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View Full Version : Rumor Mongering: Coprocessors return to modern desktops?



Anexanhume
07-21-2006, 03:20 PM
This topic could have gone in off topic just as easily, but I feel it is better placed here.

http://theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=33185

As you can read above, the merger talks between AMD and ATI are very serious, and this has vast implications. With their own chipset, processor, and graphics divisions under one corporate roof, AMD/ATI could really flex their muscles to have highly integrated systems aimed at performance users. However, this isn't just because it would all be under one roof.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060602-6977.html

The above article details AMD's forthcoming plans for the PC market, which includes their plans for possible multi-socket chipsets to be placed in desktop machines. Now, this may seem like no big deal, as this is the basic philosophy internet serves have been operating under for the past bagillion years.

With "coherent HT", you could potentially hook up any type of coprocessor you wanted in those others slots, including GPU's or even PPU's. While it would take convincing, the article shows that it eliminates the cost of a PCB for the card manufacturers, allows the user to control how much shared RAM all of their processors have, and provides a fast, much more direct link between all of the processors hooked up.


So, with an AMD/ATI merger and coherent HT, the potentiallity of a plug-and-go GPU(s) to be integrated with your AMD processor is a strong possibility, and the amount of memory you throw at it is only limited by the system's physical limit.

If you care about PC gaming and you're not salivating at this point, you're not paying attention.

njiska
07-21-2006, 07:18 PM
If only i didn't hate AMD. Then it would all be perfect.

Griking
07-22-2006, 12:52 AM
If only i didn't hate AMD. Then it would all be perfect.

How in the world can anyone possibly hate AMD? If it weren't for them we'd all still be being butt-raped by Intel with rediculously high prices.

Emuaust
07-23-2006, 05:26 AM
and less then steller performance, high clock speeds and shitty performance LOL

Please no AMD Hate, they are champs.

Ed Oscuro
07-23-2006, 04:37 PM
Shit, I should've seen this coming. Anyway, performance stuff varies constantly. I went with AMD and nVidia, as Intel and ATi just haven't had products that I thought worth my money recently.

Anyway, why are they doing this?

A major reason is that Microsoft has been pushing Intel (and other companies) to produce new chipsets that will be capable of running Windows Vista, as a part of Microsoft's push to make the PC and Xbox 360 gaming scenes more alike (and intertwined). AMD and ATi see that they stand to lose a lot of share if Intel starts churning out a high volume of Aeroglass-ready chipsets (remember that this is DX9 we're talking about).

Intel's graphics chip output is mainly pretty crummy parts, but the sheer volume dwarfs the output of all the other graphics chip makers combined.

Anexanhume
07-25-2006, 11:31 AM
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060724-7333.html

Basically, the above articles sums up the possibility of what was said.