Your future Intel LGA1954 motherboard could last for several years of CPU releases, rather than just a couple, and that doesn’t just look like a rumour any more. In a recent interview with Club386, we asked Intel’s VP and GM of its enthusiast channel, Robert Hallock, whether he saw a future where Intel sockets support more CPU generations. “I do. That’s it – I do,” was the simple reply.
Intel has previously replaced its sockets on a regular basis, meaning you often need to buy a new motherboard if you want to upgrade your processor. Comparatively, AMD’s AM4 platform lasted through the company’s Zen, Zen+, Zen 2, Zen 3, and first-gen Zen 3 X3D lineups, with AM5 expected to repeat the pattern.
It’s a strategy that’s resulted in criticism of Intel from hardware enthusiasts, especially as its socket LGA1851 socket is expected to only support the company’s Arrow Lake Core Ultra 200S and 200S Plus Arrow Lake Refresh chips, with forthcoming Nova Lake chips apparently moving to the LGA1954 socket. Has Intel heard this feedback?
“One thing I really would like users to understand,” answered Hallock, “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.”
“But 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.”
Leaks about Intel’s forthcoming LGA1954 socket have been circulating for a while now, including rumours that it will support four generations of CPUs, spanning Nova Lake, Razer Lake, Titan Lake, and Hammer Lake. While this level of detail is still very much at the rumour stage, it does look as though Intel’s socket strategy is changing.
Hallock also had a lot to say to us about the company’s new Core Ultra 200S Plus chips, which is all under wraps at the moment, but we’ll share more details in the near future. In the meantime, if you’re looking to upgrade your chip now, check out our guide to buying the best CPU, as well as the best CPU cooler to go with it.
