AMD & ATi are now one, but what does this mean?

cafuddled

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Mar 13, 2006
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I believe that AMD buying out ATi is a good thing but what does this mean in the long term for desktop hardware?

If you think about the state of the hardware market just now, there is a mix of companies that manufacture products in 2 or more sectors for the desktop PC market. An example of this would be Intel. Intel does not only manufacture CPUs they also manufacture motherboards, network cards and built in graphics and sound adaptors. The system works very well at the moment, with Intel creating motherboards that are compatible with SLI and Nvidia making SLI motherboards that are compatible with AMD processors.

Since the Nforce 2 days Nvidia have hit it big in the motherboards market selling more than any other manufacturer bar Intel. AMD has also profited from Nvidia’s success with the Nforce range of chipsets, as most of them are AMD exclusives (apart from the Nforce 4). ATi has also started manufacturing motherboards, again supporting mainly AMD processors. But now the processor the Nforce motherboard was based on is now part of its competition, the same goes for Intel. Will we be seeing any new ATi crossfire motherboard with Intel CPUs stuck in the middle, or likewise will we be seeing any more Nvidia motherboards with AMD’s stuck in them.

So what do you think will happen now, will it end up being a case where. If you want an ATi graphics card in your system that you will later want to turn in to a crossfire set up that your motherboard must be ATi and your processor must also be AMD? Equally will it not be the same on the other side of the fence where if you want 2 Nvidia cards in your system will you not have to get an Nvidia/Intel motherboard and an Intel CPU?

What do you lot think will happen?
 

m25

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May 23, 2006
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So what do you think will happen now, will it end up being a case where. If you want an ATi graphics card in your system that you will later want to turn in to a crossfire set up that your motherboard must be ATi and your processor must also be AMD? Equally will it not be the same on the other side of the fence where if you want 2 Nvidia cards in your system will you not have to get an Nvidia/Intel motherboard and an Intel CPU?

Don't think it will go this way; it would limit both sides (Intel and AMD) to their own CPU market share. Competition can be tighter but not restricted.
 

TheHammer

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May 11, 2006
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As of now, its not worth thinking of AMD and ATI as one, because they're not. You need to wait till the end of this year for the shareholder's meeting to see whether or not the shareholders approve this merger, which they may very well not.