Many users have the feeling that hardware has become boring: everything is Plug and Play, everything configures itself, and advanced options are conspicuous by their absence. We can't experiment, nor make strange and/or potentially absurd combinations. But there is still hope! On that mystical land called AliExpress, some sellers are offering Intel mobile processors adapted for installation on LGA 1700 motherboards. As expected, Wendell from Level1Techs acquired one of those little monsters, and put it to the test...
Hardware had a wonderful era. A "golden era" in which three or four processor manufacturers shared the same socket, and motherboards offered slots for different types of RAM. Today, none of that exists: while AMD gave us a breather with the AM4 socket (its longevity has been admirable), the truth is that when choosing a platform, we enter a sandbox with its own rules.
However, we still see acts of rebellion, strange hacks, unusual products that defy the status quo. From Erying motherboards to anonymous hardware using Ryzen mobile chips, the potential to blow up the cost/benefit equation is enormous. The latest example? Intel 13th-generation mobile processors adapted for installation on LGA 1700 motherboards, and with overclocking support. What kind of sorcery is this...?
Intel Mobile Processors on LGA 1700 Motherboards
Wendell from the Level1Techs channel explains that the price of these chips (at the time of making the video) was very competitive. Without going too far, an equivalent to the Intel Core i9-13950HX costs less than 300 euros, and we're talking about a chip with 24 cores and 32 threads (8P/16E/32T), reaching a Turbo of 5.5 GHz. Now, why do I say "equivalent"? Because from a technical point of view they are engineering samples, but that's not the only asterisk to consider.
By adding an adapter to the bottom of the processor, this modifies its height, and the user will need to remove the standard bracket from the motherboard to use a special bracket (purchased separately) with the correct dimensions. Wendell also warns that compatibility with four-slot DDR5 boards is very poor, but LGA 1700 motherboards with DDR4 work quite well. The suggestion is to start with one DIMM, configure the BIOS/UEFI, and then install the rest of the memory.
Personally, I love these mutant processors, and at the same time they remind us of the potential Intel wastes with its rigidity. With a bit more flexibility across its SKUs (for example, overclocking no longer being a premium feature), and a longer lifespan for its sockets, the story would be very different.
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