Imagine: The Modular Motherboard

[fragmasterMax]

Imagine if intel/amd stopped using BGA (ball grid array, soldered on) north bridge chips, and designated a socket for the nb, and a "modular mobo" Think of the possibilities!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Since intel controls this, they could standardize all of there nb chips to work with one interchangeable socket!!!!!!!!!
So you bought a 965p back in 06, and now want an x48? no problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the nb chips would cost between 20, and 50 dollars, i expect. This would only be available on the higher end mobo's. What do you guys think?
Could it work? Would intel want it to work? now imagine if you could buy a mobo , install an intel chipset, and cpu, and then purchase a separate chip from nvidia (arround 30 usd) that enables sli!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????
That would solve the whole dispute, it would be win win for consumer, intel, and nvidia.
My next question is this: why haven't hardware manufacturers agreed upon a modular laptop design to lure us enthusiasts into the mobile arena??!!!???!?!? (i'm there, but i'm armed with a toothpick 7400go c'mon now)

[mpilchfamily]

There is a little more then a change in choipsets from one gereation of motehrboard to the next. There are features to the x48 chipset that where not considered or availible when the 965 was made. Support for features that required things on the motherboard to change beond just the chipset. To standardize the chipset to a socket will be limiting the abilities of the board and what the chipsets can offer. The CPU is able to be on a socket because it only comunicates to the chipset. While the CPU's ability to do more inturnaly changes the comunication to the outside stays the same. If we move beyond a 64 bit achetecture then a new socket is needed. Or if Intel brings the memory control onto the CPU then a new socket may be needed. But the chipset is respocible for relaying information to and from everything on the motherboard back and forth to the CPU. If you notice each new generation fo chipset requiers a ne refernce design.

[alex17 GTX]

I think even if it was easy to do, they wouldn't. If this was reality than mobo manufacturers wouldn't sell as many high end boards as today. So it's not very plausable.

[fragmasterMax]

yeah as awesome as it would be, i doubt it would be financially feasible. Still i'd like to think that it's possible, unless anyone has some concrete evidence that it wouldn't.
mpilch family- why would we want anything more than 64bit? isn't that what virtualisation helps with? Amd cpus are 128 bit, then theres cuda which is starting to catch on. Anyway with nehalem and quads with hyper threading would making intels cpus 128 bit help that much? Each motherboard that had this system would have to be very very versatile, and very next gen, which is why it would cost upwards of 300 dollars. As a proof of concept though i think its possible.
Whos first to desolder there 975x with a heat gun and replace it with a p35? :rofl: (just buy one defective mobo.)

[XS Janus]

Just imagine how many connection points could go bad.
It would be beyond funny.
:)

[JayG30]

Am I the only person here who went to school for computer engineering and studied things like IC's, CPU design and optimization, cache design, machine code, etc.? I hope, and suspect, not. This isn't feasible on SO many levels. Actually, thinking back on some history of tech. courses I can remember an idea "somewhat" along your lines of thinking (but actually technically possible). It wouldn't work well with what you are trying to suggest though, just make things more difficult, increase failure rates, etc.

IF it was possible, sure it would be neat, but than you will run into financial hurdles as already mentioned.