Could AMD be looking at making a combined cpu/graphics chip package

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DVdoctor
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Joined: Apr 1 1999

There have been some rumours about a tie up or acquisition of ATI by AMD. A lot of folks say no way. We are more open minded.

If you look at MOORE'S law and how it was being followed up until recently, we had speed up by 2x every 18 months or so on processors. We think that we are in the beginning of the shift from this model to more modest increases in the processor raw speed, but doubling the number of cpu's on each processor. We have seen the dual core, and the now announced quad core, but at the same time, AMD COULD also be thinking of adding a gpu along with the cpu. It is no secret that moving things on to the same die inproves performance significantly due to the lack of need to go off die, and the associated logic. Pci e can be fast but on die interfaces would be much faster. ATI via the x box deal has shown a willingness to license the gpu core design for other people to manufacture.

So could we we an combined cpu gpu package from AMD, and if they were to be going in this direction would it not make sense to look at a acquisition.

DVDOCTOR has always argued for better utilization of the gpu chip in nle applications.
MicroSOFT with directx10 and vista is making the integration of the gpu access into programs easier and more standard.

HMM could be a very interesting year, with INTEL looking like it might win the first round of sheer horsepower with Conroe AMD might come back in the next round with a couple of deadly punches.. inexpensive dual dual core mother boards, better integrated, multi cored graphics.... after all at the end of the day it is not how it is done, but what performance the various offerings deliver.

We will see how it unfolds

Sharyn