DH Interview with AMD's Jon Carvill regarding AMD takeover

Zardon · Jul 25, 2006, 08:52 AM

Read the full interview here
____________________

Yesterday the big news was that AMD bought ATI for $5.4 billion, and there have been many rumours and speculation regarding future development and changes with company practices. Last night I had a chance to speak with one of (ex) ATI's (now AMD's) most senior and respected staff members, Jon Carvill on the phone and I asked him some questions regarding the AMD takeover. Jon worked for a long time with ATI and for the last year or so has been working for AMD on various levels.

Driver Heaven: Is the long term strategy to operate as one company or two? For example, will gfx still continue to be designed in ATI's existing facilities and CPU's on AMD's or should we expect to see a merging of engineers/designers where everyone provides expertise on forthcoming products?

Jon Carvill: The merged company will operate as AMD once the transaction close. ATI will continue to manufacture its graphics processors with TSMC and UMC. AMD is very comfortable with a hybrid approach to manufacturing as evidenced by our recent success in ramping microprocessor production at Chartered Semiconductor. Certainly, we anticipate that this merger will present new and exciting ways for our engineers to collaborate in areas like mobile, commercial, digital media and emerging markets.

**dj_stick** · Jul 25, 2006, 09:16 AM

very interesting review there - sounds like people won't be punished for using nvidia gpu/chipsets on AMD systems, 'least not yet

Erroneus · Jul 25, 2006, 09:45 AM

Well i think ATI/AMD want to make chipsets for the Intel platform, but the questing is more if Intel will let'em

Tipstaff · Jul 25, 2006, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erroneus

Well i think ATI/AMD want to make chipsets for the Intel platform, but the questing is more if Intel will let'em

Nope. Not gonna happen. Like I said in the other thread, for ATI to continue making Intel chipsets would require technical knowledge on current and future CPUs, and there is no way in hell Intel would give that sort of info to ATI. Not so much that it'd be like giving your enemy the keys to the vault, but more on principal.

Then again... they are now the enemy, right?

pr0digal jenius · Jul 25, 2006, 10:19 AM

the real question, in ym mind anyways, is where will newfound "competitors" [intel, nvidia, etc] draw the line between "decreasing clientelle" and "inmproving the competition's odds" when it comes to supplying SLI for AMD platforms or integrating CrossFire into intel platforms, etc.

on the bright side....$10 says ATi won't have launch volume issus anymore

wiskerbizkit · Jul 25, 2006, 10:43 AM

I'm gonna just wait and see what happens, I think it was a bad idea. But i havent formed any solid opinions yet.

Dyre Straits · Jul 25, 2006, 10:57 AM

I read the interview. It's an interesting read.

However, I'm still not sold on the idea of a CPU company owning a GPU company. Still, a lot remains to be seen as to what actually develops. It's easy to say things in a projectional sense, and more often difficult to actually realize the fulfillment of that projection.

Zardon · Jul 25, 2006, 04:06 PM

Id like to append the fact that in my haste in posting this I referred to Jon Carvill as working for ATI. Jon hasnt worked for ATI for a year or so now but I guess the fact I knew him there for so long ... it reflected on the wording of the thread title. Jon is a really good guy actually, i have a lot of respect for him and I appreciate him taking the time right now in his (hugely) busy schedule to talk to us.

daRk_heLmet · Jul 25, 2006, 06:24 PM

After reading the 1st interview reply I fail to understand how they arent forcing AMD over Intel now. He never even answered it properly, which means he is skeptikal about the whole Intel chipset deal. Unfortunately Intel wont be allowing them to make it, and why should they? And sane company to protect its interests and stuff wont make the competitor make stuff for them. Its like the US asking NK for tech in nukes. Anyways, since my next platform will be an intel one, and since intel will kill crossfire, ATi just lost a customer (unless intel themselves make a crossfire chipset - which is also unlikely). I was looking foward to a R600 crossfire setup like next year around vista launch with Intels core2 or even their upcoming quad core. Not getting anymore. Nvidia, quad sli here I come :/

ronnn · Jul 25, 2006, 08:16 PM

I don't like the idea of less competition and the forming of mega companies. I assume to compete with intel, amd needs to grow. So on the bright side if a huge thing like intel can develop conroe, one assumes that amd/ati can make good gpus.

