Apple to use AMD mobile and workstation processors?

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Matthew DeCarlo

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Since dropping PowerPC chips in 2006, Apple has mostly relied on Intel for processors, but that may soon change. The Mac maker is reportedly in "advanced discussions" with AMD that could land the underdog's processors in Apple computers. Unnamed sources have spotted executives of both companies in meetings, which supposedly include briefings about workstation and notebook-class CPUs.

It's believed that Apple would use AMD's chips to increase its flexibility and broaden its competitive options. Having an additional source for processors could also be handy. Recent rumors suggest that supply issues with Intel's mobile Core i5 and i7 processors are responsible for delaying a MacBook refresh.

Another major factor is AMD's attractive integrated graphics solutions -- especially considering the chipset licensing feud between Intel and Nvidia. Intel has blocked Nvidia from making chipsets for any Intel processor with an integrated memory controller -- essentially all of the company's latest CPUs.

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Classic. One of the most anti-competition computer manufacturers is turned off by the anti-competition methods of one of the biggest chipset manufacturers, so they start looking at the competition's chipsets...
 
Cheaper CPUs might actually raise the price... ha!

But seriously, Apple and their users could benefit from this on their low end systems given AMD has a much better trackrecord with battery life. I don't see Intel getting replaced by them anytime soon though.
 
Lol, the only good thing about this is that it'll be easier to implement support for AMD CPUs in future Hackintosh builds. :p
 
Cheaper CPUs might actually raise the price... ha!

But seriously, Apple and their users could benefit from this on their low end systems given AMD has a much better trackrecord with battery life. I don't see Intel getting replaced by them anytime soon though.
Is that true? I was reading on another site and the general consensus was that AMD CPUs in notebooks is a terrible idea, but maybe that was just in the performance area...
They did like the idea of putting AMD processors in the Mac Mini though.
 
AMD cpus aren't that bad at power cosuption. AMD cpus at MAC means only one thing - better integrated graphics perfomance, because. But most real thing is that they're going to use AMD cpus at MAC MINI thing and MAC MINI becomes more cheaper, so everyone could have it.
 
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