AMD buys ATi for $5.5 Billion

[Rob Williams]

It's official, AMD has the means to purchase ATi. Now it's up to some groups to approve, such as the shareholders and the Canadian Competition Bureau. I pretty much summed up that's going through my head here, but I am interested to see what you guys think. This change could result in huge things happening. AMD didn't purchase ATi just for shits and giggles. I have to admit, I am intriqued by some of their unified plans for 2008.

 

[madmat]

Ok, I'm confused. They're talking about integrating the GPU into the CPU but the whole reason that they moved to hardware video acceleration was to remove the overhead from the CPU and it's subsystems like the memory and such. I kind of see that as a giant leap backwards. This would also mean that AMD systems would become legacy ATI video systems forcing you to go another route if you don't want or like ATI.

I bet the Intel camp is giggling it's asses off at that thought considering that nVidia owns 55% of the discrete GPU market.

 

[Rob Williams]

They're talking about integrating the GPU into the CPU but the whole reason that they moved to hardware video acceleration was to remove the overhead from the CPU and it's subsystems like the memory and such.

Budget PC's only maybe? I haven't read hardly -anything- on this today though, so I haven't a clue. Busy working on content

 

[madmat]

Up until 30 minutes ago I was busy screwing down a floor so I could afford to finally upgrade to an AMD. I'm sure pleased as punch to see the prices drop at last, I can now afford to get that 3500+ I was eyeballing...well, tomorrow at least after I get paid.

 

[Jakal]

I think the biggest thing going now is the Media PC. You have computer functionality built into a home theatre system. ATi's been busy working on such programs, and having AMD as a backer, it could easily control that market. Most older people are "afraid" of computers. They don't know how they work, or what to do with them. With this merger I forsee the HTPC as becoming one sided, but also becoming exponetially better. The HTPC can help the previous generation become less afraid of using one.

I seriously doubt AMD is going to push nVidia away. The nforce chipsets are what make AMD so popular today. The bandwidth is growing with each revision. The speeds are ever incresing. AMD would be at a great loss if nVidia support was gone.

This merger will also give ATi the ability to become a performance choice once again.

 

[madmat]

The thing is that HTPCs are not selling well right now. For them to become big in the market there will have to be a lot of streamlining in the apps and a huge marketing push.

Yes, I know that among the tech-savvy crowd they are becoming popular but to the less PC oriented folks that are the majority of PC buyers a HTPC is a black box of mystery that can be better replaced by an handfull of easier to operate products such as game consoles, A/V systems, TiVO and DVD players.

I hope that this merger does push the HTPC to new heights and gain it widespread acceptance but that's something that wil remain to be seen.

 

[Rory Buszka]

I think that the biggest problem with the home theater PC is that in order to really control the system, you need to get behind a keyboard and have a mouse in your hand. I agree that more transparent control systems are going to be required. In addition, more manufacturers of powered loudspeaker systems need to begin to offer products that can cater to the sound quality requirements of home theater. If these two elements can get in place (one manufacturer, Canton, already has some self-powered hi-fi speakers), I think that the HTPC could replace the receiver as the central component in a home theater system.

I'm not sure if I like these mega-mergers happening in the industry. It seems like we're going to a one-board architecture, where the VPU and GPU are on one board, and once Intel purchases Nvidia, the user will have even less choice of what GPU to use.