ChrisW · Jul 25, 2006, 08:20 PM

Since Intel canceled their agreement with ATI, what is Intel going to do about their integrated graphics? I'm under the assumption that Intel's integrated graphics is licensed technology from ATI.

Tipstaff · Jul 25, 2006, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisW

Since Intel canceled their agreement with ATI, what is Intel going to do about their integrated graphics? I'm under the assumption that Intel's integrated graphics is licensed technology from ATI.

Nope. Intels integrated video is done in house. What Intel had was a bunch of license going on with ATI for other products. One was to allow ATI to work on chipsets for Intel processors (you could do this without a license, but then you'd have no support from Intel), while another had Intel purchasing Xpress 200 chipsets for use on Intels D101GGC, and recently D102GGC2 boards. Btw, the D101GGC just so happens to be Intels highest volume selling motherboard in the entire history of the company (the fact that it was less than $75 US to buy had something to do with that).

mainman · Jul 25, 2006, 09:28 PM

So what can we expect in the future from this new company that makes this merger so useful or pleasing? I really don't see anything positive that might come out of this merger, if someone does, please state so.

daRk_heLmet · Jul 26, 2006, 04:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mainman

So what can we expect in the future from this new company that makes this merger so useful or pleasing? I really don't see anything positive that might come out of this merger, if someone does, please state so.

the oonly thing that comes out to be + is for the stockholders...thats what i just see.

ati looses all of its crossfire customers who want to get the new intels.

Tipstaff · Jul 26, 2006, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mainman

So what can we expect in the future from this new company that makes this merger so useful or pleasing? I really don't see anything positive that might come out of this merger, if someone does, please state so.

- AMD gets back into the chipset market.

- ATIs AMD chipset will be "hopefully" better now that it's in their best interest to make it so.

- AMD gets access to design technolgies that would get them even further towards shrinking their chips.

- Since AMD would have their own chipset again this opens the door for them in a market that Intel has dominated for a long time: laptops. With ATIs help AMD would be able to refine their mobile processors in order to make them that much more viable as a portable processor. Top that off with AMD now being able to offer a full set of tools, that being both the chipset and the cpu, to laptop manufacturers rather than rely on someone elses chipsets makes this one of the biggest pluses for AMD to acquire ATI.

mike2h · Jul 26, 2006, 07:10 AM

hoping this means sli support for my 975 based mb.

RIV@NVX · Jul 26, 2006, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tipstaff

- Since AMD would have their own chipset again this opens the door for them in a market that Intel has dominated for a long time: laptops. With ATIs help AMD would be able to refine their mobile processors in order to make them that much more viable as a portable processor. Top that off with AMD now being able to offer a full set of tools, that being both the chipset and the cpu, to laptop manufacturers rather than rely on someone elses chipsets makes this one of the biggest pluses for AMD to acquire ATI.

This one sounds interesting. A year ago or so I wanted to buy AMD-based laptop, but usually they were shipped with SIS chipset with crappy integrated graphics. Not acceptable. If this is going to fix that, good.

The most important thing I'm interested in: how is ATI's attiude towards Linux and free software going to change with this? Will ATI's fglrx driver going to get more attention? And, the most important, are they going to release r300 specs?

