Microsoft may be interested in buying AMD, according to a new report citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. Microsoft has a lot to gain by acquiring AMD's APU business, given the Redmond giant's ambitions in the console gaming segment. Both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 use AMD's Jaguar-architecture APU, and if Microsoft were to buy AMD, Sony will have to shell out a significant amount of money to Microsoft on each PlayStation sold. The vendor can side with other chip manufacturers, but that will mean designing a new APU from scratch.
Microsoft isn't the only company rumored to be mulling an acquisition of AMD. Qualcomm's name has also been suggested, with the mobile chip vendor said to be interested in AMD's server business. Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf recently stated that the vendor was looking to bolster its efforts in the server segment through a merger or acquisition, with AMD the only likely contender that Qualcomm can acquire at this stage.
Samsung was also mentioned as a vendor that would be interested in leveraging AMD's CPU and GPU IP to challenge the likes of Qualcomm and Intel. AMD's current market valuation of $2 billion is low enough that all three organizations listed above can acquire it using their cash reserves. Microsoft has $93 billion in cash, Qualcomm has over $12 billion and Samsung has $66 billion in its cash reserves. However, given the nature of AMD's licensing portfolio, there will be significant regulatory hurdles before any deal goes through.
Source: KitGuru
Reader comments
Microsoft may be interested in buying struggling chip vendor AMD
Pages
Geez, only worth 2 billion? It cost Intel $5-billion alone just to build their last new frabrication plant. It's no wonder why AMD no longer owns their on fab plants.
There goes the Wintel dynamo.
this would be good for microsoft because it needs to make it's best selling mobile devices the Surface Tablets cheaper. an AMD CPU Surface would be at least 150 to 200 dollars cheaper than a Surface intel i3 CPU tablet. Plus major PC makers make their cheaper desktop, laptop and tablets with AMD CPU and other AMD components. this is a win win buy for microsoft trouble is Will Nadella go for it.
Time to buy stocks while greece has everything so low.
Makes sense. Seems like a lot of people are only thinking about applications for the Xbox and one or so strategic partnerships. Looking at how the desktop and Virtual reality technology is progressing acquiring AMD would not only ensure that Microsoft has the components its needs for future consoles and devices but can also tailor the software and hardware for optimum performance across all platforms. Not to mention insuring future products without having to worry about price for performance from Intel.
This is a great thread, I really like the comments in this website, I can see the opinion is divided across those who tink they want Microsoft to invest more in the hardware business, and those who think it should not.
I would like Satya Nadella's to have a cofee with Tim Cook and discuss about this, after all Apple can give really good advice to Microsoft on this subject.
Do it!
Wouldn't mind this happening
No No No, Microsoft really screws up on its lame duck hardware OEM buyouts. Haven't they learn from the Nokia failure?
Why would they get into a slanging match with their longtime partners Intel, when they both falling long behind ARM, which remains the dominant mobile cpu architecture.
With Oculus Rift requirements, ARM platform as a whole prooved is not ready for Augmented reality or Virtual reality, which are two emerging technologies of 2015 that will have maturity in the next 5 years.
IMO AMD should be bought by a company that does not do mobile chips like Samsung or Qualcomm, since this could be hurting the desktop innovation in the long term.
But I wish AMD was not bought by Microsoft, since I'm worried about the costs of mantaining a hardware business such as CPU, I believe hardware engineers from AMD would get paid much higher than software engineers from Microsoft.
Wow... that would be a Nokia purchase or Windows Vista grade f*ckup.
AMD does not fit with Microsoft's mobile first, cloud first strategy. It will damage its relationships with Intel and NVidia, while not adding any significant value to the company. Microsoft is first and foremost a software and services company. Chips, foundries, graphics cards, etc are not a good fit.
To think that they would acquire a company of AMD's size just to compete with Sony in the console segment, is naive at best. I can see them forming a strategic partnership with Sony to provide the software and gaming network for the PS5 before acquiring AMD.
Microsoft is a hardware company too (Surface, Xbox One, Xbox 360, game controllers, Surface Hub, Mice, Keyboards, HoloLens, Wireless Display Adapters and phones (Lumia))
I think the hardware that Microsoft builds gives much more value and client trust to the company than their software which is available on rival platforms like iOS and Android.
If the iOS and Android users really cared about Microsoft, they would be purchasing Windows Phone devices instead of iOS and Android don't you think?
They should sell out to Microsoft but Microsoft should share the x86 licenses to Nvidia for a huge chunk of cash. Keep the APU business going for their Console while Nvidia gets an opportunity to compete with Microsoft but also to make Volta/NVLink gaming rigs.
