[RUMOUR] Apple Could Be Using Custom x86 SoC by AMD

[AlexGoesHigh]

If Apple switched they would have to give up thunderbolt which I think is still exclusive to Intel

found this http://vr-zone.com/articles/asuss-amd-am3-motherboards-to-get-intel-thunderbolt-support/16207.html

 

it required an additional add on but it was thunderbolt on AMD, so if asus could get away with it, Apple should have it even more easier

[ICantThinkOfAnyGoodName]

This won't be that likely because there are a few things that Apple prioritizes in all their products-lower power consumption, low tdp (in order to reach those slim designs), extremely fast storage, fast low power graphics, and fast cpu cores. AMD likely isn't going to be able to reduce power consumption to be competitive with Intel so you won't see these in their laptops although you might see it in the iMac and Mac Pro. AMD would also have to compete with Intel's impressive Iris Pro graphics so that would be interesting.

 

On further though- custom x86 cores. Is Apple going to be designing them and having AMD make them? Couldn't they just get GloFo to do it?

They couldn`t because they don`t have the liscense for x86.

[themaniac]

i am skeptical about this 

 

I can believe it. Intel's constant delays is causing Apple to delay products which they don't want to do. So by making their own custom x86 CPU they can precisely control what releases when.

well the reason intel is delaying their cpu's is because they are trying to get silicon based chips to smaller and small nanometer sizes and silicon has basically reached the smallest it can be

 

This won't be that likely because there are a few things that Apple prioritizes in all their products-lower power consumption, low tdp (in order to reach those slim designs), extremely fast storage, fast low power graphics, and fast cpu cores. AMD likely isn't going to be able to reduce power consumption to be competitive with Intel so you won't see these in their laptops although you might see it in the iMac and Mac Pro. AMD would also have to compete with Intel's impressive Iris Pro graphics so that would be interesting.

 

On further though- custom x86 cores. Is Apple going to be designing them and having AMD make them? Couldn't they just get GloFo to do it?

only amd and intel own a license to use x86 so apple has to get intel or amd to make the x86 cpu they design otherwise they could be fined hugely by both amd and intel

[Mew]

 

only amd and intel own a license to use x86 so apple has to get intel or amd to make the x86 cpu they design otherwise they could be fined hugely by both amd and intel

 

Hmm that's so true. 

[marldorthegreat]

This can only be a good thing.. right?

Good for amd. If it is zen, It will also be good for us. Apple know that they are doing.

[marldorthegreat]

This won't be that likely because there are a few things that Apple prioritizes in all their products-lower power consumption, low tdp (in order to reach those slim designs), extremely fast storage, fast low power graphics, and fast cpu cores. AMD likely isn't going to be able to reduce power consumption to be competitive with Intel so you won't see these in their laptops although you might see it in the iMac and Mac Pro. AMD would also have to compete with Intel's impressive Iris Pro graphics so that would be interesting.

 

On further though- custom x86 cores. Is Apple going to be designing them and having AMD make them? Couldn't they just get GloFo to do it?

If you look at the r9 nano and carrizo they fucking cracked efficiency fanboys from nvidia in the balls.

[marldorthegreat]

If Apple switched they would have to give up thunderbolt which I think is still exclusive to Intel

I think so. But I dont think intel will stop AMD from using it with Zen. Intel and AMD are closer than we think.

[Mew]

If you look at the r9 nano and carrizo they fucking cracked efficiency fanboys from nvidia in the balls.

 

I wouldn't say so. It only matches what nVidia has (for the nano).

 

 

Otherwise on a broader competitive basis, while AMD is enjoying an improvement in energy efficiency they still must contend with NVIDIA, and here is where things get murky. Relative to the rest of their lineup the R9 Nano’s energy efficiency is fantastic. However relative to the energy efficiency of NVIDIA’s lineup, AMD’s gains mostly serve to close the gap that already existed. While admittedly only painting the broadest of strokes here, R9 Nano demonstrates slightly better performance than GTX 980 –around 5% at 2560x1440 – for a similar increase in power consumption. Which is to say that AMD has closed the gap, but they don’t have any real lead.

 

http://www.anandtech.com/show/9621/the-amd-radeon-r9-nano-review/18

[marldorthegreat]

The licenses would be a bear, AMD has access to the x86 license, using them would give Apple a lot of leeway in the custom design and getting manufactured.

 

Custom x86 cores, with custom interface, bespoke GCN arch iGPU... Triple boot 5k iMac OSX, Windows, SteamOS? Vulkan/DX12 powerhouse?

Not to mention HSA.

[Suika]

They choose AMD because they know they can basically bully AMD when it comes to negotiations. Remember how Apple's Mac Pro is basically superior in price/performance as opposed to similar custom options? All thanks to Apple getting significantly cheaper costs on AMD's workstation cards.

[marldorthegreat]

I wouldn't say so. It only matches what nVidia has (for the nano).

 

 

http://www.anandtech.com/show/9621/the-amd-radeon-r9-nano-review/18

Yeah, I see your point. But my point was it was about as efficient as the 980, in gaming. What about compute tasks. Dat 8gflops has to do something. Still it matchesit. Fanboys always claim it runs 1000 degrees hotter than nvidia. And the 400 series is meant to improve that.

[marldorthegreat]

They choose AMD because they know they can basically bully AMD when it comes to negotiations. Remember how Apple's Mac Pro is basically superior in price/performance as opposed to similar custom options? All thanks to Apple getting significantly cheaper costs on AMD's workstation cards.

Or they know that AMD has HSA, and will work and be flexible with apple. Allow apple to tinker with the gpu a little, the r9 m295x was an apple exclusive, showing how AMD is a good customer to apple. And apple pcs are expensive so AMD get a decent sized cut.

[patrick3027]

People here are saying AMD CPUs are worse than Intel ones but ... if they are custom, doesn't that mean Apple could get more power out of it?

If they optimise their software for the custom CPUs, performance should be great.

[HalGameGuru]

When you consider a lot of nVidia's power efficiency comes from removing a hardware scheduler is it really that impressive? Especially for the future? With DX12 and Vulkan focusing on parallelized work streams and granular task switching? They are close as it is on old style work loads. New work loads will work better and better on one set of hardware and continue to tax the other until changes are made.

[marldorthegreat]

People here are saying AMD CPUs are worse than Intel ones but ... if they are custom, doesn't that mean Apple could get more power out of it?

If they optimise their software for the custom CPUs, performance should be great.

HSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[marldorthegreat]

When you consider a lot of nVidia's power efficiency comes from removing a hardware scheduler is it really that impressive? Especially for the future? With DX12 and Vulkan focusing on parallelized work streams and granular task switching? They are close as it is on old style work loads. New work loads will work better and better on one set of hardware and continue to tax the other until changes are made.

But nvida probably knew that.But maxwell performed well at the time, and it sold like hot cakes. 

[bogus]

As far as i know AMD makes semi-custom solutions, not fully custom - but who knows.