Will nvidia ever enter the x86 market?

[cheesesubs]

just reviewing the specification of fermi core and it seems more cpu than just a gpu. so i wander will nvidia enter x86 and make competition with intel/amd? i know that fermi's cuda architecture + netburst trace cache even core i7 will meet its match. so will this senario ever happan?

before you guys start arguing about the licence of x86 i must mention this: nvidia acquired stexar- formerly known as the oragon division in intel processor team, oragon division was dismiss during the massive lay off in 2005. but the key people of the division: randy stack is now leader engineer in nvidia's processor division and the designer of cuda architecture. whether stexar is legitimate or not they did hold the right of netburst architecture. if the legal issue being solved nvidia will eventually become a threat to intel.

 

[masterjaw]

IMO, that will be answered as soon as they make that fake Fermi they presented a reality.

 

[leon2006]

Fermi chip just came through a 2nd tape out to address bugs.

 

[cheesesubs]

Fermi chip just came through a 2nd tape out to address bugs.

as for this information, i have not heard of such news about fermi got buged. or did i miss something?? as far as i dislike nvidia i still want to see how they going to put up a fight with intel...benchmarking will be more interesting than just intel-amd only..

 

[jimmysmitty]

Sure. Without a x86 license its easy to enter the x86..... wait a second.......

They can but not with a true x86 CPU if they can't get a license from Intel.

 

[ElMoIsEviL]

nVIDIA see the PC Gaming market as going the way of the dinosaur, they see their chipset sells pretty much disappear (no license from Intel and AMD working to provide for itself) and they see Intel in the way of them building x86 based products due to lack of an x86 license.

They want to make an x86 product so bad. So right now they're the big complainers to the FTC (not AMD they're out of it now).

 

[cheesesubs]

Sure. Without a x86 license its easy to enter the x86..... wait a second.......

They can but not with a true x86 CPU if they can't get a license from Intel.

wait... wasn't stexar hold the x86 license after they split from intel? that means nvidia acquired stexar and suceed the x86 license as well. also they acquired idt(maker of winchip back to 90's) and rise technology(acquired by sis in 2000 but later on sis sold it to nvidia in 2004). so pretty much they have right to product their own x86(but not x64.)

however they will face trouble as x86 only support 4gb of memory addressed and em64t and amd64 were hold by both amd and intel. pae was also hold by intel as well(people always argue em64t was amd 64 but em64t was actually a x86 pae extension with some part of ia 64). as x86 start outdated intel should have give it out already as nvidia wont have any way to break throught that 32bit ceillin..

 

[jamesgoddard]

Sure. Without a x86 license its easy to enter the x86..... wait a second.......

They can but not with a true x86 CPU if they can't get a license from Intel.

the basic 32bit x86 instruction set is out of patent, so nothing stopping Nvidia making a CPU... They will not be able to touch (yet) any MMX, SSE or x64 tech yet.

 

[unclefester]

I think Nvidia may have to wait a bit longer to get their hands on the x86 architecture without going through Intel.


US Patent 5655139 - Execution unit architecture to support X86 instruction set and X86 segmented addressing

US Patent Issued on August 5, 1997
Estimated Patent Expiration Date: Icon_subject May 26, 2015

http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5655139/fulltext.html

 

[randomizer]

NVIDIA could easily make PhysX64® technology to compete with x86-64.

 

[cheesesubs]

NVIDIA could easily make PhysX64® technology to compete with x86-64.

but not compatible to x86 legacy mode that's for sure(only software accleration.). too bad all x86 technology they have was netburst...nothing more....

Perhaps they should try and enter the console market, have everything nvidia. I am sure their legion of fans will snap them up.

then they will face ibm's powerpc line. and powerpc seemd to be cheaper and more powerful than stand alone tesla(based arm). plus they have nearly no experience on risc than cisc.