Samsung To Allegedly Acquire AMD To Compete With Intel And Qualcomm Head On

[R-T-B]

AMD's x86 license doesn't transfer in a buyout, so who'll make console CPUs ?

VIA? LOL

 

[FordGT90Concept]

AMD's x86 license doesn't transfer in a buyout, so who'll make console CPUs ?

Eh? The x86 license stays with AMD but being bought out means that license would be Samsung's. There's only two ways for a company to acquire an x86 license: get a new one from Intel (a Chinese company is apparently in talks to do this) or buyout a company that already has one (e.g. Via got their current license by buying out Centaur).

Samsung wouldn't renege on AMD's contractual obligations with Microsoft and Sony. Samsung also wouldn't throw AMD's current R&D investments away on the new architecture. The question is what happens to x86 long-term when those opportunities have passed?

At the same time, there is this:

A Samsung spokeswoman said a decision has not been taken yet on what type of chips would be made at the new fab and the manufacturing process. The company said in July it was on track to roll out 14-nanometer manufacturing process in volume by the end of this year.

A week later, this:

While Intel’s growth in Q3 2014 was mainly led by strong performance in the PC and the Data Center business, the company fared well in mobile and Internet-of-Things (IoT) segments as well, which promise to be an important part of its future growth strategy.

I can totally see x86 tablets taking over the market over the next decade with the help of Windows 10 and the only way Samsung can get a piece of that action, because Microsoft abandoned Windows RT, is to get into x86.

Samsung could have been planning this acquisition for a while. Build a fab to make Samsung competitive with Intel and buy AMD to acquire x86 license. Even though that fab won't be ready for another two years, it takes about that long to get a new CPU design to the point it can be tested on a fab. Too many pieces fit too well to be mere coincidence.

The one thing I fear most of all of this is what happens to AMD's desktop and laptop lines? I really can't see Samsung using precious 14nm fab time on a market they really don't care about.


Edit: Can't forget about ATI either. Samsung having ATI gives it a huge leg up, in all markets, against Intel.

 

[Caring1]

The one thing I fear most of all of this is what happens to AMD's desktop and laptop lines? I really can't see Samsung using precious 14nm fab time on a market they really don't care about.


Edit: Can't forget about ATI either. Samsung having ATI gives it a huge leg up, in all markets, against Intel.

Samsung make some nice laptops already, if they made the Processor, Ram, SSD's etc it's all cost savings for them.

 

[R-T-B]

Eh? The x86 license stays with AMD but being bought out means that license would be Samsung's. There's only two ways for a company to acquire an x86 license: get a new one from Intel (a Chinese company is apparently in talks to do this) or buyout a company that already has one (e.g. Via got their current license by buying out Centaur).

I'm pretty sure Intel licenses the x86 license to AMD by court order (back in the 90s they did not want to renew it), and one of the few things they won is that if AMD is ever bought out, the x86 license is null and void.

or something to that extent.

 

[Tatty_Two]

o look another qubit thread with questionable sources and sensationalist titles
this rumor has been floating around since jan ....
and that's all it is a rumor from some south Korean tabloid

To be fair, if you cut rumour and speculation from these forums we would be down to a dozen threads and 30,000 members with zero post counts so he can have a turn now and then too.

 

[qubit]

To be fair, if you cut rumour and speculation from these forums we would be down to a dozen threads and 30,000 members with zero post counts so he can have a turn now and then too.

Thanks Tatty. In fact, that title is from the article, not me. None of that is my saying. It looked interesting and worthy of discussion so I posted it here.

It's clear onemoar has no idea what he's looking at and instead prefers to have an illiterate pop at me. So stupid and trollish.

 

[xvi]

AMD's x86 license doesn't transfer in a buyout, so who'll make console CPUs ?

Where does x86_64 fall in all this? Seems like AMD would own that.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

There's a cross-license agreement where AMD licenses x86-64 to Intel and Intel licenses x86 to AMD.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

It begs the question though.....how much ? I would like to be a fly on the wall in that meeting.

Forbes most valuable companies list

http://www.forbes.com/powerful-brands/list/

 

[dorsetknob]

Samsung could stop AMD from making any more x86 processors and instead, turn AMD over to ARM which is the bulk of Samsung's business. It may not be the best thing for us end consumers.

Question
Has Samsung got License Patent rights to the X86 processor already if not (and i think not) then buying AMD makes sense if those cross licensing patent rights with Intel are part of the deal

edit
quote
"I'm pretty sure Intel licenses the x86 license to AMD by court order (back in the 90s they did not want to renew it), and one of the few things they won is that if AMD is ever bought out, the x86 license is null and void."

