Rumors of Microsoft ARM CPUs emerge (mainly for Azure servers, maybe Surface PCs eventually)

[saltycaramel]

Summary

Bloomberg’s sources have revealed Microsoft is working on its own ARM CPUs. The CPU division reports to the head of the Azure business, as these CPUs are supposedly meant for servers. CPUs for Surface PCs are said to be “possible” in the future. 

 

Quotes

Quote

Microsoft Corp. is working on in-house processor designs for use in server computers that run the company’s cloud services, adding to an industrywide effort to reduce reliance on Intel Corp.’s chip technology.

The world’s largest software maker is using Arm Ltd. designs to produce a processor that will be used in its data centers, according to people familiar with the plans. It’s also exploring using another chip that would power some of its Surface line of personal computers. The people asked not to be identified discussing private initiatives. Intel’s stock dropped 6.3% to close at $47.46 in New York, leaving it down 21% this year.

 

The move is a major commitment by Microsoft to supplying itself with the most important piece of the hardware it uses. Cloud-computing rivals such as Amazon.com Inc. are already well down the road with similar efforts. They’ve argued their chips are better suited to some of their needs, bringing cost and performance advantages over off-the-shelf silicon primarily provided by Intel.

 

Microsoft’s efforts are more likely to result in a server chip than one for its Surface devices, though the latter is possible, said one of the people. The company’s chip design unit reports to Jason Zander, head of the Azure cloud business, rather than Panos Panay, who oversees Surface products. Representatives of Microsoft and Arm declined to comment on whether Microsoft is working on server and PC processors.

 

“Because silicon is a foundational building block for technology, we’re continuing to invest in our own capabilities in areas like design, manufacturing and tools, while also fostering and strengthening partnerships with a wide range of chip providers,” Microsoft spokesman Frank Shaw said.

 

My thoughts

In the report MS is said to be using “ARM designs”, as opposed to designing from the ground up original CPUs based on the ARM ISA like companies holding an architectural ARM license (e.g. Apple and Qualcomm). 

Additionally, MS lacks 10+ years of experience in this field that Apple had when they decided to make this kind of move for Macs. We’ll see if something will come out of this for Surface products in the future. Or if, like a number of past MS moves, it will be too little too late and based on a “I’m doing it too, notice me” idea (like rebranding Qualcomm CPUs to “SQ1” and “SQ2” because it was in fashion).

 

Sources

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-18/microsoft-is-designing-its-own-chips-for-servers-surface-pcs

[Arika]

good. more competition all round

[leadeater]

If I were to guess these ARM CPUs are likely going to be used for storage servers and software defined networking purposes within Azure. Also jointly likely would be ARM instances availability, but I suspect Microsoft is chasing more of a cost cutting exercise on their side and moving to ARM for things where it actually does do better than x86.

 

29 minutes ago, saltycaramel said:

We’ll see if something will come out of this for Surface products in the future

That's probably very distant. If they are working on a server design it's not going to be a very good candidate to bring across to mobile devices, but at least they will have a CPU architecture design team and existing experience designing CPUs. However these sort of things tend to be joint ventures with silicon design companies that specialize in this and Microsoft would just be paying for them to do the actual work and they themselves just facilitating the design requirements and later manufacturing contracts etc.

 

I don't actually think Microsoft will be creating a CPU division just yet, if they do I see it happening in the form of acquiring which ever company they are most likely working with right now in the same way Apple did in 2008.

 

Side note: Maybe Microsoft should hire Jim Keller.

[Doobeedoo]

I'm still surprised MS didn't focus more on hardware side like Apple did especially lately. I mean they have XB they have Windows and they own PC space practically, so I'd definitely expect them to go in that direction eventually.

[A51UK]

7 hours ago, Doobeedoo said:

I'm still surprised MS didn't focus more on hardware side like Apple did especially lately. I mean they have XB they have Windows and they own PC space practically, so I'd definitely expect them to go in that direction eventually.

It look at history of computing company, the ones that most focus on hardware and OS like Apple have fail  Apple was luck and look like the only one that survive, that I know of. Some of them was really good computers and I would say better them Mac and IBM base PC. Here one of my favourite  Atari (e.g. Atari ST) , some other are: Amiga,

Commodore Business Machines (CBM),  Sinclair Research, Acorn Computers (BBC Micro) and loads more. 

 

As you can see most company fail due IBM compatible Computers take over everything, by still in on software it made easy for company like Microsoft to survive as there can easy move the OS to ARM or Power or new CPU and does not need to care about hardware sells. 

 

I do not think that Microsoft will make a CPU division but mostly just make a alliance as a joint project with a CPU company, maybe some like AMD or Qualcomm. This would lower the risk and lower the cost to Microsoft as it may not be worth well to build high end CPU just for Microsoft Azures and most likely not want to go full in to hardware. A good example of this is AIM alliance (Apple–IBM–Motorola alliance) Power line of CPU in the 90s. 

 

 

 

[RejZoR]

Microsoft needs to design ARM chip that can run x86 well under Windows environment. Something Apple has done well.

[GoodBytes]

I won't have my hopes up for a anything on the consumer side any time soon. Apple has spent YEARS developing their internal knowledge working on ARM CPUs to make amazing series of SoCs over the years. Microsoft is all new at it. We will probably see AMD ARM CPUs (assuming they choose to make it available outside of server space as well), before Microsoft has anything interesting to show.

 

This is unless they have a special partnership with Qualcomm and have been working on the back, hidden, for years with them to build that expertise more quickly.

 

That is of course, all assuming that they are CPU engineers on site... I haven't heard much news on Microsoft hiring such expertise... so probably it is just another joint partnership Qualcomm chip, like the SQ1 and SQ2 chip where (slightly modified Qualcomm chips).

[kaixax555]

22 hours ago, Doobeedoo said:

I'm still surprised MS didn't focus more on hardware side like Apple did especially lately. I mean they have XB they have Windows and they own PC space practically, so I'd definitely expect them to go in that direction eventually.

Microsoft's biggest source of revenues is their server and data center services, most of the R&D should likely be going towards the server market where they have much of a stronger leverage compared to Apple. I doubt consumer side would see a major change anytime soon.