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AMD Bulldozer Will Bring Socket Shift To PCs

Posted by Soulskill on from the make-sure-to-pick-up-the-socket-bonus dept.

An anonymous reader writes "One of the most dreaded hurdles on the PC upgrade path is the CPU socket. If socket design changes then you'll almost certainly need a new motherboard when you do upgrade. This is an area where AMD has historically been much better than Intel. Intel tends to change sockets with each generation of CPU — currently there are three types out there, LGA 1155 for Sandy Bridge, LGA 1156 for first generation core and LGA 1366 for the performance Core i7 processors. AMD on the other hand has always tried to keep sockets across generations. When it releases its new Bulldozer core desktop processors later this year AMD is having to make a socket shift from the current AM3 socket to a new one called AM3+. This article discusses the change, issues like backwards compatibility and what the industry is doing to prepare for the socket shift."

7 of 219 comments (clear)

  1. Is it necessary? by colinrichardday · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Perhaps you can only maintain backward compatibility so far.

    1. Re:Is it necessary? by stonedcat · · Score: 4, Insightful

      In this economy why would you replace instead of upgrading when it's possible?

      --
      You can't take the sky from me.
  2. I've always had to upgrade my MB by elrous0 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I've built a lot of computers and have never once reused a motherboard. MB cost is trivial and usually comes with improvements--such as a faster FSB/more memory slots, etc. So even if my old MB could accept my new CPU, I would probably still buy one. And since I stopped gaming, I upgrade so rarely now that my old MB almost never supports the new CPU anyway.

    Are there really people out there who upgrade their CPU's so often that this is even an issue?

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    1. Re:I've always had to upgrade my MB by vlm · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Are there really people out there who upgrade their CPU's so often that this is even an issue?

      Since the early 90s my game plan has always been two step upgrades... buy the newest MB with the cheapest slowest CPU available (usually pretty good anyway). Then when the fastest CPU available is cheap (because its pseudo obsolete) I buy that chip and install it on the MB. Over the years I've had plenty of fun... Some boards need to have the BIOS flashed to support the most recent CPUs...

      Looks like the price of AM3 CPUs will be collapsing in the next couple months, so I'll be upgrading the CPU.

      In a couple years or so, lets say late 2012, I'll buy a fancy new "bulldoze" motherboard and the cheapest CPU available for it...

      --
      "Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
    2. Re:I've always had to upgrade my MB by Pentium100 · · Score: 4, Informative

      The worst shift that I remember was AGP to PCIe - you have to buy new video card if you want a new motherboard (or better, buy a new CPU, replace MB, RAM and VGA just to be compatible) and gaming cards are not cheap. At least with ISA/PCI/AGP you could still use the old card while you save the money for a new one. While I have a few AGP video cards laying around, if my PCIe VGA failed, until I repair it or buy a new one, I'd have to use a PCI VGA made in 1995.

  3. A fucking waste by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Agree. Who really cares anyways? Computers are so affordable that buying a whole new set instead of just upgrading only the CPU is normal fare.

    It's a goddamn waste, though. It's sickening to throw out all that electronics, metal, and otherwise pretty good hardware just because someone wants to upgrade or because a component died.

    At least with computers we have some choice. The other day, a pump went out on my pressure washer. Pump: $249. New pressure washer: $259 - WTF! So, I either pay out the ass for a new pump, or chuck out a perfectly good engine, frame, hose, nozzle, etc ...

    OR Norelco electric shaver. New: $40. Replacement blades: $32. WTF!!!

    I tell ya, our consumerist disposable society is really getting out of fucking hand.

    And I'll refrain from the pollution and filling landfills with our disposable products.

    I've stopped buying that shit - No more consumer electronics because it is THE worst offender.

  4. Not all it's cracked up to be by MBGMorden · · Score: 4, Insightful

    AMD's socket's might carry the same numbers, but the sockets don't always work all that readily. Often seems to be the fault of the motherboard maker, but I've had plenty instances where I bought a new chip only to find out that my mobo, though having a socket that is support by the chip, doesn't support chips of that power draw, or made at a certainly transistor size, or just past a certain point in manufacturing.

    In the end, it's less hassle to just replace the board when you replace the chip either way. In my groggy old age (only 29, but I feel pretty old in computer terms :)) I just don't care about overclocking and whatnot anymore, and if you just want a barebones "plug it in and work at stock settings" board you can usually get one for under $50.

    --
    "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain