Desktop PC: Intel Says the End is Near
Back on August 2010, I made a prediction: desktop PCs have an expiration date, and that time may not be far off. I followed-up that article with several more editorials, arguing on both sides of the position that enthusiast desktop PCs would be killed by unnecessary overclocking products, but might later possibly be saved by enthusiast-level overclocking products.
Intel's launch of Sandy Bridge processors around January 2011 really put a chill in the air, which made it tough for heatsink manufacturers to turn a profit. With no money involved, the aftermarket cooling industry evaporated and only a few major players with other cross-platform products would survive. I would later publish The State of Intel Desktop Motherboards, and in that article written two years ago I predicted key points that would prove themselves essential for Intel to sustain desktop motherboard development:
Source: Intel Public Relations notice
What this means to consumers is that desktop PC enthusiasts will still have options, but only as many as vendors such as ASUS, GIGABYTE, and MSI can afford to produce. Since sales of desktop PC hardware are so low, there's very little profit to be made and these vendors may follow Intel's lead by making a complete exit.
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21750&Itemid=8
