AMD's 'Plan of Attack'

[Rob Williams]

Don't you think Intel will be much more competitive this time around, given that it's more a technology game?

When we introduced Athlon (in 1999), that was a better product. They reacted by making a Pentium 4, saying we're going to go all the way to 10 gigahertz. That didn't work.

This crummy architecture they called the Pentium 4, they struggled with. They're now introducing a new set of products, but it's still the same basic architecture. They have a better core, but I think what's happening is the battle is no longer about the core. Customers are looking for architectural performance, innovation.

This is the second AMD interview I've seen recently with such spunky answers. "Crummy architecture", hah. Classy!

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jun2006/tc20060605_019097.htm

Interesting read though.

 

[Greg King]

I am not sure if I would have called his thrashing of Intel classy, perhaps classic. He might have forgotten that Intel is AMD's much larger competator. I really do hope that AMD's new architecture blows the doors off the CPU industry but I also want Intel to do just as well. Better CPUs are better for you and I and when there is close competition, prices fall to make their hardware more appealing. What a great industry we work in. Always changing, always shit talking.

Mr. Ruiz is either extremely confident in AMD's future roadmaps or crazy as hell. I am hoping it's the first.

 

[Rob Williams]

I meant for Classy to be sarcastic.

"Always changing, always shit talking."

Yeah, AMD is awful good at that. My favorite quote came from Damon Munzy, "They chose the name "Core" for their new product which I don't really understand. It would be like Chevy coming out with the new engine line up for trucks they call "Cylinder."<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

 

[madmat]

I'm just interested to see where all this leads. Funny how times change though, a few years ago AMD was the budget option and now Intel is. If Co(r)nro(w)e is as good as it's looking to be and they have a budget version available AMD better have a damn big rabbit hidden in their hat.

 

[Greg King]

Perhaps they all wear gigantic hats.

 

[madstork91]

Mr. Ruiz is either extremely confident in AMD's future roadmaps or crazy as hell. I am hoping it's the first.

I hope its both. Crazy ppl are on average more intelligent.

 

[Greg King]

Then consider me nuts!

Wait....who said that?

 

[leecho7]

How do you all know my language! Get out of my head!

 

[Jakal]

That may be true, but Intel is accelerating its road map. It looks like you'll be months behind in terms of process technology over the next few years, which could give them some performance advantages. How do you fight that perception in the marketplace?

We were a year behind in 90 nanometers and nobody ever asked me if Opteron (AMD's server chip) was a 65-nanometer chip or 90-nanometer chip. They just asked, "How well does Opteron perform?" -- and they liked what they saw!

I don't see that as very different this time around. We're going to have great products and people are not going to care.

Single best part of that article. People want performance, pure and simple. I've got a lot of confidence in what AMD will produce, and I'm sure it'll be a great contender. Why should AMD go to a 65nm process if they can get the same or better performance out of a 90nm chip? It'll be interesting to see what AMD has up their sleeves.