Zardon · Jul 26, 2006, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RIV@NVX

The most important thing I'm interested in: how is ATI's attiude towards Linux and free software going to change with this? Will ATI's fglrx driver going to get more attention? And, the most important, are they going to release r300 specs?

seems you arent the only one, ive seen this question posed on many forums over the net lately.

daRk_heLmet · Jul 26, 2006, 07:16 PM

[color=darkred]Intel insiders have confirmed to DailyTech that the license for ATI to manufacture chipsets for the Intel bus has not been revoked.[/color]

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=3494

pr0digal jenius · Jul 26, 2006, 07:21 PM

no, it hasn't been revoked, but NOBODY will say when it's up for review either

Falstaff · Jul 27, 2006, 12:55 AM

Whats gonna happen to Terry Makedon?

violat3 · Jul 27, 2006, 08:53 PM

Intel = Evil Inside

IamLakota · Jul 28, 2006, 10:47 PM

Personaly I think now Nvidia will make SLI avalible for intel chipset's,with the Core 2 Duo "conroe" now out, at least from Tiger Direct(ordered mine this am)
and the Nv 7950 out that would be a sweet setup.Ati and Intel I think is over.
I can't invision intel letting ATi in the door any more since they've been consumed by AMD.I've been an Ati customer for a long time,and spent plenty on their products,but hey times are a changin and IMHO intel is working it's way back to the top.

Tipstaff · Jul 29, 2006, 06:52 AM

Just so you know, nVidia does have an Intel chipset coming for the Core 2s: the nForce 590 SLI Intel Edition (you can check out the reference board HERE).

BTW, the 7950GX2 isn't all it's cracked up to be. There are so many bugs with the damn thing it's driving me nuts. On a lot of games the card won't clear out memory on the second card (especially if the profile for the game is to use split or alternating frame rendering like PREY does), graphical glitches when booting up (from the XP loading screen into the Desktop showing up), and contray to what the box says (and a lot of sites) this card doesn't work on quite a lot of boards. Basically, if you use it on a board not on nVidias site then it's a crap shoot. Something I found out after the fact. <sigh> 'Course, this is best left for another thread.

mike2h · Jul 29, 2006, 09:12 AM

that sucks tipstaff. also the main reason i am very happy with my 7900gtx & have not availed myself of evga's nifty trade up program.
sure hope they come out with sli support for the 975x boards. not really worried about it now, but in another year or so that would give me a very nice upgrade path. especially since my board does NOT support conroe

that is my only viable upgrade option as everything else is pretty well maxed out.

ET3D · Aug 1, 2006, 11:16 AM

I go away for a couple of weeks (was in the US and didn't follow tech news) and the world turns upside down. Okay, it was rumoured, but it was still a surprise to come back and see merger. What else did I miss? A Sony-Microsoft merger?

Trunks0 · Aug 9, 2006, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tipstaff

- AMD gets back into the chipset market.

- ATIs AMD chipset will be "hopefully" better now that it's in their best interest to make it so.

- AMD gets access to design technolgies that would get them even further towards shrinking their chips.

- Since AMD would have their own chipset again this opens the door for them in a market that Intel has dominated for a long time: laptops. With ATIs help AMD would be able to refine their mobile processors in order to make them that much more viable as a portable processor. Top that off with AMD now being able to offer a full set of tools, that being both the chipset and the cpu, to laptop manufacturers rather than rely on someone elses chipsets makes this one of the biggest pluses for AMD to acquire ATI.

I wouldn't be surprised to see AMD shift alittle focus in such a direction.

Jul 25, 2006, 08:52 AM	#1
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 177	DH Interview with AMD's Jon Carvill regarding AMD takeover Read the full interview here ____________________ Yesterday the big news was that AMD bought ATI for $5.4 billion, and there have been many rumours and speculation regarding future development and changes with company practices. Last night I had a chance to speak with one of (ex) ATI's (now AMD's) most senior and respected staff members, Jon Carvill on the phone and I asked him some questions regarding the AMD takeover. Jon worked for a long time with ATI and for the last year or so has been working for AMD on various levels. Driver Heaven: Is the long term strategy to operate as one company or two? For example, will gfx still continue to be designed in ATI's existing facilities and CPU's on AMD's or should we expect to see a merging of engineers/designers where everyone provides expertise on forthcoming products? Jon Carvill: The merged company will operate as AMD once the transaction close. ATI will continue to manufacture its graphics processors with TSMC and UMC. AMD is very comfortable with a hybrid approach to manufacturing as evidenced by our recent success in ramping microprocessor production at Chartered Semiconductor. Certainly, we anticipate that this merger will present new and exciting ways for our engineers to collaborate in areas like mobile, commercial, digital media and emerging markets.

