode to work for a workstation on an Intel platform? Last time I saw it attempted it couldn't be done reliably, at least not with Nvidia's solution. I wan't my servers to use the least amount of power, put out the least amount of heat, have the smallest footprint possible and have excellent performance. I can balance those with Dual Core Opterons and get something that comes in a great package. IBM/SUN/HP all sell those types of servers and Intel just can't touch them.

...and why doesn't the article mention 945GZ/PL?

[MojoStan]

The CNET article doesn't even mention the upcoming Intel chipsets (945GZ and 945PL) that are supposed to replace the current low-end chipsets that are being phased out, according to a July 12 DigiTimes article:

• 945GZ: GMA 950 graphics w/o PCI Express x16 slot. Replaces 910GL and 915GL. Samples being delivered to motherboard makers in late July. Volume shipments in 4Q05 or 1Q06.
• 945PL: Low-end version of 945P. Replaces 915PL. Samples delivering July or August. Volume shipments in September 2005.

From the CNET News.com article:

The move, expected to take place by the end of August, could delay shipments of low-end PCs from various manufacturers for a couple of months.

Sources close to the chipmaking giant's dealings confirmed reports that Intel would shutter production of its 910GL, 915GL and 915PL chipsets.

Does CNET even know about 945GZ and 945PL? The article seems to be implying that, after the current low-end chipsets are phased out, Intel will exit the low-end chipset business. Are 945GZ and 945PL being cancelled? If not, will supplies of current low-end chipsets run out months before 945GV and 945PL ship in volume?