Yeah, I dont imagine this is true. Especially with the restructuring that's been going on last thing Nadella would want is an acquisition that doesn't fit clearly in it's portfolio. We'll see I suppose. Ah, except for holding out for a profit. Shrug.
2 Bilion dollars for AMD? That's Microsoft's week's petty cash. So that's not the hurdle. How it fits in its MF/CF (mobile First/Cloud First) strategy is more sketchy. Buying them now and selling them at later point at a profit shouldn't be a problem for MS, so by all means buy AMD and safeguard your XBox console pricing, while forcing Sony to spend a bit more :)
I perfer MS invest in AMD to give them much need cash to put out good products. There is no point to piss off all your PC partners.
I don't like this idea at all. MS uses Intel chips in thier Surface line, so this could sour relations with them. Also, if Qualcom gets outbid for AMD that can effect the relationship that they have with thier only WP chipset maker. MS isn't in the processor business, so jumping in now would seem odd to me.
I would rather they use that money to throw at Here maps. That's a product that could bolster their bing maps product, and give them a fignting chance against Google.
Heck, even a Blackberry aquisition could make more sense since Enterprise mobile management is more aligned with what they do.
AMD is just strange...... especially with the recent talk of focusing on services over devices.
I don't want Microsoft to buy AMD, but if it does, Microsoft's agreements with Intel may still be strong.
Just imagine that Microsoft sells a Surface with Intel CPU but with AMD graphics, just like Apple does with their MacBook Pro 2015 edition.
For Microsoft shareholder's sake, I hope they don't.
It's a terrible idea to buy AMD; not as terrible as buying the devices business from Nokia, or Skype, or Danger, but it'd be right up there.
One of the top reasons: they'd be in direct competition with their main chip supplier and partner, Intel. Intel should hope that Samsung or Qualcomm do buy AMD. It'd be a better fit with either one of those companies.
what is wrong with skype? communications has been in the core with microsoft for years. msn messenger, lync....
I think you haven't used Windows Phone device lately, my Lumia 625 is 2 years old and is a joy to use. WP Denim is much simple and better designed than Android KitKat (I haven't used Lollipop).
My Lumia with just 512MB of RAM lags much less than a Galaxy S3 which was a flagship phone a few years ago.
Microsoft should have bought Nook from Barnes and Noble instead of throwing away 300M investing in them and not really seeing any decent development afterwards. Not offering eBooks in the Windows Store is a gaping hole in thier ecosystem.
Didn't know AMD was struggling. My laptop uses AMD.
So It's like WP of chipset market? :D
if microsoft buys the AMD then major marketing loss for intel for sure.
They start using the AMD chips in their own proudcts. Intel and microsoft has a longer partnership. Let's see whats happen
I personally don't like this acquisition. Intel and Microsoft are strong partners, and this would be a slap in the face to them, especially given the recent success of the Surface Pro 3 and Surface line of tablets. Microsoft is known quite often as M$FT (not to you or me on WindowsCentral, of course, but to the majority of people, yes, it's a sad truth), so I'd be weary of this one.
Microsoft should do it. This is more than just the APU inside the Xbox One. PC processors CPU, APU and Video Cards under the Radion Branding. This is huge, with Windows 10 ready to take the Market by storm, DX12.. Microsoft can make cards pacifically manufactured for Windows in mind and Xbox in mind. Go for it Microsoft.
This is the best thing that could happen for AMD
It's really sad to see a once pioneer in a state like that. When did they lose that hard to Intel? I whish they will get back on their feet so that Intel isn't left without a competitor.
I know sad.
I like the idea of someone buying AMD and pumping money into their R&D department. Maybe they can leverage current PCI Express technology once that happens.
Do it Microsoft! That would be a great deal! Microsoft FTW!!
I'm all for it an infusion of cash into some some r&d could bring amd right back on top and I'd rather Microsoft get them rather than anyone mentioned in the article. Amd brought in revolutionary price dropping with the introduction of the Athlon 500 back in the day. At least Microsoft have the backing to keep them alive, be a pity to see amd fade away and intel double prices again just cause they can hehe
Indeed!
While I prefer Intel over AMD Microsoft would be able to provide funding to help the research for AMD chips, and the GPUs would finally get a nice UI and drivers.
Competition is always good.
I've always wondered why Microsoft never went back to using Intel x86 chips for the Xbox One. They're already hardware partners with the Surface line of devices. An Xbox One powered by an i3 or i5 would've been pretty awesome and probably not significantly more expensive than the AMD APU. And for the GPU, Microsoft could've gone with nVidia again, much like the original xbox. That probably would've put the Xbox One ahead of the PS4 in performance as well.
It would've been significantly more expensive. That's why both Microsfot and Sony use AMD chips. Margins are tight on consoles--especially new hardware--and price point is everything.
