Ever since AMD’s AM4 showed how long a socket could last, platform longevity has been a key consideration for PC builders. After all, if you get to keep your motherboard when upgrading your CPU, you save a lot of money and effort. While AMD’s AM4 and AM5 platforms have championed socket longevity, Intel has severely lagged in this regard, a gap that might disappear with Nova Lake. That said, a long-lasting socket is only as good as the motherboard quality. An entry-level or cheap motherboard might become the bottleneck long before the socket gets outdated. You don’t just need CPU compatibility to make a PC last; you also need future-ready connectivity, expansion, and I/O features. And your VRMs might only prove adequate for your existing CPU, nothing more. The socket decides which CPU upgrades are possible, but the motherboard decides which upgrades are viable.