ARM Enjoys Provoking Intel: We Lead the SoC Race

[Guest]

Is this like teasing a sleeping giant?

ARM Enjoys Provoking Intel: We Lead the SoC Race : Read more

 

[wintermint]

Hey this works for me.. provocation leads to retaliation (with better products hopefully) and more SoC = better tech, better price-performance ratio, and CONSUMERS WIN

 

[surda]

you are a fool if you underestimate intel

 

[phatboe]

Hey this works for me.. provocation leads to retaliation (with better products hopefully) and more SoC = better tech, better price-performance ratio, and CONSUMERS WIN

agreed, I say let the fight begin. I'll sit back and watch while eating popcorn.

 

[boiler1990]

Considering TSMC is having issues fabbing 28nm, and Intel has 22nm FinFETs (just not in their SoCs), these are some pretty bold claims.

I think ARM will eventually be hit where they aren't expecting it, since Intel tends to not leak information. I would expect them to develop a 22nm SoC that can oust the next generation ARM SoC, but more importantly it will cost less because Intel doesn't have to contract out its fabrication like ARM has to do with TSMC. In the end, Intel will most likely win the price battle, and as we know that is what buys you a seat at the poker table.

 

[Chainzsaw]

Wait a second, isn't Intel one of ARM's biggeset customers?

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-arm-cpu-processor-chips,15923.html

It's almost like the relationship between Apple and Microsoft.

 

[Cazalan]

It's clear Intel underestimated the explosion of the smart phone/tablet market.

They have corrected course though and the big guns are lining up for 14nm domination.

 

[cbfelterbush]

The 14nm will be the turning point, Intel is pouring billions into its own 14nm fab. When they are both ready to market Intel will be able to deliver of their own volition. Arm will still have to rely on TSMC.

-CB

 

[superp]

ARM really meant it. They wants to see what Intel could have been hiding...or withholding. Well they are going to get it, and some. Lets hope everyone is prepared what's coming.

 

[jcaulley_74]

I seem to remember AMD riding this same high and mighty horse back in the old Athlon days right up through the x64/IA64 debate...probably going to come to the same end with this one. Intel should never be taken lightly.

 

[jwcalla]

I don't think Intel's primary challenge is technical... it's just that ARM has become established in the industry. Android and WinRT probably aren't much of an issue, but moving the iOS ecosystem over to x86 would seem to be rather disruptive... and for what gain?

And it's not Intel vs. ARM... Apple, Samsung, Qualcomm, TI, etc. are all making their own SoCs. Some are straight-up ARM designs, but not all.

 

[JeTJL]

Things are only going to get more interesting, especially since AMD recently bough a license to use the Arm architecture as well as planning on some low poered x86 cpus . ARM vs x86-64.

 

[Aussie_Bear]

[citation][nom]JeTJL[/nom]Things are only going to get more interesting, especially since AMD recently bough a license to use the Arm architecture as well as planning on some low poered x86 cpus . ARM vs x86-64.[/citation]

I think you've mis-interpret that situation.

The ARM licensing is mainly to use the security architecture, as AMD doesn't have their own in-house solution. ie: ARM has TrustZone technology and AMD has licensed the lowest power model: Cortex A5; in order to use it. AMD will incorporate the chip as a security solution for their 2013 processor lines.

According to ARM's own website, TrustZone is used for...

Application Examples

• Secured PIN entry for enhanced user authentication in mobile payments & banking
• Anti-malware that is protected from software attack
• Digital Right Management
• Software license management
• Loyalty-based applications
• Access control of cloud-based documents
• e-Ticketing Mobile TV

As for the comments made by ARM CEO (Warren East), my personal approach is to not say anything and focus on my own business's weaknesses. I find taunting/provoking the competition is a waste of time, and it motivates them to do better. You want to motivate your own people, not theirs!

 

[Pinhedd]

Intel didn't become a 120+ billion dollar company by sitting on their hands. There's a reason David and Goliath is only a myth

 

[sixdegree]

Instead of making useless remarks, how about ARM starts making x86 chip? x86 architecture is in dire need of competition and judging from his overconfidence, East could do some real damage to Intel's market share and chip price.

 

[rantoc]

AMD did this misstake when they had athlon, i have a feeling the next company to underestimate Intel begins with an A as well!

 

[SteelCity1981]

what's that saying "don't poke an agry bear with a stick" That's exactly what ARM is doing to intel. sooner or later the angry bear ie intel will have enough of ARM poking at them with a stick and fight back.

 

[SteelCity1981]

[citation][nom]Zingam[/nom]Yep, they've beaten NVIDIA/AMD in the GPU race, so why not beat ARM in their fields of expertise too!!!BTW... ARM at 65nm is doing what Intel cannot at 32nm. It's everywhere[/citation]

You're taling about GPU's Intel, intel has enough money and resoruces to compete with AMD and Nvidia if they wanted to on the GPU side but they choose to focus a lot of their time and effort on their cpu's and there is no doubt the intel could crush ARM head to head in the CPU side.