Can you guys imagine if AMD processors were better optimized for windows and the extra cores in the 6300 and 8xxx series started to be used? Or if DirectX 12.1 or 13 had exclusive features for AMD and were better optimized for it? That would really help AMD and even us too since we would get even more performance out of our cards.
I think the fact that Windows isn't already better optimized for AMD is teh bigger issue. Microsoft likely has no better Access to Intel's Stuff than they do to AMD's stuff so I'm not sure why this is a factor. If they hadn't done it already, why should users care when they already have AMD PCs/Notebooks that likely won't get any special treatment or performance benefits until they likely upgrade to entirely new hardware?
Additionally, the Windows OS isn't really the issue. Third party software is the issue. A lot of software are optimized specifically for Nvidia and Intel hardware and not AMD. They use AMD and nVidia technology, but they don't implement the proper optimizations or make user of equivalent AMD tech for users who have AMD APUs, Processors, or Graphics Cards.
And I don't see this changing anytime soon.
All it takes is nVidia to make a commitment to another platform like Linux to realy pull a ton of Gamers off of the Windows platform, and once users start to go to that platform in general application software developers (commercial) will also start to seriously consider it as a target platform. In addition to that, OEMs will likely see more pressure to develop Linux rigs/notebooks that are properly supported for the consumer market.
I actually don't see this happening, because Microsoft is backed into too many corners at this point. They can potentially lose a lot more than they gain.
However, a company like Apple may not shy away from the idea of purchasing their own CPU/GPU manufacturer - unlike Microsoft - they have no issues with optimizing towards their choice hardware aggressively. Microsfot is likely to not do that because it would piss off Intel and OEMs .
Well said.
apple isn't going to buy an x86 license they can't use. They already have their own cpu. no reason to buy another one.
I think if they focus on APU for console and GPU for discreet graphics+APU graphics only, they can avoid most of the risk of complications with Intel. I dont think i would be interested in a surface running on AMD APU at all and if they took this direction, there would surely be a big rift with Intel
But this would really hurt the market in my opinion. It would leave Intel without any competitor!
Intel doesn't have a competitor at this stage. AMD sells barely anything, and is ignored by the vast majority of the market. IN AMD'S OWN QUANTUM COMPUTER THEY'RE TRYING TO SELL THEY USED AN INTEL CPU. Intel's "competitor" is selling intel cpus.
You guys really don't understand the current licensing agreement, and i'd expect this report is hogwash.
ANYONE THAT BUYS AMD DOES NOT GET THEIR X86 LICENSE, As Per the terms of their agreement with intel. Anyone buying them would have to exit the x86 market. EVEN IF intel would somehow allow microsoft to keep making x86 chips (why would they do that???) Zen isn't going to be a decent cpu vs intel. It'll be slower and hotter. Why? because it's using an old ass fab compared to skylakes 10nm fabbing (which is what intel will be on by the time zen comes out).
As for graphics, Qualcomm already bought amd's mobile graphics, hence adreno being radeon in a different order. they don't play in mobile anymore. With desktop, amd is getting further and further behind each generation. The company, which i like, and have an r9 290, is basically a zombie at this point. anyone buying them would be insane, as they're 2 billion dollars, but owe something like 6 billion. They're not worth anything.
Actually, if anything, this could strengthen Microsoft's relationship with Intel. With Microsoft running AMD, they could work together with Intel to flood the market with more mobile x86 chips, which Intel desperately needs right now.
no.
So you're saying it's impossible to stop the Intel monopoly?
It is impossible to stop the intel X86 monopoly, unless amd suddenly had equal fabs and a totally winning design, which the last time they had that, in the pentium 4 days, didn't help them an ounce (but intel paid them 1.25 billion for their illegal practices). Zen might compete well enough with haswell (i actually think thats unlikely) but not skylake.
so ARM is your only hope. Apple is improving their cyclone cores and i think by 2017/18 might consider deploying them in to the air's. That's really the only chance there is. Nvidia tried denver, but it's so far not been successful on any metric.
Bottom line: Intel owns the desktop for the next decade. Android is the only thing that could challenge windows x86, but not likely on desktop, and ARM doesn't have the IPC at this stage. Everyone else remains behind intel in fabbing no matter what. If intel has their way (though the contra payments for mobile are ending - essentially intel has been paying companies to use the atom) they'll own mobile as well.
But I thought neither Intel nor AMD have their own fabs (anymore)? So why does AMD not take advantage of say Samsungs fabs who do have 14nm production, no?
