Intel and their constant processor releases

Hey, I just had a question regarding Intel and their chipset road map.

It seems every 6-8 months they are releasing a brand new platform, where as in the past, we could go much longer time between releases. Penryn (SR platform) or whatever the hell they call it is probably releasing early 2008. Gen5 platform is comming out Q2 2008 from what I hear, probably Q3 is more likely.

I bought my first P4 desktop in 2003, and in late 2004 I bought another P4 desktop with the same 3.0 GHz processor. Processor upgrades used to be a huge deal (think PIII to P4), and now it seems that every release has very little to offer in terms of performance boost (the only real difference being 32 bit to 64).

So basically, I am just wondering if anyone has any idea of why Intel decides its better to release a new chip so frequently without adding much in the way of preformance? The only thing I can thing of is higher profit due to constant new release, but they way they used to do it before was just keep releasing the same platform chips but at higher clocks.

I liked it better when the changes to the platform were more distinct and
tangible.

Thoughts? Maybe I just didn't realize it before and the same thing was happening?

 

the core duo was a huge leap beyond the pentium 4. the core 2 duo was a moderate jump, with a reworked architecture that improved performance and brought in 64 bit, like you said.

but now we are in the core 2 duo age. the core 2 duo has been around a while now. merom, santa rosa, penryn... its all core 2 duo.

the pentium 4 had codenames for microupgrades too.. northwood, prescott, etc...

 

its all about $$$$$$$$$$$

 

Didn't there used to be some Law about processor upgrades every 6 months?

 

You're thinking of Moore's Law. The number of transistors on a circuit is supposedly able to double every 18-24 months.

 

Processor upgrades are fine.

What pisses me off is they keep changing the socket. All the Processors since the Dothan are completely compatible electronically but Intel changed the socket so you can't use them in order notebooks. You could technically use a Core 2 Duo in a 915 Chipset but Intel changed the socket.