Nvidia: Expect x86 Processor in 2-3 Years
The rift between Intel and Nvidia is about to get much, much bigger.
For years, many have speculated that Nvidia would eventually release its own x86-based processor. While rumors can come and go, one is hard pressed to ignore Nvidia CPU talk when it's coming from an executive inside the Santa Clara, CA company.
While taking questions at a Morgan Stanley conference in San Francisco yesterday, Nvidia's Michael Hara (Senior VP of investor relations) said an Nvidia-branded x86 CPU is a certainly within the next several years. “The question is not so much I think if; I think the question is when," said Hara. “I think some time down the road it makes sense to take the same level of integration that we’ve done with Tegra."
Nvidia's ARM-based Tegra CPU combines all computing functions (general purpose, video, etc.) onto one piece of silicon, and is expected to make a splash in the smartphone market, and may even find its way into other mobile devices. "Tegra is by any definition a complete computer on a chip, and the requirements of that market are such that you have to be very low power, very small, but highly efficient," said Hara. "So in that particular state it made a lot of sense to take that approach, and someday it’s going to make sense to take the same approach in the x86 market as well.”
While seeing an Nvidia x86 CPU would certainly shake up the marketplace, Hara says it wouldn't necessarily be for high demand machines. Instead, he believes that keeping high performance computing discrete will allow for the best performance. He proposes an Nvidia x86 chip for low power computing, like netbooks and MIDs. Sure, an Nvidia "Extreme Edition" CPU would be killer, but an offering from Nvidia in the mobile computing market would still give Intel and the Atom processor a run for their money.
With Nvidia and Intel already butting heads on discrete graphics, embedded graphics, chipsets and licensing, adding CPU design and manufacturing to the list just fuels what seems like an eternal technology rivalry.

I like that...
This cracked me up so much. I fell out of my chair.
AMD has an increadibly strong server market and well performing grahpics market to keep it afloat until they can finish the catch-up. They have the Phenom II which is keeping up with intels latest, which is a testiment of how well they're doing in such hard times.
Nvidia will never lead the performance pack in x86, and it has a little to do with experience. The best they could possibly do would be to purchase via for their x86 liciense, and then apply their graphics and effeciency knowledge to the nano. But without that, every competitor they'll be up against has 20+ years of experience in the x86 market over them. Lol, and the "next generation of greatness" wont be with Nvidia.
Fucking fan boys....
Anyone else making x86 technology must license it from Intel. Intel does not have to license to Nvidia if it does not want to do so.
[ remember, more product's competition, better prices and performance, better for us ]
Nvidia can probably make x86 processors without violating Intel's x86 license because the patents on the 486 processor will expire this year. Intel Atom processors' design are very simple, very much like a pentium or a 486 processor, which is why Nvidia can make their own x86 processors based on the 486 processors without violating Intel's IP. They could've made a processor that integrate an x86 processor and the ION platform in one die and sell it for cheap.
I hope they'll enter the high end segment also because more competition is needed there.
After reading Angelini's article...this made me lol a little. :-D
LOL!!!! thumbs up!
Awesome... just awesome.
LOL!