Interesting rumor. Samsung has an eye on AMD. warning: Inq Link

[Keysplayr]

Samsung eyes up AMD

 

[SickBeast]

Samsung would be able to produce every single component in a PC if they were to buy AMD. It would make sense for them IMO. AMD is undervalued from all the recent turmoil and will probably bounce back with or without Samsung.

 

[darkswordsman17]

Hmm, now that would be interesting. I forget, does Samsung do any designing/manufacturing of RAM itself, or do they just buy the chips from someone else? I know they do flash.

That's what I was thinking SickBeast. They could maybe integrate everything better (really how often aside from enthusiasts, do people switch out CPU, RAM, and HDD on laptops). Imagine everything in a nice simple compact board (with nice quick buses).

Not to mention, I think it would give them even more business with say Apple (the iPod).

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: darkswordsman17
Hmm, now that would be interesting. I forget, does Samsung do any designing/manufacturing of RAM itself, or do they just buy the chips from someone else? I know they do flash.

That's what I was thinking SickBeast. They could maybe integrate everything better (really how often aside from enthusiasts, do people switch out CPU, RAM, and HDD on laptops). Imagine everything in a nice simple compact board (with nice quick buses).

Not to mention, I think it would give them even more business with say Apple (the iPod).

Samsung does manufacture RAM, and AFAIK they do some cutting edge design work on the new memory standards. They also produce hard drives, LCD displays, DVD players, television sets, printers, cellphones, MP3 players, and a bunch of other stuff.

IMO if they were to purchase AMD and start producing entire PCs will all of their own stuff, it could be terrible for consumers as they would single handedly control too much of the hardware industry.

As for integration, I personally enjoy being able to upgrade my system. Apparently if you solder RAM right onto the motherboard and give each chip a memory controller you can gain some performance, but I don't think it would be enough to justify non-upgradeability (especially when it comes to RAM).

 

[apoppin]

this has been suggested before ... months ago
--must be a slow news day at theInq

Samsung isn't interested in going against intel the last i checked

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: apoppin
this has been suggested before ... months ago
--must be a slow news day at theInq

Samsung isn't interested in going against intel the last i checked

Sounds reasonable. But AMD is probably looking more and more appetizing to bigger companies. Would sop them up like gravy with a hot biscuit. Samsung, like I mentioned before, is an enourmous company who probably has their hands into manufacturing more products than intel. I'm not just speaking of computer components, but industrial as well.
A quick lookup on yahoo says that Samsung is traded on the world market under no less than 36 stock symbols. Holy....

 

[SickBeast]

AFAIK Samsung's biggest market right now is LCD displays, and their biggest competitor is Sony. I don't really see what AMD would do to help them compete against Sony unless they want to create a videogame console of some sort, or perhaps laptop computers.

I do think the purchase would make sense for Samsung, however, based simply on the fact that AMD is so cheap like now, and could use the cash in-'fusion' that Samsung could give them (pun intended).

 

[wwswimming]

i like Samsung because they're vertically integrated.

i've worked in companies that did mostly in-house manufacturing and
companies that out-sourced most of their manufacturing (as a design
engineer in R&D).

the engineering skill-sets at the vertically integrated places tended to
be a lot better. at the "out-sourcers", engineers would go into "supply
chain management". a lot of the engineers-turned-managers were
terrified of anything "hands-on".

 

[fredhe12]

A friend of mine who works for Sony told me that Samsung was kicking their butts in LCDs, so they just partnered with Samsung to have them make all of Sony's LCD displays.

Anyhow, I love Samsung products - my plasma, DVD, phone, etc. Great stuff! Would love to see what AMD + Samsung would produce.

 

[Skott]

Whoever buys AMD will also have to take on AMD's debt. The price cutting is killing AMD right now. Plus they'll have to go toe to toe with Intel. Thats a couple reasons why many companies wouldnt want AMD. But then again some companies might releish the challenges as well.

 

[*kjm]

Just a little FYI on all companys....

Samsung and AMD

Intel

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: Skott
Whoever buys AMD will also have to take on AMD's debt. The price cutting is killing AMD right now. Plus they'll have to go toe to toe with Intel. Thats a couple reasons why many companies wouldnt want AMD. But then again some companies might releish the challenges as well.

Well, the tricky thing about this situation is that the potential buyers might just wait for AMD to utterly crater and declare bankruptcy, then pick over the bones for personnel/facilities/IP that they want. Takes that tricky debt right out of the equation.

If Barcelona/Agena don't raise AMD's ASP and volume, they're history. They simply cannot absorb another huge blow.

 

[heyheybooboo]

Originally posted by: fredhe12
A friend of mine who works for Sony told me that Samsung was kicking their butts in LCDs, so they just partnered with Samsung to have them make all of Sony's LCD displays.

AFAIK Samsung's biggest market right now is LCD displays, and their biggest competitor is Sony.

Sony and Samsung have been equal partners in Korea for three years in the S-LCD Corp, a flat panel manufacturing facility. Sony/Samsung LCDs roll off the same line. The *8th Gen* panels are to begin production soon.

AMD financially is where they were in 2002-2003. Whether they can withstand their latest cycle of debt is up for debabte. I think the best gauge for their future plans hinges on Fab 4X in Malta and the evolution of K10. For everyone's benefit let's hope it's a killer platform.

 

[*kjm]

I?ll never say never ever again (3DFX) But I don?t see AMD going anywhere soon. I have looked at the Barcelona from a developer?s perspective and I think it is going to open some eyes. If you think back the writing was on the wall about the architecture compared to Intel?s well over a year ago.

 

[Dulanic]

All of these LCD mentions of Sony vs Samsung are a bit off.... Sony and Samsung have a joint venture that makes both of their LCDs. It's a 50-50 ownership.

http://www.eetimes.com/showArt...tml?articleID=23901863

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: Dulanic
All of these LCD mentions of Sony vs Samsung are a bit off.... Sony and Samsung have a joint venture that makes both of their LCDs. It's a 50-50 ownership.

http://www.eetimes.com/showArt...tml?articleID=23901863

They may produce the panels together, but they do compete for the sales of those panels. They are each other's #1 competitor.

 

[covert24]

would totally monopolize the indusrty and we would all get bucked up the futt with price increases due to one or two companies controlling the entire industry. If they buy AMD im going to buy my new parts and never upgrade again.

 

[bryanW1995]

Originally posted by: covert24
would totally monopolize the indusrty and we would all get bucked up the futt with price increases due to one or two companies controlling the entire industry. If they buy AMD im going to buy my new parts and never upgrade again.

yes, we should all sign a pact to never ever ever upgrade again. At least, until quad cores go down to $266...damn, I'm weak

 

[Fox5]

Samsung already can produce full PCs, they produce arm processors afterall with integrated graphics chips and what not.

 

[Nemesis 1]

Well as per Intel /AMD x86 license AMD cannot sell out to any company . And transferr that license for x86. I doubt very much US courts would make Intel transferr that agreement. Intel invented x86 and its theirs only reason amd has it is because of IBM.
Even if intel would be a momoply I don't believe Intel would be forced to give that X86 license out again.

 

[Nemesis 1]

Repost