The PC hardware industry has reached the last bastion before backlighting. Intel has officially announced a technology patent that integrates micro light-emitting diodes (MicroLEDs) directly into glass-based CPU packages. In the description of the document, engineers directly note that the multicolor diodes could serve as “additional aesthetic elements” or be used to illuminate brand inscriptions and logos on the wafer cover.
At first glance, the idea seems completely ridiculous. In any computer, the processor is tightly enclosed with a giant heat sink, water block, or thermal paste, so no one appreciates the gradient game at all. However, the patent also has a practical side: the built-in LED is described as a tool for optical data transmission, rapid factory rejection of crystals, or diagnostic error indication.