Intel still has their own fabs, and they're easily the best in the world. Samsungs fabbing isn't nearly as good as intel's. 14nm isn't the only metric, and depending on HOW the 14nm is implemented different advantages or disadvantages come with each. Different methods control power consumption, clock speed, etc. samsungs finfets aren't as good as intel's either. By the time amd gets a 14nm finfet intel is onto 10nm.
I would simply suggest at this point that, it is absurd to presume to know what AMD is worth, only what they could be acquired for. The general economic collapse and subsequent erosion of revenues has certainly squeezed SOME of the technologies otherwise being held back, but rest assured there is much left still 'in the can', which only expresses its 'worth' nearing release to the unwashed masses, so the speak. Its all speculation.
ATI graphics by Microsoft
AMD APU's by Microsoft
Now ms will be the largest gaming company/manufacture in the world.
And they own, the components of PS4 and Xbox one:)
Microsoft would be really STUPID to buy AMD.
Not only they have never been anything else but losers, not only they never worked great on Windows, but they are also going to destroy Microsoft's relations with Intel and Nvidia. And that is a biggie.
Nokia was a borderline stupid purchase, if not for the WP strategy, but AMD???
No Way!
I'm going to just say it: For Microsoft, it's a case of "damned if you do, damned if you don't!" I definitely don't think Samsung should get their hands on them. Deus forbid if Google did.
You know Qualcomm will be using Samsung to manufacture the new 820 and 620... Right? The relationships between OEMs is far more incestuous than the black and white us and them position people are posting here. It's not personal it's business and this is how it works. Just like Samsung producing most of what goes into iPhones whilst being a direct competitor...
I would put more faith in this rumor if it was Mary Joe, Thurrott, Reuters, WSJ or Bloomberg and not kitguru.
That being said, I see a few benefits to this for MS....
With 90B+ in offshore cash AMD is a cheap. A 50% premium would put the purchase @ 3B.
They could design Cpu's to their OS needs like Apple.
They could save alot of money on Xbox, Surface hub, Azure servers, Hololens (intel gpu might be problem with FOV) & future IOT + wearables. Intel inside is not important in these applications.
Surface pros would need to remain Intel inside, however I could see an entry level Surface focused on GPU gaming performace.
AMD could use their existing ARM license to design competitive low-mid market mobile chips where every $1 saved counts.
Samsung is clearly a problem OEM! This deal would keep them from gaining any leverage over MS using the Xbox as a hostage.
Sony would have to pay Microsoft more for CPUs in the PS4. They would also have to reveal their future roadmap for a redesigned PS4 & PS5 or be forced to choose a more expensive combination of CPU & GPU vendors (Nvidia, powerpc, qcomm, intel)
Apple would likely have to do the same. They would be forced to reveal their future roadmap for Macs or choose a more expensive GPU vendor (Nvidia).
To buy AMD they would need to use onshore cash. HERE on the other hand would be tax free.
So they want to go back to their roots been a software company and they want to buy hardware company to be more software company? ¬_¬
Instead of buying the entire company they should make a deal like they made with apple during the 90's.
BUY! Don't allow Samsung to have it.
AMD has rarely made money. And Intel partnership is strong in the PC world. I don't see it.
2 Billion????????
That is a bargain, in my opinion.
I have no idea that AMD is struggling, but in this economy who wouldn't be?
MS is a software company, they should keep it that way to not dilute their waters.
Nah man, pretty sure now Microsoft change their direction towards service (cloud and mobile), if by buying AMD could make them a leader in cloud and mobile, why not?
Microsoft should totally buy AMD. I'm using a Lenovo G50-45 which runs on a 1.8 GHz quad-core AMD A6 processor with 2.5GB of graphics. I seriously think they should buy AMD and not let this deal go to Samsung.
I don't understand why AMD are even struggling they're in both the major consoles!
That's the only reason they are not struggling much more. The value processor market is hard to make money in.
No, please not Samsung!!
It would make sense if Microsoft was going full into the hardware business.
...
...
Poor Sony if that deal go through, lol.
It would be very stupid move. Will alienate Intel, their biggest ally.
Intel is already sleeping around with Apple and other companies and is more dependent on Microsoft than Microsoft is on it. I wouldn't call Intel their biggest ally.
There is new update available for fast ring 12648
This will ultimately end up benefitting Microsoft, Skype was purchased for more money than AMD is selling for. This will benefit Xbox production in the future, giving Microsoft the edge in GPU design. Especially for a 4k console, microsoft will also benefit from CPU as well. AMD was on the verge of releasing ARM chips which can benefit windows phones, and the new improved Zen APU on will benefit the Microsoft surface. This will cause the price of the surface to drop as well. All I see from this acquisition is gain if it went through.
And how did Skype turn out for them?
Not quite so well... lol.
