Windows 7: Will Ivy Bridge's Integ. Graphics Ring Death Knell For Discrete GPUs?

Doubt it, integrated graphics are always behind and people who game, do 3D modling and such would benefit from a higher end discrete card. Also with the advancement in 3d technology going so fast they wont be able to keep up,would have to buy a new mobo more often and a higher end video card wold last you longer from getting out dated then a integrated card would which in the first place is already kind of outdated. Another point I would like to add is that the majority of users who don't use discrete cards usually are the more casual users and would probably not want to spend to much and would buy a cheaper board or buy a pc that is already built with lower end integrated video graphics anyways. So my conclusion is I don't see it happening.

All very well presented, However, "the more casual users" as you term them make up around 95% of the PC market. On top of that, sales figures have been sagging for PCs and increasing for more portable units like laptops, notebooks and iWhatevers. Oh sure, there will always be a niche market for mega-graphics but it's pennies to a dollar in the real World.

Yes but casual users the majority don't upgrade parts and just end up buying another whole computer.So the best idea would be to put these new boards into some prebuilt machines and set them out in the market which would accumulate them the most profit from the boards besides just the enthusiast upgrading there mobos for their rigs which is a lot smaller percentage of the market compared to the buyers who just buy a prebuilt.Also agree that the mobile market such as smart phones,laptops and notebooks and ipads and kindles and such have been making more money than selling desktops.

The overall cheapness people are talking about is more a sign of the general economy.
Back when I still had corporate clients before the economy went to crap, many of them often just wanted the best because they could afford it.

I think because this dip has lasted so long people forget that a lot of us used to like buying the nicer stuff as well. ...it does tend to last longer as well.
2005 or before was an entirely different thing than you see now.

Of course if the political scene remains the way it seems to be going.

...we'll be lucky if any of us can afford a loaf of bread much less fancy computer parts before long.

If the casuals really own that huge of a market slice, then how are so many manufacturers able to offer so many different discrete cards? Now I don't know the numbers, so it may be the case that they're being kept afloat by their lower-end-but-still-better-than-integrated stuff. But it still doesn't quite sound right. Would really appreciate it if someone could pitch some figures here.

The magic 8 ball app on my android phone assures me that the outcome is unlikely.

...several times in a row in fact which is rare.

Would it be a crying shame if gamers went entirely to dedicated gaming devices rather than PCs?

Death, where is thy sting?

Considering the next gen console will likely be more like a computer than it is not like a computer.
It's entirely possible. I still like the all in one package.

There will always be a market for the hotrod.
Even if it has some slow years.

Want to see where machines are headed? All you have to do is look at the Windows 8 GUI.

...because reading is hard and clicking on pretty pictures is fun.