[james_8970]

Anyone else crying foul?!
James

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Only makes sense.

AMD is number 2 to Intel.
ATI is number 2 to nVidia.

Combine them and make a couple "also rans" into a powerhouse. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

[admin]

Only makes sense.

AMD is number 2 to Intel.
ATI is number 2 to nVidia.

Combine them and make a couple "also rans" into a powerhouse. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

[warriorscot]

The difference between ATI and Nvidia isnt as big as AMD intel gap although ATI isnt as big in the area of mobo manufacture than Nvidia is. Its a pretty good thing AMD and ATI have shared alot of R&D work in the past and ATI has alot of good connections with builders and software companies that AMD has always seemed to lack.

Some seem to be going on about the AMD-Nvidia partnership but there never was one, AMD isnt like intel they arent as picky with who makes mobo chipsets for them they pretty much let anyone do it and it just happened to be they made the best ones there wasnt any particular partnership with them as AMD is a really open company with who it works with.

Intel just cancelled there contract with ATI for chipsets.

[Pi rules]

There have been rumors for a little while about this, but I was still surprised to see it actually happen. How can/will Intel respond to this?

Intel just cancelled there contract with ATI for chipsets.

Thanks, I was wondering that.

[admin]

From what I've been reading, this merger is really about the integration of the GPU onto the CPU die. Intel has been working on this internally for some time, but it's still 2-3 years away. AMD doesn't have the resources, or the time to develop it's own graphics R&D team, so they bought one.

As CPU's get a dozen or more cores on them in the future, it only makes sense to integrate the GPU(s). There are tradeoffs in having the GPU(s) on die, but it's sure to be MUCH cheaper than a stand-alone graphics card(s).

In the short term it will likely mean ATI is more competetive as they utilize the fabs, expertise and economies of scale of AMD. However, AMD is unlikely to want to crush nVidia, they'll both be around for a while.

[warriorscot]

Your right about the putting the GPU on the CPU die by the looks of it this led from the ATI-AMD research partenership on just that thing they have been working on it together for a few years and seem to have seen things in each company that could benefit the other ATI is alot more technology driven and have great connections in the R&D world but often seem to forget they have to sell there stuff eventually which seems the biggest strength AMD will bring.


From what im reading they are going two main routes in ther R&D one to fully integrate GPU and CPU and the other to have a seperate GPU in its own socket and just using the PCI-E lanes to hold the memory which is a great idea if you ask me, would let you have a more powerful GPU(better cooling in a permanent socket) and would let you upgrade GPU independantly from memory so you could switch your 256Mb of DDR3 for example for a gig of ddr4 as easy as you swap out system memory now. It sounds pretty cool, i dont think the CPU-GPU integration will happen as fast i think the seperate GPU socket on the mainboard we are more likely to see as its easier to implement.

I dont see Nvidia going away mind you with the AMD resources ATI could probably take them as ATI was only really lacking resources and marketing power which they have now, i still think there will be nforce boards but hopefully the ATI boards should be alot better now that would give consumers better choice and lower prices.

[sarahw]

I havn't seen any ATI boards, (only breif glances while surfing).
Do ATI make any Intel chipset's?
If so, would they continue to make them after this merger?

Edited by sarahw, 25 July 2006 - 10:42 AM.

[stettybet0]

Intel just cancelled there contract with ATI for chipsets.

[sarahw]

Yep, that's what it says....
(I read that yesterday, just didn't click to me today. )

[warriorscot]

I think it was mostly a deal to put the ATI integrated gfx solutions in most boards as its superior to the intel technology and i daresay they liscened some ATI technologies for there motherboards.