rumour:NVIDIA PRODUCING CPU

[rounit]

Rumors flew this week, prompted by a report on the Inquirer, that Nvidia is considering a plunge into that rare club of x86 CPU companies.

The report claimed that Nvidia, which currently makes graphics chips and chipsets, recently launched a design project to develop their own CPU based on the x86 instruction set that Intel and Advanced Micro Devices' processors also use. The thinking is that with AMD's purchase of ATI, and Intel's hints about further integration of the PC processor and graphics chip, Nvidia needs to be prepared for an era of integrated designs that would relegate its own discrete graphics chips to a smaller market.

The problem with the theory is that Nvidia doesn't have a license to make x86 CPUs. Intel controls those patents and has cross-licensing agreements in place with only three companies: AMD, IBM, and National Semiconductor. Nvidia does have a license to Intel's front-side bus so it can build chipsets for Intel's processors, but the CPU license is a whole other story.

Nvidia would potentially be exposing itself to legal action from any companies with x86 CPU patents if it went down such a road, but they could also try and work out a licensing agreement long before such a chip ever came to life.

Source: http://news.com.com/2061-11516_3-6128186.html

[Third Eye]

Thanks for the info !

[hemant_mathur]

Nvidia can produce them if Intel buys it out ... which i think is a possibiblity considering AMD bought Ati, nvidia'a rival.

[Sourabh]

Originally Posted by hemant_mathur

Nvidia can produce them if Intel buys it out ... which i think is a possibiblity considering AMD bought Ati, nvidia'a rival.

Intel wouldnt buy out anything. They are trying their own graphics+CPU integration. With AMD-ATi merger, they would shell out their own integrated platform. So nvidia finds itself left out of the market in the near future, as soon as 2008. If things have to come to this point, they should keep themselves safe. Afterall that is what OEM will want, once integrated GPU+CPU becomes a standard. I wonder how can they get licensing to produce and sell x86 CPUs. Probably this whole CPU thing is just for some mobile/small devices/consoles who knows? For them to come out of the dark and start producing kick ass CPU's to compete with conroes and 4x4's is highly unlikely.

[Ankur Gupta]

good point sourabh!

[Dink2cool]

The current technoology scenario is confusing me completly.....
1)MS making Zune,Windows Vista,Xbox is now getting ready to make processors too
2)AMD buying ATI to make integrated CPU + GPU processors
3)Intel follwing AMD in the same race and also spearheading the multicore processors race
4)Intel shifting to DDR3 platform
5)Google buying YouTube and coming up with new innovations every alternate day
6)BD ROM and HD DVD war heating up
7)Sony releasing the PS3 in the near future which is going to have the capability of installing Linux to make it work as a PC
and finally....
nVidia getting into the CPU processor market


OMG OMG OMG !!! So many upcoming discoveries/inventions/products .....methinks that the year 2006-07 will be regarded as the golden year in the history of computers....

[sabret00the]

hmm well seems like a rumour dunno maybe true