Qualcomm enters server CPU market with 24-core ARM chip

[patrickjp93]

There's the issue with Nvidia purchasing AMD's CPU business or anyone else: that breaks a pretty significant cross licensing deal between AMD and intel.

Intel would be the one without x86_64, so if Nvidia could turn a new set of competitive chips over in less than a year, that would leave Intel screwed. On the other hand, Intel could try to push forward x86_64_2 and help convert the markets and infrastructure in time. It's a tossup how that particular scenario could play out, but I'd bet on Intel having to get x86_64 back from Nvidia.

[MageTank]

There's the issue with Nvidia purchasing AMD's CPU business or anyone else: that breaks a pretty significant cross licensing deal between AMD and intel.

I'd bet any amount of money that they would just renegotiate. It would be a major headache for everyone involved to move on without each other. It would save time and money just to strike up a new deal and go on their merry ways.

[dom1310df]

i'd be fine with qualcomm moving into the desktop market for average and power consumers. intel needs some competition. 

i hope they eventually move to consumer markets that aren't smartphones and tablets. 

Especially for linux, which can run on many different architechtures, a competitor for x86 on the desktop is a good thing.

[Misanthrope]

Intel would be the one without x86_64, so if Nvidia could turn a new set of competitive chips over in less than a year, that would leave Intel screwed. On the other hand, Intel could try to push forward x86_64_2 and help convert the markets and infrastructure in time. It's a tossup how that particular scenario could play out, but I'd bet on Intel having to get x86_64 back from Nvidia.

 

What happens if intel themselves pick up AMD though? They've shown some moderate interest asking for mantle and such and provided it can get pass antitrust issues it would make em stronger and able to more aggressively take on Samsung for the mobile market

[patrickjp93]

What happens if intel themselves pick up AMD though? They've shown some moderate interest asking for mantle and such and provided it can get pass antitrust issues it would make em stronger and able to more aggressively take on Samsung for the mobile market

Intel would pick up Radeon, but the FTC would never allow Intel to acquire AMD's CPU division. Intel is already a virtual monopoly, and it has gained that status through honest competition (for the most part post-Paul Otellini), but buying your way to a monopoly is still illegal in the U.S.. 

 

Plus I think Intel's more interested in buying Rock Chip or Mediatek for the mobile market approach.

[Misanthrope]

Intel would pick up Radeon, but the FTC would never allow Intel to acquire AMD's CPU division. Intel is already a virtual monopoly, and it has gained that status through honest competition (for the most part post-Paul Otellini), but buying your way to a monopoly is still illegal in the U.S.. 

 

Plus I think Intel's more interested in buying Rock Chip or Mediatek for the mobile market approach.

 

Although....if they pick up Radeon they could also pick up some sort of deal for extended licensing of x86 64 so that AMD can then sell their processor business to Nvidia like you suggested without the issue of breaking the cross licensing deals i.e. "Instead of x Billion we'll give you a discount but throw in exclusive/extended/whatever rights to x86_64 or even the patent itself"

 

Is not completely out of the question i.e. Google buying out Motorola for their patents.

[patrickjp93]

Although....if they pick up Radeon they could also pick up some sort of deal for extended licensing of x86 64 so that AMD can then sell their processor business to Nvidia like you suggested without the issue of breaking the cross licensing deals i.e. "Instead of x Billion we'll give you a discount but throw in exclusive/extended/whatever rights to x86_64 or even the patent itself"

 

Is not completely out of the question i.e. Google buying out Motorola for their patents.

Would be interesting, but I get the feeling Kirzanich would rather try to leverage what he can out of Nvidia than take a haircut on AMD. Intel can make more money long term with Nvidia in a less than optimal position, but that move could also backfire since Intel really needs x86_64 more than Nvidia needs the older 32-bit stuff in this era.

[pixeldensity]

its funny how every cpu or gpu news thread, even if it is about qualcomm, always turn into "if amd should get bought by both Intel and Nvidia" and it is always the same points being made over and over again.  Don't you think if someone wanted to buy amd, they would done it by now? There's really no use debating about it since it always the same points being made over and over again. The way i see it is that when it happens, it happens.

[patrickjp93]

Seriously though, a 24-core ARM chip more than triple the size of an 18-core Haswell E7 Xeon? WTF is Qualcomm thinking? Or is this a secret shot of the new 28-core Skylake E7 Xeons that are getting their own shared socket with the Knight's Landing designs?

[ManWithBeard1990]

Seriously though, a 24-core ARM chip more than triple the size of an 18-core Haswell E7 Xeon? WTF is Qualcomm thinking? Or is this a secret shot of the new 28-core Skylake E7 Xeons that are getting their own shared socket with the Knight's Landing designs?

The package looks quite big (or the man holding it has quite small hands) but that doesn't have to mean the die is. Maybe it just has a lot pf PCIe lanes and needs that many pins. The whole idea is you need a lot less transistors for a halfway decent ARM core than you do for a full-blown x86 with all the bells and whistles they have nowadays, so you can have a lot more of them without needing a huge piece of silicon.

[patrickjp93]

The package looks quite big (or the man holding it has quite small hands) but that doesn't have to mean the die is. Maybe it just has a lot pf PCIe lanes and needs that many pins. The whole idea is you need a lot less transistors for a halfway decent ARM core than you do for a full-blown x86 with all the bells and whistles they have nowadays, so you can have a lot more of them without needing a huge piece of silicon.

Who the faq told you that? Haswell quad = 1.4bn, A8 = 1.1bn.

[ManWithBeard1990]

Who the faq told you that? Haswell quad = 1.4bn, A8 = 1.1bn.

You're right, actually... Something doesn't add up here.

That said, the ARMv6 core in an original Raspberry Pi is a paltry 36 000 or something so what I told you is not entirely untrue. Although, that figure probably doesn't include memory, or cache, or GPU or northbridge or, well, anything really, other than the core itself. 

But in all honesty I legitimately didn't know the modern ARM chips had grown to such sizes.

[patrickjp93]

You're right, actually... Something doesn't add up here.

That said, the ARMv6 core in an original Raspberry Pi is a paltry 36 000 or something so what I told you is not entirely untrue. Although, that figure probably doesn't include memory, or cache, or GPU or northbridge or, well, anything really, other than the core itself.

But in all honesty I legitimately didn't know the modern ARM chips had grown to such sizes.

Mind you the A8 is a full SOC with a bunch of dedicated hardware units like a wireless radio, but that's 2 cores vs. 4 too. ARM has grown significantly larger, and it had too to outpace x86 in low power performance. Out of Order Processing is a big one.