In the last few years, it really seems like increased competition in the CPU market has caught up to Intel. Not only has Team Blue been suffering from Raptor Lake PR issues, a lacklustre launch of the Intel Core Ultra line, but AMD has been firing on all cylinders and gaining a lot of momentum that has seen them take strides in the CPU for gaming market - at least as far as Steam Hardware Survey results and public opinion are concerned.
Intel now seems to be revitalised and refreshed to meet AMD's challenges though - and I'm not just talking about the brand's recent announcement of its refreshed Core Ultra Plus processors. In a recent interview with Club386, Intel's VP and GM of its enthusiast channel, Robert Hallock, said the thing I've personally been waiting to hear for years.
When asked if Intel might support its motherboard sockets for longer, and if he saw that as a possibility, he said: "I do. That’s it – I do".
"One thing I really would like users to understand," he added, "is that I, my team, we are ourselves, first and foremost, PC builders and enthusiasts. Every single one of us has built their own PC, games on that PC. That was not always the case at Intel.”
This could be huge; for Intel, for gamers and PC builders, and the implications could be huge for AMD and the CPU market at large. One of the biggest reasons, in my opinion, that AMD has been sweeping up some of Intel's market share in recent years is that it's much better at offering people a long-term investment.
AMD will release a new CPU socket and continue to support it with new generations of processors for years and years at a time. Conversely, a CPU generation for Intel has typically only lasted one or two waves of new releases.
Looking for a new Intel CPU right this minute? We like the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K, although you might want to wait and see how the refreshed version improves your performance for a very similar amount of money.
If you're not up on your building processes for the best gaming PCs, let me put that in context. A new CPU socket means a new motherboard, which also means a new CPU. If Intel isn't giving you new CPUs for the socket you've already invested in, that means even more money spent to upgrade your rig - and with a new motherboard, that essentially means building a new one, not upgrading your current one. That's not ideal when one of the big draws of PC gaming is that you're supposed to have fewer console generation-style new platform purchases.
It's very much felt like Intel has been letting the business side of things and the need for increasing revenue take priority over offering people futureproofing and value for money. Not to mention that until recent years, AMD hasn't been that big of a competitor to Intel in the CPU market.
Last year, I reported that AMD represented over 40% of CPUs in the Steam Hardware Survey - and that was a big deal at the time. In reality, that being a big milestone for AMD shows just how much of a lead Team Blue has enjoyed, and with no serious competition until now, it's been able to control when people buy a new motherboard and CPU.
Meanwhile, AMD has supported its 2016 socket until very, very recently, and its 2022 socket is still being supported, outliving the Raptor Lake platform it was originally squared up against.
It seems like Intel is realizing this particular strategy is now working against them, as Hallock said: "There is a new product management team; there is a new business team; there is a new marketing team; there is a new engineering team for these gaming CPUs.
"And we are not ignorant of the feedback that comes in about our products. We watch it very closely… some of that feedback we can act on in a six-month time span, a year-long time span, a three-year time span. But we are listening, and that feedback matters quite a lot. It absolutely influences how we think about our products and our roadmap.”
Things certainly seem to be looking up already. I've certainly felt a difference in the way Intel is communicating with us gamers. In all of its recent announcements, things felt very tilted toward gamers, and I haven't heard any mention of AI at all, which is super refreshing. But even so, with the underwhelming launch of the LGA 1851 products, I didn't necessarily expect to see the Arrow Lake refresh actually happen. Especially because rumors have already been swirling around what Intel is moving on to thereafter, the LGA 1954 socket.
There have been a few whispers, as referenced by Club386, that the upcoming Nova Lake, Razer Lake, Titan, and Hammer Lake launches from Intel will all launch on that platform - which could be a massive way to show PC builders that Intel understands the need for longevity. Admittedly, that would be a huge departure from Intel's strategy, and it may dissuade people from investing in the LGA1854 platform for now.
Then again, it would match up with what Hallock is saying. I'd personally love to see Intel giving AMD a long-term battle instead of constantly shifting the playing field, but only time will tell.
For more on PC building, check the best RAM for gaming, the best DDR5 RAM deals, and the best graphics card.
