Anand's recent take on the AMD/ATI merger...

[Rock Hydra]

From This thread in Off Topic

Originally posted by: Anand Lal Shimpi

I would really like someone to go down and dirty and get some real insider info on the ATI/AMD merger.

So we've got ATI, Intel, AMD and NVIDIA. In their respective industries, Intel and NVIDIA are the two stronger marketing companies, and the two weaker marketing companies have decided to merge. Of the two companies with weaker marketing, in my opinion, ATI has the better marketing, but of course it's AMD that's buying ATI and not the other way around. I've been afraid that AMD would harm ATI and I think there is reason to worry, but there's also the hope that only good will come of it. What we've seen thus far is ATI's website lose its identity, and all ATI folks now have AMD email addresses, which tells me that AMD is really doing its best to absorb the ATI brand, not keep it around.

Will that mean no more discreet GPUs from ATI? I don't think so. ATI's GPU business has been profitable and a lot of the technology for the integrated stuff comes from the discreet GPUs. The consumer electronics products are also integral to ATI's business and I can't see AMD getting rid of that.

Don't expect to see any more ATI chipsets for Intel in the future, it's not going to happen (except for those that are already close to launch). Right now it's looking like NVIDIA will end up being the 2nd supplier of chipsets to both AMD and Intel, but it will supply both companies.

The integrated CPU + GPU, at least in its first iteration will probably be a value offering. Whether you can do this at the high end will really depend on where the evolution of GPUs takes us. Will NVIDIA be left out in the cold once the integration between CPUs and GPUs happens? Assuming Intel doesn't buy NVIDIA, for the mobile market (think handhelds, cell phones), we may see NVIDIA actually produce their own CPUs with integrated graphics. Not x86 CPUs, but their own custom platforms or maybe something based on PPC or ARM. If CPUs/GPUs don't integrate on the midrange/high end then NVIDIA will always have its GPU business for the PC and can compete normally.

Currently ATI employees are being assimilated into AMD, most will stay, but inevitably many will leave (either be fired or leave for other opportunities). Driver development will continue as it has, there's no real overlap here between AMD and ATI so there's no reason to kill off ATI's driver team.

I will say that it is odd talking to ATI people at AMD now, and something still doesn't feel quite right, but we'll have to see how the coming months go. I think the R600 launch will be able to give us a better feel for what AMD's true intentions are.

 

[JBT]

Sounds about right.

 

[GTaudiophile]

You can thank me for asking

 

[Operandi]

I think the merger will always feel a bit strange until there is some physical evidence of the merger in form of new CPUs, GPUs, and chipsets. Anand?s a smart guy and I think all or most of that will prove true down the road.

Personally I would like to see AMD start manufacturing and selling their own motherboards. One of the things that?s always lured me to the Intel side has been Intel?s own rock solid boards.

 

[redbox]

That's a pretty realistic view I think. Nice find.