Intel might make chips based on non-Intel cores

[IntelCeleron]

"If Apple or Sony came to us and said 'I want to do a product that involves your IA (Intel architecture) core and put some of my IP around it', I wouldn't blink. That would be fantastic business for us."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/26/us-intel-idUSTRE74P43W20110526

Thought this was very interesting. Wonder if Apple would take them up on it...

 

[aigomorla]

ROFL...

Watch out TMSC?

Intel has 22nm fabs... and i hear 14nm fabs arent that far away.

imagine an intel partner going oh.... can u make me 14nm nodes? and they go yes.

 

[SHAQ]

Are you sure they would offer their latest tech? I imagine they would keep that for their own products.

 

[podspi]

I find it hard to believe Intel would be willing to manufacture anything ARM related. Manufacturing margins are nowhere near what they are for Intel CPUs, and with Intel's marketshare its not like they have trouble filling their newer nodes...

 

[darkswordsman17]

I think the thread title is misleading, as they clearly state that they would make chips based around their own cores with other IP around it. I guess they're saying they might consider something more, but it sounds like that's not what they're really looking to do.

He said Intel would be happy to produce chip cores based on its own architecture for other companies but that allowing rival architectures to be manufactured in its plants would be a tough decision.

"If Apple or Sony came to us and said 'I want to do a product that involves your IA (Intel architecture) core and put some of my IP around it', I wouldn't blink. That would be fantastic business for us."

In short, they would be selling the company Intel's chips with some extra IP (that I would assume Intel would then be given access to for other chips). I doubt Intel would give up their own IP, so it'd basically be companies giving theirs up to get Intel's manufacturing advantage. Of course that'd be a huge win for Intel.

Odd that they mention Sony, as I believe the only thing they have is Cell. Maybe a deal where the main core of Cell becomes an Intel one, and Intel gets access to the IP for the SPEs? Remember a few years ago, Intel showed off extended roadmaps that showed chips like Cell.

 

[OCGuy]

I find it hard to believe Intel would be willing to manufacture anything ARM related. Manufacturing margins are nowhere near what they are for Intel CPUs, and with Intel's marketshare its not like they have trouble filling their newer nodes...

Think about how much more the return would be for a given node if they could extend the life of it by doing this. 45nm and 32nm are/were both very strong for them, why not keep them going while they move on the 22nm for themselves?

 

[Rezist]

Exactly, this is just to extend there own older nodes after there main CPU's have moved on.

 

[Cogman]

Think about how much more the return would be for a given node if they could extend the life of it by doing this. 45nm and 32nm are/were both very strong for them, why not keep them going while they move on the 22nm for themselves?

They've done pretty well with the "MOBO chipsets go on the last node" mentality that they've been using since forever. I don't see why they would change. For every CPU, they need a new chipset, and intel is pretty much the only person that makes intel chipsets for the consumer.

 

[Tsavo]

For every CPU, they need a new chipset, and intel is pretty much the only person that makes intel chipsets for the consumer.

Thank god for that!

 

[Cogman]

Thank god for that!

One of the great things about AMD (well, at least it used to be, you don't see it much anymore) was the fact that you multiple people make chipsets for them. This would significantly drive down the cost of AMD motherboards in the long run.

 

[podspi]

One of the great things about AMD (well, at least it used to be, you don't see it much anymore) was the fact that you multiple people make chipsets for them. This would significantly drive down the cost of AMD motherboards in the long run.

I don't think AMD is preventing anybody from making chipsets for their CPUs, are they? I was under the impression that there wasn't much money in it, since the AMD chipsets are pretty good...

 

[Cogman]

I don't think AMD is preventing anybody from making chipsets for their CPUs, are they? I was under the impression that there wasn't much money in it, since the AMD chipsets are pretty good...

Well, the whole chipset making scene became a nightmare and landmine of patents and lawsuits (see Intel, nVidia lawsuits). I blame that above all for the slow decrease in chipset manufactures.

 

[IntelCeleron]

In regards to Intel's IA... I could see someone like Apple wanting to come in and say "I want to do something about your Integrated Graphics." I do agree that if they let outside processor manufacturing it will certainly be an older node.

 

[podspi]

I wonder how difficult it would be to port iOS to x86? If most apps are run in some sort of VM it might not be terribly difficult, and those 32nm and later 22nm Atoms might end up being quite potent.