 

[teodoreh]

[citation][nom]Zingam[/nom]Yep, they've beaten NVIDIA/AMD in the GPU race, so why not beat ARM in their fields of expertise too!!!BTW... ARM at 65nm is doing what Intel cannot at 32nm. It's everywhere[/citation]

lol, I just thought the very same thing. After decades on the VGA segment, and after spending $1b on buying technology from NVidia, they *STILL* can't produce a single decent GPU. It's sad and funny at the same time!

 

[teodoreh]

Btw, I am not sure who is poking who. I mean, if an ARM Quad core processor who is running Windows 8 has power equal to an Phenom II X6, then it may be a sad sad story for both AMD and Intel, 'cause their processors cost $100+ while ARM costs at least half of that. No more super-profits for intel (and those super-profits fund their research&buy department)..

 

[ewood]

[citation][nom]teodoreh[/nom]Btw, I am not sure who is poking who. I mean, if an ARM Quad core processor who is running Windows 8 has power equal to an Phenom II X6, then it may be a sad sad story for both AMD and Intel, 'cause their processors cost $100+ while ARM costs at least half of that. No more super-profits for intel (and those super-profits fund their research&buy department)..[/citation]
where did you see an arm quad core running widows 8 and had equal power to a phenomII x6? surfing the web? watching youtube? was that same system applying filters in photoshop or rendering frames in bender? While it may have appeared as fast there is no way a quad core ARM processor will keep up with a phenom II in tasks that actually stress the processor.

 

[NightLight]

a little competition is good for consumers. arm should enjoy it while it lasts, because intel will eventually catch up, and, perhaps overtake.

 

[ojas]

[citation][nom]Zingam[/nom]Oh, yeah... they wanted it back, they worked years on it, spent lots of cache and they couldn't do it. Then they decided not to focus on it.You maybe know that time is money. And NVIDIA and AMD and even PowerVR are ages ahead of Intel. That time cost billions worth of research and experience.[/citation]
Hmmm. But i ask you, why couldn't Intel simply use PowerVR's GPUs in their own SoCs? Though i believe the 22-nm SoCs will have an intel GPU.

 

[freggo]

Just keep poking the sleeping dog

 

[fazers_on_stun]

Intel is dinosaur laying dinosaur eggs. ARM is a mammal. Guess who's gonna win the evolution race!

Geez - what an astute, fact-filled, illuminating post.. Not!

ARM claims they will have 20nm designs ready to go at the end of next year, but given the problems both TSMC and GF have had with 28nm, my guess would be more like 2014:

TSMC still struggling with 28nm, Qualcomm and Nvidia threaten to jump ship

TSMC, the world’s largest semiconductor foundry, has issued a warning about continuing lackluster performance of its 28-nanometer process. In recent weeks, Nvidia has threatened to leave TSMC, and Qualcomm has reportedly begun diversifying, shifting some its business from TSMC to GloFo.

Speaking to Focus Taiwan, the chairman of TSMC said the company will yet again fail to meet demand in the third and fourth quarters of 2012, with 2013 being pegged as the soonest date that its 28nm process will be able to keep up with demand. Jiving with TSMC’s announcement, though with a slightly more optimistic and PR-friendly twist, Qualcomm’s CEO says that it is working with TSMC and other foundries in an attempt to satisfy the supply of 28nm Snapdragon S4 SoCs by the end of the year. Following our March report that Nvidia was unhappy with TSMC, it’s reported that the company then threatened to jump ship, resulting in TSMC granting it priority over Qualcomm and AMD’s 28nm chips.

Qualcomm even discussed the possibility of working with other foundries to improve Snapdragon S4 supply — and rumors suggest that it has indeed begun working with GlobalFoundries. Taping out designs with new foundries takes time, though, and considering both Samsung and GlobalFoundries seem to be having similar issues at 28nm (remember, AMD canned its GloFo 28nm APUs and moved to TSMC), this won’t be a quick fix for Qualcomm. If Qualcomm did tape out a design with GloFo, though, the good news — thanks to an agreement made last year to sync up their 28nm processes — is that it should be able to then use the same design with Samsung.

In short, with its 22nm Ivy Bridge parts, it now looks like Intel might have extended its technology lead to almost three years. It will be 2014 at the earliest before TSMC debuts its 20nm process, and I would be surprised if it’s 2015 before we see real, mass-market production. It’s too early to say, but Intel’s roadmap says it will be at 10nm by 2015 — two full process nodes ahead of TSMC, GloFo, and Samsung.

With 32nm Medfield on the market, 22nm Merrifield (Silvermont) due next year, and 14nm Airmont chips in 2014, ARM Holdings and its partners must be a little nervous. AMD and Nvidia are probably safe on the graphics front for now, though the process advantage will definitely allow Intel to close the gap. Where this leaves AMD on the x86 CPU side of things, who knows. Kalveri (Trinity’s true successor) had better be darn good.