Intel aims to push the idea of ​​modular laptops with interchangeable components

While Intel’s laptop processors now even include models with integrated memory chips, the company still dreams of creating an ecosystem of modular laptops that allow customers to upgrade them after purchase. At least the last two generations of Intel-powered laptops have moved toward that idea.

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At least, that’s what Gokul Subramaniam, vice president of Intel’s client computing group and president of the company’s India operations, has said. For notebook makers, this approach allows them to produce models with different specifications without major design changes.

There is already a laptop manufacturer on the market that has accumulated a decent amount of experience in creating modular solutions — this is the Framewok company. Its laptops allow you to replace ports for connecting peripherals with ones that are more suitable for a specific user. For example, a block with a USB-C port can be replaced with a classic USB-A, if desired, and this can be done without disassembling the laptop in a matter of seconds.

Intel is going to promote a modular approach both at the system level and at the level of the laptop motherboard, and even directly in the components. The company is currently helping partners develop modular solutions for 16- and 14-inch laptops, equipped with two or one cooling module with a fan, respectively. Intel also proposes making the motherboard itself modular, assembled from several parts using connectors or cables. The same M.2 modules have significantly simplified the modernization of the laptop data storage subsystem, as an Intel representative explained.

Another component of laptops that may need to be replaced at the user’s request may be built-in webcams. The needs of laptop users in this area may vary greatly, and the choice of a particular model of a mobile computer in general should not depend on the characteristics of the camera. It is easier to replace the camera with the right one after purchasing the laptop.

However, full standardization of modular notebook design is still a long way off, and is unlikely to be implemented at the industry level even with the support of such an influential player as Intel. Layout limitations and cost issues will hinder the widespread adoption of a modular approach to notebook design.