Jul 25, 2006, 09:45 AM	#3
Erroneus Get off my lawn! Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Denmark Posts: 13,343 Rep Power: 114 System Specs	Well i think ATI/AMD want to make chipsets for the Intel platform, but the questing is more if Intel will let'em __________________

Jul 25, 2006, 06:24 PM	#9
daRk_heLmet Keep firing, assholes! Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Death Star Posts: 1,072 Rep Power: 0	After reading the 1st interview reply I fail to understand how they arent forcing AMD over Intel now. He never even answered it properly, which means he is skeptikal about the whole Intel chipset deal. Unfortunately Intel wont be allowing them to make it, and why should they? And sane company to protect its interests and stuff wont make the competitor make stuff for them. Its like the US asking NK for tech in nukes. Anyways, since my next platform will be an intel one, and since intel will kill crossfire, ATi just lost a customer (unless intel themselves make a crossfire chipset - which is also unlikely). I was looking foward to a R600 crossfire setup like next year around vista launch with Intels core2 or even their upcoming quad core. Not getting anymore. Nvidia, quad sli here I come :/ __________________ [color=white]My Blog[/color]

Jul 25, 2006, 09:28 PM	#13
mainman Mr. Nobody Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: OmniPresent Nightwatcher Posts: 5,961 Rep Power: 69	So what can we expect in the future from this new company that makes this merger so useful or pleasing? I really don't see anything positive that might come out of this merger, if someone does, please state so. __________________

Jul 26, 2006, 07:10 AM	#16
mike2h DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: norcal Posts: 6,483 Rep Power: 89 System Specs	hoping this means sli support for my 975 based mb. __________________

Jul 25, 2006, 10:19 AM	#5
pr0digal jenius Delete Me Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 14,648 Rep Power: 0	the real question, in ym mind anyways, is where will newfound "competitors" [intel, nvidia, etc] draw the line between "decreasing clientelle" and "inmproving the competition's odds" when it comes to supplying SLI for AMD platforms or integrating CrossFire into intel platforms, etc. on the bright side....$10 says ATi won't have launch volume issus anymore

Jul 25, 2006, 10:43 AM	#6
wiskerbizkit DH ***** hobo Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Columbia SC Posts: 467 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	I'm gonna just wait and see what happens, I think it was a bad idea. But i havent formed any solid opinions yet.

Jul 25, 2006, 04:06 PM	Thread Starter #8
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 177	Id like to append the fact that in my haste in posting this I referred to Jon Carvill as working for ATI. Jon hasnt worked for ATI for a year or so now but I guess the fact I knew him there for so long ... it reflected on the wording of the thread title. Jon is a really good guy actually, i have a lot of respect for him and I appreciate him taking the time right now in his (hugely) busy schedule to talk to us.

Jul 25, 2006, 08:16 PM	#10
ronnn DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 617 Rep Power: 0	I don't like the idea of less competition and the forming of mega companies. I assume to compete with intel, amd needs to grow. So on the bright side if a huge thing like intel can develop conroe, one assumes that amd/ati can make good gpus.

Jul 25, 2006, 08:20 PM	#11
ChrisW DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 332 Rep Power: 0	Since Intel canceled their agreement with ATI, what is Intel going to do about their integrated graphics? I'm under the assumption that Intel's integrated graphics is licensed technology from ATI.

