Former AMD Exec: Even I Wouldn't Buy AMD

By Jane McEntegart
published

Intel says even AMD wouldn't buy AMD CPUs five years ago.

Despite a settlement late last year that saw Intel pay AMD $1.25 billion in damages, the Federal Trade Commission is still pursuing a case against Intel regarding anti-competitive business practices.

In a recent filing to the FTC Intel has cited a former AMD executive who admitted that if it wasn't for company loyalty, he "would never buy AMD" when it came to purchasing a personal system.

CNet reports Intel cites a 2004 internal AMD communication from former AMD Executive Vice President Henri Richard, the company's then-highest-ranking sales executive who said, "If you look at it with an objective set of eyes, you would never buy AMD. I certainly would never buy AMD for a personal system, if I wasn't working here."

Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy told CNet News that the company got the internal AMD communication through the discovery process and that over time, "more and more [of] this kind of information will be available in the case."

Intel filed the papers on December 31, 20 days after it paid AMD the $1.25 billion in damages that the two settled on in November.

Read more about Intel's FTC filing here.

Jane McEntegart
121 Comments Comment from the forums
  • deadlockedworld
    I wish we knew the reason he wouldnt buy AMD...

    Probably because hes an overpaid prick that can afford premium intel systems?
    Reply
  • yannifb
    Wth... back then AMD CPUs were better...
    Reply
  • noob2222
    He is probably saying this so he can get hired by Intel, or Intel already paid him to say it.
    Reply
  • christop
    Former pissed off exec should be the title.. He doesn't say why he would not purchase amd? So there for he has no point..
    Reply
  • Major7up
    And that is exactly why he should NOT be working for AMD. He does not seem to know AMD's products very well with such a statement.
    Reply
  • michaelahess
    Like a sales exec would really know anything about, well, anything. Sales folk are always the same....
    Reply
  • godwhomismike
    That is all sorts of wrong. For us folks on a very tight shoestring budget, who want a relatively powerful desktop with quad core, that $99 AMD X4 620 CPU seems to fit the bill.
    Reply
  • cabose369
    I think he doesn't know what he is talking about. Especially as a sales exec.

    AMD has always been marketed as a value alternative to Intel. Not paying Intel's premium price while being a processor that is more than capable of doing what the average consumer does with their computer.

    Intel charges customers more for products that are faster than AMD in most cases but the average customer doesn't need to spend that much extra when an AMD would do the same work at a lesser price (often $100 less than a comparable unit). Take it from someone who sells computers for a living, given the choice customers take the AMD's because it's cheaper.

    And don't say I am an AMD fanboi because almost every processor I own is Intel.
    Reply
  • sunflier
    I don't buy it. 5 yrs ago AMD's Socket939 Athlon 64 was killing Intel.
    Reply
  • godwhomismike
    Wait, aren't executives generally unknowledgeable overpaid douchebags, who are only in the position they're in because of family and political connection. Seems like that's how the large American companies are run today.
    Reply