zepontiff

December 02, 2010 at 9:27am

Those new graphics cards with the hydra chips are going to have an almost indefinite lifespan. Or as indefinite as it gets in PC terms.

strangelove9

December 02, 2010 at 7:53am

As I already said elsewhere, this is a bad idea.

This product may be hailed as a technological achievement, but it's actually a step in the wrong direction.

Desktop computers have a wonderful advantage by being modular in design. This allows end-users to swap components at will - if they break, or simply for upgrade.

The integration is a terrible thing - if either one of the components (the NIC or the videocard) ceases to function, people are very likely to jettison the card altogether, even if it's still working for some of its purposes.

Integration is a bad idea - desktops should not try to become more like laptops and all-in-one (*cough* Apple) computers. If anything breaks down, the whole machine is affected.

Separate components are much easier to replace, and their variety of models and prices guarantees a much better consumer experience and a faster turnaround after servicing.