If that is the case then that fucks intel
If they Void the Existing agreement then they also lose the cross patent Deal they signed with AMD

 

[Fluffmeister]

Why would anyone (Samsung included) want to compete with Intel? This would all be about getting hold of AMD's graphics IP which would go towards boosting their mobile/tablet market.

 

[dorsetknob]

If there was no one to compete with Intel then that $450 per processor bulk price was to jump to $600 whats your response

tooling up for Risc or ARM is a poor choice if you then have to convince the whole hardware and software world to adapt

competition Does keep the price Down

 

[Caring1]

If there was no one to compete with Intel then that $450 per processor bulk price was to jump to $600 whats your response

tooling up for Risc or ARM is a poor choice if you then have to convince the whole hardware and software world to adapt

competition Does keep the price Down

http://techreport.com/news/28014/gigabyte-latest-microatx-board-has-an-eight-core-armv8-soc
Interesting that AMD has already done the tooling and development work.

 

[qubit]

AMD have done some great innovations over the years with 64-bit x86 and Mantle being just two of them. This company really deserves to be more successful, so I hope that there's some truth to the buyout rumour. With Samsung's resources they'll be a force to be reckoned with.

 

[64K]

I think it would be a good thing if Samsung did buy AMD. They could put enough cash into AMD R&D to turn the company around and frankly AMD has been managed poorly for too long to the point that they could face bankruptcy in the near future.

Have a look at the Net Profit Margins:

Intel +20.95%
AMD -7.3%
Nvidia +13.47%

One of the worst management things AMD has done for years was charging too little for their chips and not having enough money for R&D and now it's to the point that they almost can't charge as much as they need to because they've fallen behind so much.

 

[Frick]

Competitive, high performance and reasonably priced products from AMD and perhaps no more NVIDIA Titans at a ridiculous $1000?

The golden days truly were when both companies had $1000 CPU's.

Anyway I'm all for a Samsung buyout, if it means they can make x86.

One of the worst management things AMD has done for years was charging too little for their chips and not having enough money for R&D and now it's to the point that they almost can't charge as much as they need to because they've fallen behind so much.

Which chips would these be?

 

[64K]

The golden days truly were when both companies had $1000 CPU's.

Anyway I'm all for a Samsung buyout, if it means they can make x86.



Which chips would these be?

Console chips, high end CPU, high end GPU. Do you remember when AMD was a real competitor with Intel in the high end CPU arena? How did they get from there to here if not by poor management and trying to treat their customers to the best chips for way less than their competition. As a result too little money for R&D over the years and here we are.

 

[Toothless]

Ima wait for the 8-cored triple-hyper-threaded Samsung F10-9800 processor that'll sit in AM9.4 sockets and have it only run at 1.1ghz with a TDP of 450w.

I think Samsung should just change out the management in AMD and see how it runs. By all means AMD engineers aren't idiots but they need real goals and room to breathe.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Question
Has Samsung got License Patent rights to the X86 processor already if not (and i think not) then buying AMD makes sense if those cross licensing patent rights with Intel are part of the deal

edit
quote
"I'm pretty sure Intel licenses the x86 license to AMD by court order (back in the 90s they did not want to renew it), and one of the few things they won is that if AMD is ever bought out, the x86 license is null and void."

If that is the case then that fucks intel
If they Void the Existing agreement then they also lose the cross patent Deal they signed with AMD

It would go before a court and any court, seeing AMDs position, would approve it in the name of potential Intel trust busting. That licensing arrangement won't hold because it is very anti-trust material.

Why would anyone (Samsung included) want to compete with Intel? This would all be about getting hold of AMD's graphics IP which would go towards boosting their mobile/tablet market.

Because Intel + Microsoft are poised to control the tablet market in the next few years because of x86. When you can buy a $200 tablet that runs virtually all software ever made for Windows including compatibility with virtually all devices made since Vista launched, Samsung/ARM can't compete. Samsung wants a piece of that action and the only way they can get it is by acquiring an x86 license.

ATI isn't worth owning. Profits are tiny by comparison. If anyone buys ATI, it will be after AMD files for bankruptcy.

 

[Caring1]

Ima wait for the 8-cored triple-hyper-threaded Samsung F10-9800 processor that'll sit in AM9.4 sockets and have it only run at 1.1ghz with a TDP of 450w.

I think Samsung should just change out the management in AMD and see how it runs. By all means AMD engineers aren't idiots but they need real goals and room to breathe.

He he he, I think you got that backwards, they should make a 450GHz chip with a TDP of 1.1

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Console chips, high end CPU, high end GPU.

The console CPUs are a piece of shit. The only thing decent is the GPU component and that can't hold a light to a serious discreet GPU. Their highest end CPUs have ridiculously high TDP and really don't have the performance to back it up compared to Intel. GPUs are the only area where AMD has been doing well but in terms of survivability of the company, GPUs are less than 10%. If AMD can't pick up its CPU game, it will be out of the game entirely before long.

