Neowin.net - PCs to change radically in 2004

PCs to change radically in 2004

Posted by Daniel Fleshbourne on 05 January 2004 - 18:08 · 16 comments & 756 views

IT'S ALL CHANGE on the PC front during 2004, and practically everything that defines a "new" computer is set to change over 12 months, with many happening during the next six months.A few things will stay the same, but mostly on the peripheral front. Let's go through the list. The two CPU manufacturers have some big changes afoot. Intel is about to replace the current socket 478 with socket 775 – and that change should happen in Q2. First we'll see the Prescott 478, then the Prescott 775. AMD will also do the dance of the socket shift, moving from 754 and 940 pin sockets to mostly 939 pin designs. Both companies will change processes from 130nm (nanometres) to 90nm.

In the middle of the year, the memory that current PCs use will also change. The now venerable DDR will begin to fade away, with DDR-II replacing it. With that change comes a new DIMM format, and new motherboards to plug them into. Motherboards will also have a total makeover. Intel is driving this move, and the BTX form factor will come to dominate in no time. That will have better cooling, better power distribution, better mounting, and probably a bunch of things Intel hasn't told us about yet.

With the rise of new mobos will come new power supplies. Current [geddit?!?] power supplies are called ATX, after the ATX mobos they plug into. With the rise of 100+ watt CPUs, higher draw GPUs, lower voltage CPUs, and more sensitive electronics, you need more carefully controlled power, delivered in different ways. That means new power supplies. With a new power supply and motherboard, you will also need a new case. The BTX spec redefines airflow, and how things are placed around the computer, and doing that is hard to accomplish without a new case design. So, shiny new cases for shiny new parts, probably with new kinds of windows, new LED placements, and new cold cathode colors. Be still, my beating heart.

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News source: The Inq

"Over the holiday period, people may have been sending emails to relatives overseas or logging on to websites," said Vanessa Evans, sales and marketing manager at Linx.

"There were probably also many people using Christmas gifts such as internet-based games for the first time."

The Christmas build-up also showed a marked increase in internet traffic. Linx figures showed that, while traffic levels had remained relatively static over the summer months, in November and December it surged.

Of course, not all of the increase can be attributed to people emailing and buying online.

"It partly reflects the increasing amount of automated internet traffic which continues regardless of the holiday," said Evans.

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#1 Posted by Devil Fish on 05 Jan 2004 - 18:14: So current P4's will become obsolete... Marvelous, should be able to pick them up for next to nothing when I upgrade in a few months.

(1 reply) #2 Posted by coolchan on 05 Jan 2004 - 18:29: Thinking about upgrading very soon... bad idea?

#3 Posted by Boogiman on 05 Jan 2004 - 18:51: damn, think it's bad news. That means that i can start op from scratch again.

#4 Posted by longwilli on 05 Jan 2004 - 19:22: not forgeting the intoduction of advanced pci slots, and even SATA II drives cant wait

(1 reply) #5 Posted by xpablo on 05 Jan 2004 - 20:53: The Question I wanna know is how much $$$ is all this gonna co$t ?

(2 replies) #6 Posted by Arcticflare on 05 Jan 2004 - 22:09: I just wish they'd hurry up and revolutionize hard drives. I don't really care about anythng else getting "bigger and better" at this point. I want a drive that will last forever, store huge ammounts of data and be lightning fast.

(1 reply) #7 Posted by mahiles on 05 Jan 2004 - 23:32: So PCI Express is replacing PCI and AGP? Will my PCI cards and my AGP graphics card fit into them? I'm gonna be annoyed if they won't..

#8 Posted by Jstphish on 05 Jan 2004 - 23:57: I don't see how any of the things mentioned will be a radical change to PC's. The BTX motherboard form factor is just a redesign (which was needed anyway) and moving from DDR to DDR-II is expected and really isn't anything radical. The only thing that I see that would be a big change would be the addition of PCI Express, but that has been a much needed thing for a while also.

PC's are just getting faster and better designed. I don't see how anyone could call that a radical change. A radical change would be a quantum computer or the demise of the BIOS (soon to come).

#9 Posted by JazzyJeff on 06 Jan 2004 - 00:27: Sounds like Prescott is coming sometime in the Spring. That'll be a short wait. I'm anxious to see what these CPUs look like with the new socket designs.

#10 Posted by Suddenly_Dead on 06 Jan 2004 - 03:33: Computers always change fast, and everyone always says they're changing faster than ever before. Bah.

#11 Posted by SpicyBeef™ on 06 Jan 2004 - 10:30: Makes me drool. Makes my pocket empty too.

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