Intel and Nvidia team up on Intel x86 RTX SoCs for future gaming PCs

[Puiu]

Except we see the opposite: Big companies that dominate their market are inefficient and lead to stagnation.

The only anti-trust laws that exist are for anti-competitive practices; it's impossible to break up a company that's already formed unless you can *prove* they are engaging in anti-competitive conduct. That's why you see ever major US industry dominated by just two or three large players, with everyone else squeezed out.

We've been proving anti-competitive conduct for decades on both sides of the pond. All they get is a slap on the wrist, a fine.

 

[n3o127]

Tbf, there's nothing that would preclude NVIDIA from purchasing Intel (voiding the agreement) then signing a new one with AMD after the fact.

True. Nvidia already possesses ARM technology, and acquiring x86 / x64 capabilities would enable the company to access both markets, aligning with its typical strategy of operating across multiple segments. Furthermore, if Nvidia utilizes x86 as a foundation, transitioning to 64-bit architecture may not present significant challenges.

 

[Loadedaxe]

True. Nvidia already possesses ARM technology, and acquiring x86 / x64 capabilities would enable the company to access both markets, aligning with its typical strategy of operating across multiple segments. Furthermore, if Nvidia utilizes x86 as a foundation, transitioning to 64-bit architecture may not present significant challenges.

Nvidia doesn’t possess ARM in the way you’re making it sound...they license it just like everyone else. They tried to buy ARM outright and were blocked. Big difference.

And as for x86, it isn’t something you just scoop up and run with. The licensing agreements are tangled up between Intel and AMD with restrictions that prevent exactly this scenario. Even if Nvidia somehow got their hands on an x86 license, integrating and building a competitive CPU architecture around it would be a completely different ballgame than GPUs or ARM SoCs. Then they would have AMD to play ball with for x64, AMD is not going to do that. They have no benefit.

Transitioning to 64-bit isn’t the hurdle, actually competing in the x86 market with decades of software optimization, instruction set cruft, and fierce incumbents is. Not to mention they have a ton of R&D invested in their ARM development. Contrary to the conspiracy theories you read on here, Nvidia is not where they are because they waste money.

Then, you have the FTC to deal with, they would not let Nvidia buy ARM, what makes you think the government will let them buy Intel?

 

[n3o127]

Nvidia doesn’t possess ARM in the way you’re making it sound...they license it just like everyone else. They tried to buy ARM outright and were blocked. Big difference.

Yes, Nvidia does have its own Arm-based processors—most notably the Nvidia Grace CPU and the newer N1 series, including the N1 and N1X chips.

If Nvidia (licensing), if they did (of course most won't) to acquire Intel outright, Intel would lose its rights to use AMD’s x86-64 extension, and AMD would lose rights to Intel’s x86 base. That would effectively cripple both companies’ ability to produce modern CPUs.

• Intel owns the original x86 instruction set, while AMD owns the x86-64 extension (aka AMD64).
• They cross-license these technologies to each other, allowing both to produce modern x86-64 CPUs.
• The license includes a “poison pill” clause: if either company is acquired by a third party, the license automatically terminates.

Nvidia knows this and why it's:
• Building Arm-based CPUs like Grace and N1
• Partnering with Intel on x86 chips with Nvidia GPUs, not trying to own the x86 stack
• Avoiding any move that would detonate the x86 ecosystem

Most likely in the long-term NVidia will be pushing Arm into the desktop space or leveraging RISC-V.

 

[Loadedaxe]

Yes, Nvidia does have its own Arm-based processors—most notably the Nvidia Grace CPU and the newer N1 series, including the N1 and N1X chips.

If Nvidia (licensing), if they did (of course most won't) to acquire Intel outright, Intel would lose its rights to use AMD’s x86-64 extension, and AMD would lose rights to Intel’s x86 base. That would effectively cripple both companies’ ability to produce modern CPUs.

• Intel owns the original x86 instruction set, while AMD owns the x86-64 extension (aka AMD64).
• They cross-license these technologies to each other, allowing both to produce modern x86-64 CPUs.
• The license includes a “poison pill” clause: if either company is acquired by a third party, the license automatically terminates.

Nvidia knows this and why it's:
• Building Arm-based CPUs like Grace and N1
• Partnering with Intel on x86 chips with Nvidia GPUs, not trying to own the x86 stack
• Avoiding any move that would detonate the x86 ecosystem

Most likely in the long-term NVidia will be pushing Arm into the desktop space or leveraging RISC-V.

You’re twisting what I said. I never claimed Nvidia doesn’t have ARM based processors....I said they license ARM, they don’t own it. Big difference. They tried to buy ARM and regulators killed the deal, so Nvidia’s position is the same as every other ARM customer...they pay to license the IP.

As for x86 ... the whole “Nvidia buys Intel and gets x86” idea is pure nonsense. The poison pill clause makes sure no outsider can inherit the Intel/AMD cross-license. If Nvidia even tried, the license blows up and they walk away with nothing. That’s exactly why Nvidia is doubling down on ARM Grace, N1, N1X, etc. instead of chasing something structurally impossible.

Not to mention they’ve invested massive R&D into ARM. Nvidia isn’t where they are because they waste money or rely on conspiracy theories about swooping in to steal x86. Regulators wouldn’t even let that happen .... if ARM was blocked, x86 would be a non-starter.

The future for Nvidia is ARM in servers and eventually desktops, maybe RISC-V down the line, not some fantasy of owning the x86 stack.

 

[Loadedaxe]

True. Nvidia already possesses ARM technology, and acquiring x86 / x64 capabilities would enable the company to access both markets, aligning with its typical strategy of operating across multiple segments. Furthermore, if Nvidia utilizes x86 as a foundation, transitioning to 64-bit architecture may not present significant challenges.

You should really go read the license agreement.

March 21, 1996 - INTEL/AMD CROSS LICENSE AGREEMENT - 10-K405: Annual report [Sections 13 and 15(d), S-K Item 405] | Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD)

ir.amd.com

Patent Cross License Agreement

www.sec.gov