This a bargain in comparison, of course the legalities of such an acquisition will make this quite tricky. Personally I can see Qualcomm going for it as they can give intel a major sprint for their money. AMD's only failing is that their TDP in desktop cpus are somewhat higher than intels and not to mention most laptop OEM's prefer intel cpus...
Precisely.
Why do you say Skype didn't turn out well for them? I was under the impression that Skype is doing very well. Isn't it the leading VoiP client in the world?
Thought that was a Cisco job..?
Buy it.
Don't think it's a good idea. AMD have been struggling for years and sure, the gpus are in the xbone and ps4 but, frankly, the offerings are better from competitors. There is no endgame. This wouldn't end up in a surface - the Intel and indeed nvidia Maxwell offerings are better for battery and performance... Dunno. I personally see this as a waste. MSFT are moving to services - this doesn't fit in there at all. The xbone has sold less than the ps4 - ps4 so what, instead of innovating and maybe actually going for a Maxwell apu and creating a more powerful xbone... Charge them for each ps4 sold going forward? There goes credibility. Msfts bottom line is more than healthy to just ignore this and it's services divisions revenue generation DWARFS any of its xbone, wp, surface and ad divisions combined. This just seems like chaff that will end up being written off. AMD have lost the plot. They keep trying to take that gpu crown and the Fury gpu, on tests, gets blown by the 980ti of all things. That company has been struggling for a while, the ati acquisition didn't help overall and ... Write-off.
Well AMD did sell ATI Mobility division to Qualcomm, the basis of which is what we know as the adreno gpus. I hope Qualcomm go for it, they can leverage their mobile know how to gain traction into the ultra book + tablet segment thus giving Intel much needed competition. Especially if they are able include a LTE modem on die (something intel hasn't had much success overall compared to Qualcomm).
The dark horse here, is MediaTek they could totally come out of the blue and take it.
Agree with everything you just said.
Ultimately, if Microsoft buys AMD they at least have a chance to make it benefit them. If any other company buys AMD it will just be used to strengthen competing platforms offerings. If Qualcomm or Samsung buys AMD, Android will just become a stronger alternative to Windows. If we could count on seeing intel Atom chips in Windows Phones as Intel move into the mobile space, it might seem less necessary for MS to buy AMD.
But Qualcomm is what most wp devices use. That's got nothing to do with android. Besides, considering how low the WP sales numbers are, I doubt that's even a consideration. MSFT can afford to buy parts and will probably get preferential deals for parts. They don't need to be encumbered by a struggling chip manufacturer and all the logistics that come with that, foundries etc.
Anything to make Sony pony fanboys cry.
There is no guarantee this will turn the market on its ear but I think with proper vision this could be beneficial to Microsoft in the long term.
I was looking at the ASUS Zenfone 2 and for all the things reviewers have said about it, one thing nobody seems to be complaining about is the pair of the Atom Z3580 and 4 GB of RAM (I've been wondering if we can expect a similarly spec'ed Windows Phone using Atom processors).
Intel is making chips that power Microsofts competition, so one of the best defenses Microsoft can mount is being capable of building the best chip for their own services. Back when Steve Jobs famously said "if you care about software, you care about hardware" (I think that is close to an exact quote) he was describing the world we live in now even more so than the world he lived in when he said it.
At the end of the day, Microsoft needs a standard to build to. Having to build toward what an external chip manufacturer is capable of will not continue to bear fruit going forward. The Galaxy S6 is a speed beast but Android is not necessarily as aligned with the Samsung Exynos processor as it is with Qualcomm hardware. Microsoft can only benefit from greater synergy between the software and the hardware.
Yes Microsoft please buy it
I can't see the need for Microsoft to buy AMD, it would make sense for Qualcomm.
I mean, it would save them a ton of money on chips they already buy (and will buy for the next 8 years or so) for Xbox One, and presumably they could incorporate the chips into Surface tablets and maybe someday Lumia phones too. Sounds like a lot of cost-saving potential.
I don't think the deal would go through, though, given the deals AMD has with Microsoft's direct competitors (AMD also supplies the chips to PS4, for instance). So the deal would probably get struck down.
I agree Nakazul, out of the listed potential buyers Qualcomm would seem like a win win scenario for MS. A company they have an existing strong relationship with, no direct competition in product lines and would hopefully challenge Intel and Arm dominance.
Sammy is rich
I think AMD is ripe for the picking. They are working on their next gen Zen x64, K12 AArch64 ARM & GCN HSA architectures. Microsoft could easily get their hands on these techs. If these are really competitive on Performance/TDP, it could seriously give Intel, Qualcomm a run for their money.
Really hope Microsoft buys it!
And then they can put a better graphic card in Xbox cheaper.
