Microsoft to buy AMD?! [updated]

[Murdoch]

A change in management will mean AMD has its X86 licence revoked by intel.

 

Microsoft has a huge portfolio of patents. There's no way a licensing deal would not be kept / negotiated. Last thing intel would want to do would be start a patent war with Microsoft.

[marldorthegreat]

Microsoft has a huge portfolio of patents. There's no way a licensing deal would not be kept / negotiated. Last thing intel would want to do would be start a patent war with Microsoft.

Actually yeah. But i cant see this happening at all. Microsoft could have approached amd about the APU for an xbox one slim. Like when 14nm will be available etc.

[Dabombinable]

That seems like a dangerous deal.

I already see a world where windows runs bad on Nvidia

And all the licencing deals would go to shit, Intel needs the x86_64 license...

Runs bad on Nvidia? The amount of problems I've had with various Windows XP and 7 installs regardless of the hardware, its no wonder that Microsoft doesn't want people to use Linux.

[vm'N]

Who will be the next company to consider buying amd? Facebook, google, amazon?

[dalekphalm]

There are several problems with this

1- Nvidia will bitch about AMD possibly having better dx12 optimizations or AMD could have complete exclusivity over DX13 which would be good for nobody

2- Sony will literally be giving money to Microsoft on each ps4 sold

3- NO X86

4- AMD is not profitable

5- What will Microsoft do for AMD?  

6- THIS IS STILL A RUMOUR

Potentially, but it isn't necessarily a recipe for disaster.

1. So? NVIDIA can bitch all they want. AMD already bitches about the "Black Box" GamesWorks. Microsoft wants to sell more copies of Windows and their other software. Any acquisition of AMD would be only to further that goal. Sidelining 75% of the dGPU market does not help that goal.

2. A non-issue. Did you know that Microsoft already makes $20 from every Android Smartphone that is sold, because of Patents that Android uses that Microsoft happens to own? I mean, it would be kind of "lulz irony" funny, but nothing more.

3. No x86-64. Intel needs AMD's x86-64 license more than Microsoft needs AMD. This gives AMD and Microsoft a lot of leverage and negotiating power to ensure the "Status Quo" for cross licensing x86 and x86-64.

4. This is only a good thing for Microsoft. If AMD was profitable, they would be worth a significantly larger amount of money. As it stands, Microsoft would get a shitload of IP and tech for dirt cheap.

5. Money. AMD has the IP, the technology, the skill and knowledge to compete head-to-head with both Intel and NVIDIA. What they lack the most, is cold hard cash. AMD needs deep R&D cash reserves to really push their ideas. Microsoft, being one of the wealthiest companies in the world, could easily provide AMD with much needed cash.

6. True. But then, was anyone taking it as fact? I don't believe so.

 

1- As previously discussed, it's on MS best interests to keep Nvidia on the loop. 

2- Not that big of a deal, it's kind of standard practice i.e. Apple buying CPUS from Samsung up until recently

3- WAT

4- That's kind of the point: MS can get their hands on tons of patents and technology for way less money than what they're really worth by buying a company on a down turn

5- Infuse massive and constant amounts of cash AMD desperately needs.

Agreed.

[Misanthrope]

A change in management will mean AMD has its X86 licence revoked by intel. Shoving money into a project does not make it work, AMD is not profitable because of its reputation, if AMD next week released a GPU that was 2 times better than the titan x, and used half the power people will still buy the titan x because its "nvidia". Microsoft will have to rebrand (HA!) AMD

 

That won't happen since it's a cross licensing agreement, meaning that intel stands to loose patents they actively use as well. They would renegotiate with Microsoft.

[That Norwegian Guy]

As long as this doesn't land Intel or Nvidia with a functional monopoly (RE: x86 concerns) I'm all for a cash injection to AMD. Any company will do, really. Though, I vastly prefer Samsung, since they've been heavily invested in both CPU and GPU before, and have actual hardware engineering credibility.

 

Or maybe I can stab my 3DFX doll a little and have them rise from the grave to do something about this

[marldorthegreat]

As long as this doesn't land Intel or Nvidia with a functional monopoly (RE: x86 concerns) I'm all for a cash injection to AMD. Any company will do, really. Though, I vastly prefer Samsung, since they've been heavily invested in both CPU and GPU before, and have actual hardware engineering credibility.

 

Or maybe I can stab my 3DFX doll a little and have them rise from the grave to do something about this

If samsung buys them, AMD will finally have fabs. But microsoft could buy one.