Jul 26, 2006, 07:16 PM	#19
daRk_heLmet Keep firing, assholes! Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Death Star Posts: 1,072 Rep Power: 0	*[color=darkred]Intel insiders have confirmed to DailyTech* that the license for ATI to manufacture chipsets for the Intel bus has not been revoked.[/color] http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=3494 __________________ [color=white]My Blog[/color]**

Jul 26, 2006, 07:21 PM	#20
pr0digal jenius Delete Me Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 14,648 Rep Power: 0	no, it hasn't been revoked, but NOBODY will say when it's up for review either

Jul 27, 2006, 12:55 AM	#21
Falstaff Old Codger Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: USAFA Posts: 19,047 Rep Power: 206	Whats gonna happen to Terry Makedon? __________________ "Inspiration is always a surprising visitor."

Jul 27, 2006, 08:53 PM	#22
violat3 DriverHeaven Addict Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Caledonia Posts: 348 Rep Power: 0	Intel = Evil Inside

Jul 28, 2006, 10:47 PM	#23
IamLakota HardwareHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Viriginia Posts: 552 Rep Power: 0	Personaly I think now Nvidia will make SLI avalible for intel chipset's,with the Core 2 Duo "conroe" now out, at least from Tiger Direct(ordered mine this am) and the Nv 7950 out that would be a sweet setup.Ati and Intel I think is over. I can't invision intel letting ATi in the door any more since they've been consumed by AMD.I've been an Ati customer for a long time,and spent plenty on their products,but hey times are a changin and IMHO intel is working it's way back to the top. __________________ Harley Davidson: If You Have To Ask You Wouldn't Understand!!! System Specs: Mobo:Asus P6T Deluxe V2,intel i7 920,2x BFG GTX 250 oc in SLI,Corsair 6gigs tri channel pc12800CL8 2xWD Velociraptor's 2x74gig WD Raptor , X-Fi Fatal1ty Titainium,HANNS-G HG281HD 1080p 28" monitor,Coolermaster HAF/922,PC-PWR&Cooling Sliencer 750,CoolerMaster V8 HSF

Jul 29, 2006, 06:52 AM	#24
Tipstaff HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Real capital of Canada: Torauna Posts: 6,660 Rep Power: 187 System Specs	Just so you know, nVidia does have an Intel chipset coming for the Core 2s: the nForce 590 SLI Intel Edition (you can check out the reference board HERE). BTW, the 7950GX2 isn't all it's cracked up to be. There are so many bugs with the damn thing it's driving me nuts. On a lot of games the card won't clear out memory on the second card (especially if the profile for the game is to use split or alternating frame rendering like PREY does), graphical glitches when booting up (from the XP loading screen into the Desktop showing up), and contray to what the box says (and a lot of sites) this card doesn't work on quite a lot of boards. Basically, if you use it on a board not on nVidias site then it's a crap shoot. Something I found out after the fact. <sigh> 'Course, this is best left for another thread. __________________ Portal: The Flash Version _________________________________ Brain: So, you sacked the cocky khaki Kicky Sack sock plucker? Mr. Sackett: The second cocky khaki Kicky Sack sock plucker I've sacked since the sixth sitting sheet slitter got sick.

Jul 29, 2006, 09:12 AM	#25
mike2h DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: norcal Posts: 6,483 Rep Power: 89 System Specs	that sucks tipstaff. also the main reason i am very happy with my 7900gtx & have not availed myself of evga's nifty trade up program. sure hope they come out with sli support for the 975x boards. not really worried about it now, but in another year or so that would give me a very nice upgrade path. especially since my board does NOT support conroe that is my only viable upgrade option as everything else is pretty well maxed out. __________________

Aug 1, 2006, 11:16 AM	#26
ET3D Hopeless Dreamer Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Dreamland, near the pool of infinite graphics cards Posts: 3,055 Rep Power: 103 System Specs	I go away for a couple of weeks (was in the US and didn't follow tech news) and the world turns upside down. Okay, it was rumoured, but it was still a surprise to come back and see merger. What else did I miss? A Sony-Microsoft merger?