Do you remember when AMD was a real competitor with Intel in the high end CPU arena?

I still have an operable system with an Opteron 180 from that era.

How did they get from there to here if not by poor management and trying to treat their customers to the best chips for way less than their competition.

It was a one-two punch:
1) Core 2 Duo was launched obliterating the FX-62 (the best AMD had at the time) for a fraction of the cost.
2) Having bore witness to Core 2 Duo and knowing very well they can't compete and won't be able to compete for a very long time, then went ahead and dropped billions of dollars on an over-valued ATI when they didn't have the money for it nor the means to earn money from it for years due to the costs of aquisition.

#2 especially is what killed AMD. It was no different than Ford Motor Company buying out Land Rover, Jaguar, and Aston Martin in the 1990s which caused the company to suffer in the 2000s. Buying out other companies without a clear means to turn it into profit on short order is the pinnacle of mismanagement. AMD did this when they were in no position to do it.

Unlike AMD, Ford's CEO (Jacques Nasser) that made those bad investments was canned and they brought in a great grandson of Henry Ford to run it (Bill Ford). AMD? The CEO (Hector Ruiz) stayed over a year after that...more bad decisions were made like the over promotion and under-delivery of Phenom.

[Hector] Ruiz endorsed the decision to buy ATI, which led to a period of financial reverses. Ruiz survived rumors of his ouster in late 2007. However, he resigned as CEO on July 18, 2008, after AMD reported its seventh consecutive quarterly loss.

 

[GhostRyder]

Personally I see it as a good thing but it would depend on how they handle it...

For one, having ATI would not be a bad thing for Samsung as then they would have a graphics card manufacturer with good experience and products to bolster their own embedded chips along with the stand alone products in their own machines. Its something they are trying to gain more ground in especially with everyone carrying phones, tablets, and other small gadgets more than anything.

As for X86, I doubt they would let they falter as I believe they would utilize that to the fullest and bolster it up. Samsung knows that X86 is important even with ARM's widespread adoption however X86 is still beyond necessary and they have many products utilizing it so it would only make it easier and cheaper for them to make products with better parts inside against the competition.

I have heard this rumor for quite awhile, I think it would be good for them mostly in the fact Samsung can push a lot of money towards them to help them. Hopefully they would not get rid of any part of the system the way it is now and only improve it as it would be devastating to the consumers. Though if they did there would be other complications including legal ones that would come into play...

 

[Frick]

#2 especially is what killed AMD.

Or that was the very thing that kept them alive in the long run, because 1) they actually sell that tech now and 2) more funds in R&D would not automagically mean something that was better Bulldozer, or something that would beat the C2D.

Console chips, high end CPU, high end GPU. Do you remember when AMD was a real competitor with Intel in the high end CPU arena? How did they get from there to here if not by poor management and trying to treat their customers to the best chips for way less than their competition. As a result too little money for R&D over the years and here we are.

OTOH a higher price would mean fewer chips sold.

 

[Vayra86]

AMD still seems to be plagued by the same issues it has always had, what with the fourth rebrand of their GPU's that we heard of recently, to the lack of design wins of the past years, and the incredibly bad marketing surrounding their product lines.

It needs a big boss to give it direction. Their new CEO and Keller may be worthy additions but they alone do not change a culture within a company. Only a really drastic shakeup will do that. AMD *will* be acquired by some larger company in the future, of that I have no question at all. Whether this will be Samsung is questionable, but seems to be a good contender with sufficient R&D and funding to really shake up the Intel-Nvidia dominated market that is x86.

We need this.

I don't question at all that AMD will stop making GPU when they get acquired by Samsung. There is a major potential market here because right now there is only one other flavour and that is Nvidia. The only reason Nvidia is ahead today is because AMD is being held back by R&D budget, the only reason Intel is ahead today is because they also have a larger R&D budget. I would rather question whether AMD will keep making CPU - Samsung may want to take their technology and make it their own, and AMD has really taken big hits with the past few generations of CPU being unsuccessful. APU won't really land on store shelves either. Regardless of the causes of that, it means the average joe will not really consider AMD at all. But average joe does know the brand Samsung.

 

[Ferrum Master]

It would be more sane for Samsung to buy out VIA, not AMD then.

The only giant that should have picked up AMD and steer it is IBM and put their boffin teams together. But it is too late for both companies... They both need restructuring... AMD woke up too late with ARM...

Soon Qualcomm stomps in, as their boffin team managed to survive the tough competition... They even have 2.5x times more employees than AMD, not mentioning the net income numbers. They have a proper ATI branch Adreno too that performs same as nvidia ones in the same power envelope... it just needs time, the mobile stuff Snapdragons already breathe the performance of low end AMD cpu's... despite the hugely lower power consumption...