| Desktop PC Platform: Saved By Overclocking |  |
| Articles - Opinion & Editorials | ||
| Written by Olin Coles | ||
| Friday, 27 August 2010 | ||
Desktop PC Platform: Saved By OverclockingOpinion and Editorial pieces are an efficient means of gathering reader feedback and learning their position on a given topic. For the past few articles of this series, I've concentrated on playing devil's advocate for the demise of desktop PCs. Some say it will live on past the imminent threat of notebook computers, mobile smartphones, and gaming consoles; others think the market has already passed its glory days. Each of my articles posed a narrative perspective describing real-world scenarios that continue to impact this industry. Each topic offered a form of speculative research, which I like to call job security, on the relative health of our hobby. That's right, I called it a hobby. Desktop computers can be bought easy and cheap in OEM flavors of HP, Dell, Acer, Lenovo, Toshiba, Sony, etc. The users who buy a pre-built desktop PC are seldom the same person that visit websites like Benchmark Reviews, and they usually don't get very deep into hardware beyond memory upgrades or the occasional mouse replacement. They're the consumer who browses the web for cake recipes or check email for forwarded jokes. They're also the same users that believe it's bad to shut down the computer after you're done using it. You and I, we're not those people, right? Back in the day they called OEM systems 'IBM clones', and our custom-built computers were referred to as a 'beige box'. We bought our motherboards from one manufacturer, and video card came from another. There was seldom a time when any two internal hardware components originated from the same company, and we would pride ourselves on the supernatural ability to build desktop computers from scratch. Lian Li became the Mercedes of computer cases, and everyone knew ASUS motherboards were good for years of stable service. It didn't matter what we were doing with our piece-meal PCs, it just mattered that we could. Somehow we convinced ourselves that desktop PCs would always be the preferred platform, forever and ever, amen. But if all we ever wanted to do on a computer was browse the web and answer email, these simple tasks could be accomplished using any of the devices I've previously mentioned. Sure, we do all of those things on our desktop PCs, but we also like folding proteins with a powerful GPU/CPU to help find cures to common human diseases, and we really enjoy playing our video games in high-resolution detail on multiple displays. We occasionally still use our desktop computers for work, too. So while there are several reasons why desktop PCs may one day become endangered, there are nearly as many reasons keeping them flourishing in the wild... even if the statistics show otherwise. The desktop enthusiast hardware industry was made popular by knowledgeable members of the community willing to share their overclocking experience with others. Passionate hobbyists aligned with similar goals graciously helped eager learners to tweak hardware components until they performed like the next model in the series, or maybe get a few more frames out of a graphics card to improve video game quality. The PC hardware industry soon caught on, and found a way to substitute their 'next best model' with one that allowed you to do all of the extra work. Motherboards are the perfect example, because now we're seeing hardware components sold as 'OC ready' with an added premium applied to the cost just so you can pay time and money for the possibility of added performance. One of the points made in my Killed By Overclocking article was that pre-tweaked enthusiast products were slowly driving down the number of people who qualify as overclockers. If you followed my logic in that piece, you'd agree that it's our special ability to do the unthinkable with computer hardware should be revered; not something bottled and sold to the highest bidder. Some may disagree, but I still believe that it's our unique ability to tune every last drop of performance out of component hardware that will keep the desktop platform alive. It's not easy watching our hobby get dumbed-down to the point where the push of a button can replace years of trial-and-error experience. At some point, the real overclockers will return to save the desktop platform. It's not going to be easy. Too many people have become comfortable with their push-button overclock, and they've become complacent to the technology changes that were once fascinating to them. I would like to think that just because the front-side bus was replaced with something more complicated it hasn't driven entry-level overclockers away from the hobby, but very few people take the less traveled path of enlightenment. At some point, it's going to become important again to understand how and why a particular technology can be stretched - rather than just doing it because we've been sold the ability. If you're not too weak to stand on your own to feet again, Benchmark Reviews offers several resources to get you started on the road to recovery:
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Comments
Desktop PCs will either continue to flourish or not depending on supply and demand, and profitability, not whether or not 'real' overclockers are doing yeoman work.
First of all, overclockers probably represent under 10% of the overall market, and while they probably represent a larger share of the profits generated by PC parts sales than their market share would indicate (as they buy pricier and more profitable components than average), the tail does not wag the dog.
My prediction would be that we will see the desktop market continue to exist but not flourish as it has the past 20 years. The reasons for this will be the following:
1. Most people prefer mobility, and lightweight tablets and smartphones will continue to increase in market share.
If I could get my desktop power in a box the size of a Blackberry, I'd do it today (If the price was comparable). If the small power module was a closed system, like early Packard Bells, et al., I may or may not. Who wants that huge box sitting in the dining room anyway?
3. The embedding of functionality formerly only seen in desktops into televisions, refrigerators, alarm systems, etc., will also significantly reduce demand. How many people really need an HTPC when their TV can show Netflix-on-demand, photos from SD cards, etc.?
6. Multi-core PCs will reduce the need for multiple PCs to handle multiple tasks - people can have one PC retrieve email while they watch a movie, compose a presentation, and edit a photo, for example.
While in most cased $300 desktop (or $600-700 laptop) will do all the imaginable tasks, the workstation segment still needs extream power.
All of my friends are looking at Netbooks to surf the web from the couch etc - but ALL of them understand the importance of having a "main computer" with at least 2 hard drives etc.
The other proof that desktops will flourish is that more and more people are building their own. Look at the huge growth PC parts shops compared to just 5 years ago. 5 years ago none of my friend did, now several do.
And look at the growth in on line OC/moding sellers - FrozenCPU, PerformancePC, CoolerGuys, PCcaseGear. Compare this to 7 or 8 years ago, and you`ll realise that even the OC community is growing.
As much as our western education systems are being dumbed down by politically correct so#ts brainwashing and feminising boys, there is still a growing number of boys who beat that system to become PC gurus.
The future of the desktop is clear, to me at least, the real enthusiasts will not go anywere. Even if it means we have to buy professional grade hardware to get the performance we need so be it. I'm also glad I'm not the only one who thinks these "easy oc" options are BS, half the fun is in the challenge without that its just an empty victory.