Intel has been falling behind ever since they introduced their new socket, processors, chipsets, and an abundance of technologies at the beginning of last year. Even before Intel?s new platform was unveiled, motherboard makers and enthusiasts stated how poor it was to put pins on the motherboard instead of the processor itself. The new technologies, such as DDR2 and PCIe, either performed equally well or lower than expected against their "last-generation" components at higher prices, in many instances. Intel?s Prescott was thermally handicapped, architecturally disabled, and retailed at immense prices.