[Nineshadow]

Jeez, everyone wants to buy AMD.

[vm'N]

If samsung buys them, AMD will finally have fabs. But microsoft could buy one.

I doubt microsoft have any interest in high volume fabrication of high-performance processors.

Not really that cheap. Also you need to keep the volume high to keep down the cost to actually be profitable with it to.

[marldorthegreat]

I doubt microsoft have any interest in high volume fabrication of high-performance processors.

Not really that cheap. Also you need to keep the volume high to keep down the cost to actually be profitable with it to.

But think of the number of processors microsoft will sell? 

[vm'N]

The only thing I can take from all these acquisition rumours, is that a lot of companies are interested in AMDs portfolio rather than AMDs future.

To be honest, AMD have been kind of quite in regards to plans past a half a decade.

[mr moose]

so long as they sack richard huddy and give steve balmer his job.   GAME developers developers developers...

[vm'N]

But think of the number of processors microsoft will sell?

It is not as simple as manufacturing. You need to get in the technology, that is heavily patented by other fabs (intel, samsung, etc..). It is a huge investment, with no actual guarantee to be as profitable to have them fabs elsewhere.

[Flight1sim]

Lol i was in that building yesterday

[Elapo]

Linux is already getting DX12 in the form of Vulkan which will bring gaming up to windows 10 performance.

 

Vulkan is not the same as DX12. It's OpenGL's successor, based on Mantle. It's not compatible and will still require developer support, which is the issue.

[RH00D]

I don't see this happening simply due to how strong the relationship between Microsoft and Intel is. There's really no meaningful reason that Microsoft needs to buy AMD.

[Altecice]

 

 

AMD’s market capitalization right now is $1.81 billion, the software giant may buy AMD relatively easily. In fact, current value of AMD is three times lower than the company paid for ATI Technologies in 2006.

 

WOW.... that really hits home as to how bad AMD are doing right now. 

 

Personally I think it would be a nice thing to happen, Microsoft would get cheaper XBONE's meaning they can push out cheaper units to help console players move to M$. When you think about the $100 per unit M$ have to pay to AMD for every console as royalty you would think that spending $1.2b for all current units sold or just buying the company for like $2.0b and never paying them anything? Yeah I would just buy them.... Not to mention AMD could fire the monkeys that program the drivers and get some real M$ programmers in there.

 

Secondly AMD would get access to the massive R&D budget of M$ and help advance there share in the market albeit under perhaps a new name.

[FakezZ]

A change in management will mean AMD has its X86 licence revoked by intel. Shoving money into a project does not make it work, AMD is not profitable because of its reputation, if AMD next week released a GPU that was 2 times better than the titan x, and used half the power people will still buy the titan x because its "nvidia". Microsoft will have to rebrand (HA!) AMD

The ignorance is strong with this one. People don't buy AMD GPUs that much, because the best one they had available till now was 2 years old, consumed enough electricity to power an african village for a month (j.k. but it did consume a lot of power), performed worse than NVIDIA's same tier card, ran at 95c and the drivers were just not up to par. Nothing to do with brand naming here.

[Dabombinable]

The ignorance is strong with this one. People don't buy AMD GPUs that much, because the best one they had available till now was 2 years old, consumed enough electricity to power an african village for a month (j.k. but it did consume a lot of power), performed worse than NVIDIA's same tier card, ran at 95c and the drivers were just not up to par. Nothing to do with brand naming here.

Those temps were the reference cooler don't forget-and the Nvidia cooler is just as bad with GPU's of the same TDP.

[AlwaysFSX]

This would be awful.

Sorry but awful would be leaving AMD as is to continue peddling their money away in to a furnace.

[FakezZ]

Those temps were the reference cooler don't forget-and the Nvidia cooler is just as bad with GPU's of the same TDP.

For a long time there were only reference versions. Yeah, but NVIDIA's cooler looks badass

[Dabombinable]

For a long time there were only reference versions. Yeah, but NVIDIA's cooler looks badass

Especially the ones used on the Tesla.....I really want one on a reference GTX 970.

[Kherm]

Even I think that's a bad idea. What would happen to To Surface? they use Intel chips a lot. 

[sgloux3470]

Microsoft knows that with software and their little hardware they won't last much longer

Microsoft has more than a little hardware. Phones, tablets, hololens, xbox etc. They also have the most lucrative software in the world.