No they can't. They can make the NEXT xbox better, but the current specs have to remain the same or developers will jump.
It's cool. The other day, I was thinking about MS having it's own chip manufacturing division to have a better software/hardware optimization in 1st party devices and maybe better benchmarks and battery efficiency. Look at what Samsung is doing with exynos. Not to mention AMD's prowess in graphics and console. I'm not sure it will help Microsoft in mobile segment since even Intel has a hard time breaking into mobile Soc space but hey, everyone has to start somewhere.
Two or three articles below., comments section was full of predictions Tha MS were going to sell their phones and never make a Surface again.
Do you really think that hw-division will be merged to Windows division without any cuts? These small changes of online division most likely would not warrant "though choices" .
MS selling chips? Not gonna happen. But if purchase specifically for manufacture special chips for in House products, then should buy.
Without AMD, we will be using the Pentium 2 now....Hope Intel won t play alone :S
Sadly, AMD never really get the credit for what they've done for the tech industry....
Just buy the GPU business and leave out the server business to Qualcomm= the best next gen Xbox+ better control over GPU optimization for windows on PCs = Microsoft will become the god of gaming
GPU business is also the one with any value. I bet they would pay a bit extra to keep CPU business out of the deal.
Done
What if we get Lumia with amd??
AMD APU's are nowhere near as ready for mobile devices like smartphones compared to Intel's Atom SoC. But perhaps with Microsoft's help, AMD could enter the mobile market and together with Intel, they could flood the market with more x86 powered smartphones and eventually defeat ARM.
Yes please, I have grown accustomed to AMD cpu and gpu in the past few years. Having Ms run it and put its resources means we will finally have heated battles between and and Intel once again.
I rather Microsoft invest in a video sharing company like Vimeo or Vidder
+730
Or start a YouTube competitor from scratch. One can dream.
You don't remember Soapbox?
Vimeo is your best bet... I mean starting from scratch is the worst case scenario
But MSFT loves to start from scratch.
Do it Microsoft
I love amd but it looks like not good
?
I completely agree with your reasons.
Oh...
Buy it Microsoft
Is AMD really doing that bad. And Qualcomm acquires AMD? Why I think it should be the other way.
Just worried about Intel if they go for AMD. Intel is also a crucial player in Microsoft's businesses. From PC to IOT.
Intel is more about everyday things, like IOT, PCs, etc. AMD is more about gamers desktops and Console etc. Not much overlap
Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
AMD are pretty huge (not intel-huge though) in the notebook market.
Not going to happen, the legalities alone will prevent that as the monopoly it would create... would just be dire for all concerned (except Intel who would be laughing all the way to the bank).
What monopoly? So long as there is at least one compeditir then its not a monopoly.
A monopoly is when 70% of the market or higher is sucked up by a single entity, you know, like Intel bribed and intimidated their way into being.
Intel CPU's are so far ahead of AMD right now, its not even funny. Honestly, Intel needs some better competition. People are starting to think they are milking us cause they don't need to give us better performance for our money. Same with nVidia, actually. They both need more competition.
Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
Couldn't Microsoft give their partners for windows products a good deal on the chips and hardware in order to pass regulations
I love AMD, All my computers are AMD CPU & GPU or APU. THIS IS AWESOME
What about their partnership with Intel?
Do you not think with their increasing focus on Linux and Android that has begun to sour that relationship?
Intel, NVIDIA and all other companies affected by this will come together to build an OS or Linux distro to beat windows os.
Cool story bro.
Do you think they haven't already been trying?
Yes, those Linux distros have been a real threat over the, wait for it... decades!
HAHAHA throwing another linux distro into the mix will just further fragment the linux ecosystem
meanwhile ... back in the real world
Lol
In Shia LeBeouf's words, just "DO IT"! :D
If Microsoft really acquires AMD, Microsoft can be the next Apple. You see, Apple makes their own chip (Apple A7), their own software (Mac OS dan iOS), and their own hardware (Macbook, iPad, and iPhone). Microsoft could do this, too. Microsoft would make their own chip (AMD-based), their own software (Windows dan Windows Mobile), and their own hardware (Xbox, Surface, and Lumia). Way to go Microsoft!
And look what have apple become. I dont think that's a good idea
Apple has become wealthiest company in the world..
They're the wealthiest company in the world because they have a complete walled garden ecosystem and they don't give anyone in their entire supply chain any profits. They set the wholesale prices of their hardware high and enforce an RRP just a fraction higher. Apple are wealthy because they're extremely selfish.
None of the above applies to Microsoft.
"They're the wealthiest company in the world because they have a complete walled garden ecosystem and they don't give anyone in their entire supply chain any profits." Really because Apple suppliers have been having record profits lately....
