Report: Apple Looking to AMD for Future Chips

[wintermint]

Ahh.. Apple finally making the right choice I hope they don't fk up by overpricing their AMD products though! (just read title only.. doin hw so yeah don't know context of article T.T)

 

[cruiseoveride]

I guess its time to buy AMD stock

 

[sonofliberty08]

Good News ,
Apple + AMD + ATI , 3A sounds good ,
just like what i like ASUS + AMD + ATI
nvidia should make more chipset for AMD plstform too , like the old days of Atlhon64 ,
intel just skrew them self and hit the wall

 

[anamaniac]

[citation][nom]cruiseoveride[/nom]I guess its time to buy AMD stock[/citation]
Maybe. Screw buying a RRSP, even if it is tax deductible... no wait, still going for the RRSP.

I'm very interested in the fusion platform though. If AMD can make 35W 6 core server chips, why can't they finally make a damned decent mobile chip? Something they neglect far too much.
I would love a 2.5GHz quad core AMD laptop with a 5770m integrated directly beside the CPU.

 

[tacoslave]

Maybe this will lower there prices. Then again it will most likely stay at the same price and just raise their profit margins.

 

[Guest]

It could be huge for AMD, I hope they do. Just think a 6 core Phenom 2, in a mac with a 5800+ gpu for $1000! Theyd sell out!

 

[rrdizon]

"Mac Fusion Pro", sounds good

 

[hakesterman]

I would love nothing more than to see AMD steal the Show...........

 

[waikano]

Apple could also be looking into giving some love to ATI which as you know is owned by AMD. Would be nice to see a decent 5000 series board offered in an Apple.

 

[nicodemus_mm]

[citation][nom]tacoslave[/nom]Maybe this will lower there prices. Then again it will most likely stay at the same price and just raise their profit margins.[/citation]

That was my point as well, though it seems people have more faith in Apple than I do. Maybe if they didn't have a history of such overpriced/underperforming products...

 

[warmon6]

[citation][nom]zybch[/nom]They can't. Nvidia is NOT an American company, intel simply would not be allowed to buy them due to the many licensing issues that would crop up.[/citation]

Looks like someone needs to read up on Nvidia.

 

[Hatecrime69]

I so support this and hope it happens. With intel unwilling to allow nvidia to make intel chipsets for any corei series, apple is forced to do tricks to get acceptable gpu's in their systems (as seen by the latest macbook updates) amd should look pretty inviting about now..simpler issues to handle since amd's integrated gpu's actually have modern features and no need for video card switching tricks unless desired for higher power (like the last macbook 17 inch with nvidia integrated/dedicated..even if it worked poorly in osx)

 

[vaughn2k]

I think Fusion will be the next best thing.

 

[rockinthepe]

not an apple fan (solely because of mp4 file format) but i would love to see AMD & ATI drop knock Intel out of a section of the market.

 

[Parsian]

time to buy AMD shares especially when they are dirt cheap... Been waiting for AMD to rise from ASHES


wait, i think Iceland's volcano has something to do with it

 

[Guest]

While the integer performance of AMD's Fusion chips remains to be seen it's quite likely the integrated graphics will be superior to Intel offerings, which in turn would offer better profit margins for Apple as they would not require a discrete GPU.

Last I checked the rumor were that the top end chip would include a GPU with 480 SPs, which would put it at a performance level above the current Radeon 5670 which uses 400 SPs.

It's still not available but that's significant clout for integrated graphics. Even better, AMD is dedicated to making CrossFireX work with the integrated GPU and a discrete one which is functionality Intel can't offer since they're not in the market of discrete GPUs.

I'd be as surprised as anyone if Apple really does switch to AMD but there are good reasons to support that argument, if you know where to look and Fusion ends up being all we hope it will.

 

[Jarmo]

At the low end AMD could give a solid CPU/GPU/chipset combination, maybe even a custom job which would be something Apple would like. You know, make it a bit more difficult to compare internals side by side.

For now, nvidia chipset with integrated GPU works just fine for the macbook and mini. But core2duo won't be enough after a while. And as Intel still can't cut it in the GPU front, and discrete graphics are undesireable from the size/heat/costs viewpoint, it's natural to look for alternatives.

If Intel were to give chipset licence to nVidia, Apple wouldn't be going this direction, so maybe it's just Apple adding pressure. But with HP and the likes already using AMD for similar reasons, it's unlikely to cause Intel to cave in.

Mid-range, iMacs and such, AMD would have good enough processors right now. And as for a complete package, nVidia really isn't pushing small, cheap, low-wattage GPU's nowadays is it. So if the future GPU's are from AMD, why not grab the whole CPU+GPU+chipset package?

High end, I doubt it. But maybe there's something in the not so public roadmaps we don't know about yet.

 

[Guest]

"If Intel were to give chipset licence to nVidia, Apple wouldn't be going this direction, so maybe it's just Apple adding pressure."

I don't think so, NVIDIA gaining a chipset license at this point would be mostly academic. Apple would still be paying for Intel's integrated graphics, those aren't going away.

This means that any NVIDIA chipset for Intel processors would still be pretty much discrete graphics, as there's no point in doubling functionality.

With AMD chips Apple could get decent performance from the integrated GPU and possibly work out a solution where adding a low/mid-range discrete GPU, as they're apt to do, would allow for running both the integrated and discrete for better performance.

Even if NVIDIA won back their licensing rights they couldn't offer such a package.

 

[fisshy]

Competition Spawns development.

Intel For Life

Apple, Go fall Of a tree

 

[nukemaster]

[citation][nom]tacoslave[/nom]Maybe this will lower there prices. Then again it will most likely stay at the same price and just raise their profit margins.[/citation]
+9999

 

[Dirtman73]

As much as I despise crApple, this would be nothing but positive for AMD. Intel needs a financial kick in the ass.

 

[acadia11]

MOve along here, nothing to see, posturing by Apple to keep Intel in check. Dell did this for years.

 

[kingnoobe]

I really dislike apple, I have nothing against intel though. They make great cpu's people whine about them being overpriced so where amd's when they were top of the food chain it's the way it works. With that said I would still like to see amd get this. As it might get amd back on par with intel. And since I like both amd and intel more competition between the two would greatly benefit me.

 

[tlmck]

The move toward AMD makes sense. The performance difference between Intel and AMD CPUs would be of little consequence to the majority of Apple's customers. After all, they do not spend their time running benchmarks for bragging rights.

I have been using computers for 30 years now, and AMD CPUs since their inception. With a couple of Cyrix CPUs and only an occasional Intel CPU thrown in here and there, I don't think I have missed much. Besides, all the money I have saved using AMD over the years has come in handy elsewhere.

 

[Guest]

This may not have anything to do with an AMD based product line. Didn't AMD lose a fab facility not long ago? And didn't Apple buy one?