Intel pitches modular PCs to cut e-waste, ease repairs

PCs are already modular.

But if Intel actually wants to make it better they'd:

• stop changing sockets every generation or two (AMD still supports AM4 with CPUs they're selling right now, and seemingly only change socket when a new RAM standard comes out). To make matters worse, whenever Intel does use the same socket across multiple generations, it's only generations where there's a minor performance bump (or a performance regression)

• Refuse to certify non-standard OEM motherboards

Intel invents... The PC?

It might help if some manufacturer didn't invent a new socket form factor every bloody year.

Throw that very innovative concept to laptops and call back.

Any pc enthusiast already knows a desktop is, by definition, modular. Unless we're speaking of making components on the motherboards uogradeable and seriously boosting hability for end-users to self repair components, this is not something ground-breaking.

Arent PCs already modular? And if they are talking about board level modularity, like changing mainboard components, cant everyone with a pinecil already do that?

PCs are already modular though, and have been for basically the entire time people have used the term, unless you buy them from a vendor like Dell or HP. This article isn't about Intel creating some new universal standard, it's about Intel creating yet another competing standard (that they control) so they can get in on the vendor lock-in party.

Reduce e-waste? I might believe that from AMD, but it sounds disingenuous given Intel's history of making incompatible interfaces for no reason (that 3rd world circuit benders can make interoperate).

people are commenting that pcs are already modular but reading it I think its looking to throwback a bit further. Computers used to have a passive backplane design and you would put in a compute card with the processor and a memory card the way you do a graphics card or audio card. Much of that went away because they needed interconnects with larger throughput and isa was just to small. Given where pcie is at this point I can see going back. Its something I sorta wanted in the early aughts back when you had boards with isa, pci, and vesa slots. It was kinda a mess but we still had some old stuff and it was like. Wow that is so much more neat and tidy.

As everyone in the comments is saying, PCs are obviously modular already, but it’s not exactly something the average person is going to do. Maybe they can make it simpler and more accessible so it’s more like swapping the keyboard.