"Apple are wealthy because they're extremely selfish." - Apple is a business, not a charity. The only reason for its exantance is to make as much money as possible, for as long as possible, and to provide value for its shareholders. Nothing more, nothing less. Same applies to Microsoft, dont try to pretend otherwise.
There is something called "mission", you know?. Micosoft's one needs more than just profit: it needs a huge marketshare, all kind of products, from the 'low-end' to the 'top-tier', and that requires partners.
Apple don't need such things, because they don't care about how to reach everyone: they just want the people it takes to win as much money as they can. Inside that model, small businesses, poor people and the governments from the 3rd world don't count, despite their computing needs.
So basally your sayung Apple and Microsoft use different strategies to make money, but both of them do, just In different ways.
Microsoft need huge market share so they can make a profit...
Um a corporations main goal is to acquire profits plain and simple. They aren't humanoid with no emotions. They are an entity who's purpose is to profit and create revenue. That's it. Apple has it nailed down. That's the goal for companies including Microsoft.
Posted via the Windows Central App on my Lumia 640 XL
And that is why I mourn the loss of Nokia. A company with morals and one that displayed a real duty of care to the people who worked for it, and for the people who bought its products.
Microsoft and Apple are borne in that vicious American cycle of business that literally only cares for profits.
The world would be better if companies were forced to behave as Nokia once did.
Nokia failed and had to sell its main business because it wasn't follow the main rule of business, to make money! The world companies would have no money and have to.sell them selves off it that where so (just like Nokia)
Microsoft. The saviour of the sinking ships.
wait no AMD powered Commodore Amiga learning machines going to be released now? I was saving my pennies and everything!
Do it
They'd be the ultimate hardware/software company!
Such a sad decline from AMD's once glory days with the AMD Athlon64. Seems like AMD hasn't really caught up since those days.
I know
Read up why that is. Intel knocked them down through shady practices. Its quite sad really.
Yup.... couldn't play fair, they knew they would have a fight on their hands instead they went for the lowest sucker punch they could muster.
No it actually started with Intel Core CPU and went down from there when AMD said making a quad core out of 2 dual cores would amount to nothing and actually Intel's Q serious quads spanked AMD like never before.
Definitely shady practices of Intel essentially bribing OEMs not to use AMD was a main reason for it, but also the inability of AMD to adapt to the multicore market fast enough didn't help their issues. I remember AMD64s destroying Intel Pentiums in the benchmarks.
All the Microsoft/windows phone rumors today I feel like I need a break
If Microsoft buys it, my next build will be AMD.
It sounds good for their business and for marketing.
the sheer amounts of license revenue Microsoft collects right now is more then they gain from some of their core businesses if they buy AMD those numbers will simply sky rocket that's a big deal
Imagine them collecting $100 for every PS4 sold.
That's to much. LOL
According to AMD's own financials, the "sheer amount of license revenue" is not enough to make them profitable, and total revenue is only about $5 billion per year, versus Microsoft's revenue of over $20 billion per quarter, or over 10 times the revenue of AMD. Buying AMD will, most likely, be a net drag on Microsoft's financials for a year or so until they can realize the cost savings in new products.
How?! AMD is barely profitable...and gets royally spanked in pretty much all areas aside from console gaming!
Nvidia does better GPU's, and Intel does better CPU's.
For a start furyx beats the NVIDIA titan x, so that lies there in 4k gaming, titan x only benefits in 8k gaming
Don't know where you saw that as benchmarks show the gtx 980ti spanks the fury while drawing less power and generating less heat (it's not hobbled to a water cooler)...
.
Doesn't beat a titan x anyway, think I'd argue is not meant to, as per: Rockpapershotgun, pcgamer and digit forums and toms hardware - the fury and 980 Ti are equivalent and both are great. The titan x is a whole other beast at an insane price bracket.
So which has the best bang for buck? Hint, its NOT and never has been nvidia. And until 4K or even 8K becomes the norm there is no benefit in buying a card that has a huge part of its potential performance sitting idle because there aren't enough poixels, Both AMD and nvidia chips are far more powerful than can be delivered at 60fps on a 1080 screen.
And AMD does way better than both of the others when you combine the two. Integtarion is where the world is heading.
Seams this would threaten their Intel relationship drastically. But what would Intel do? Stop making processors for PCs? Probably their largest market by a wide margin.
Servers need processors too. And even if MS would buy that sinking ship AMD it would not affect OEM's that actually make most of the PC's.
If MS buys them out, it will be great for their mobile and gaming market. I'd rather have AMD APU than Intel on a Surface. They are better performance on games than Intel chips.
Not anymore.
Ah haha. You been smoking some bad stuff man. Intel's HD6000 GPU is pretty bad considering you're paying more than twice the $ for a similkar performing chip with it.
Intel hasn't had a good/compeditive gpu since the days if the i740 (or whatever it was called)
It it, really?! Cus as far as I know even the phenom II processors beat the new APUs in performance.. And you are comparing APUs to the Intel core processors :/
And what benefit does better gaming have for the businesses at whom the Surface is really aimed?
I prefer AMD over Intel! This would be an awesome move surface with new hbm and kavari infrastructure, which I still ahead of Intel
Intel i7s and i5s are so much better overall. AMDs lack multitasking power. But are almost half the price.
When comparing i7 4770 to 8350, they do have very competitive scores, amd are not far behind they just didn't release against 2 gens of i7. If amd new Zen chips come out next year with the benches like they say then we should be in for a treat!
But you're not taking everything into account there. You say those two solutions have similar 'Scores' but you overlook that i7s overclock much higher, pull less power (which translates to $ over time) and can perform at similar levels without as much demand for cooling. All these factors, even on the desktop, make the Intel solution cheaper and more flexible for different purposes or builds. Then if you look at mobile, where efficiency and heat are a large part of the big picture, Intel is so far ahead of AMD that AMD isn't really relevant for most applications.
Only for the sake of buying...this would make Microsoft and Intel direct competitors...if any deal remotely happens...and Microsoft has nothing to gain from it...what only for making chips for Xbox and producing GPUs...but I can see it helping Azure and all the data centres they are planning..if they can shell out 2 billion for a game...then AMD is street cheap for 2 billion
Intel isnt making any friends anyway.
I'm all for Microsoft getting AMD if you can trust them to do the right thing, but if you look at what they did with Nokia's Lumia division, I not sure it's a good thing
So what did they do to Nokia?
I think it's the right decision.
Nokia weren't making the world's most-used GPUs, powering five of the six main consoles in the last two generations.
They're doing things properly, which Nokia in the end did not.
Doing things properly? They haven't released a high end phone in more than 12 months. They released the 535 with a terrible touchscreen that still has ongoing issues....
They have released multiple product lines that crossover and confuse the public....and most critically of all, MS has stagnated for years with their OS development.
They tied Nokia in to a licencing deal, then gave them a sub par operating system which made it impossible for Nokia to succeed. For example, the 1020 shouldn't have been hobbled with a slow processor. However, it was, because Microsoft didn't provide timely support for improved processors.
Microsoft were lucky to get Nokia into a licencing deal. Nokia made Windows Phone what it is today...
I agree with you. MS has taken too long to implement basic features that have been available in other OS or a long time, we have only received cosmetic changes. I love WP, but MS entered the game late and has been to slow to imporve it.
Nokia, just lost their way and become stagnant.. when that happens you become irrelevant. Just take a look at blackberry... they could have hit it out of the park with the playbook but that was half finished. One would have hoped Microsoft saw that and wouldn't have released the RT tablets half baked.
How does getting into chips help them with there core buisness..
The advantage would be dramatically reduced costs for Xbox and probably AMD integration (and cost savings) in Surface/Lumia line. The disadvantages for the market as a whole are spelled out elsewhere. I, for one, hope they do not do it, but if the only choice is one of the 3 companies mentioned in the article, Microsoft may be the "least bad" option. Same as with the purchase of Nokia. An successful, independent Nokia would have been better, but MS purchasing them was better than any of the realistic outcomes at the time.
Nokia is successful and independent. Loss making division was sold to MS.
And yet they have said they're getting into smartphones as soon as their agreement with MS ends.
Nokia makes nice enterprise stuff, but do we really need yet another range of boring and buggy/crashy/slowy android devices?
I hope it doesn't go ahead, either. It really wouldn't benefit MSFT enough to warrant the billions spend to acquire AMD.
It would be cheaper to pay AMD to design chips especially optimised the XBOX.
I'm in love with the Microsoft brand just as much as the rest, but as a PC builder this is drawing the line a little too far. I don't feel like I could trust them enough to retain enough distance from the GPU division to allow for price competition with Nvidia. They better start treating PC builder's with more respect if this ever indeed comes into fruition. Bundling a free Windows 10 lisence with every off the shelf component would be an excellent start.
Yes yes yes yes yes
Being offered jobs at Intel, and seeing the animosity Intel employees have towards Microsoft, I say let them buy AMD and put Intel out of business. Intel has higher quality chips but they suck. And for gamers, well they could just acquire their CPU division.
I never knew Intel employees treat Microsoft bad,what gives? Any sources?
I always saw Intel and Microsoft as buddies. Huh.
Pages