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Analysts Predict Dell to Use AMD

Posted by Zonk on from the grain-of-salt dept.

An anonymous reader writes "CNet reports on an analyst's prediction that Dell will begin using AMD chips, instead of their much-touted Intel processors." From the article: "Dell likely will reverse course and begin selling computers with Advanced Micro Devices' processors, Piper Jaffray analyst Les Santiago predicted Tuesday, sending the chipmaker's stock up 4 percent in midday trading."

16 of 196 comments (clear)

  1. Dear Lord, No! by gbulmash · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Please, no.

    Dell has become a poster child for crappy customer service. Do AMD fans want Dell dragging AMD's good name down with them? I'd prefer that Dell self-destruct on their own without pulling AMD into their vortex of suckage.

    - Greg

    --
    Start a happiness pandemic
    1. Re:Dear Lord, No! by SchrodingersRoot · · Score: 4, Interesting

      At a minimum, don't you think that AMD processors would improve the reliability of Dell computers, while enabling (note that I did not say causing) lower prices? Especially in the low-end computing arena (i.e. Celeron processors)?

      And since most of us who use/recommend AMD processors now would know that any continued problems with Dells are not, in fact, due to AMD processors...

      Assuming AMD continues in the path they've been making, I would see this as a good thing.

    2. Re:Dear Lord, No! by kalislashdot · · Score: 2, Interesting

      We use Dell at work, excellent customer support, but we are business level where we get parts replaced in 4 hours. I have no idea on the Home side, but i hope it is good since my Father just bought a Dell.

      Also with people saying "I hope they die and go out of business" need to realize the more the better. Competion really helps inovation. Look at Microsoft, wiht barely little compention things go crappy. they STOPPED working on IE for gawd's sake. Now that Firefox is creating competion they fired up IE dev again. Also look at Mac OSX. I hated apple back in the System7 thru OS9 days. I think these OSes sucked. I would take my windows anyday. I am now jeolous of my Mac friends that run UNIX stuff right on their laptop and do not have to fight their OS. All becasuse they had to innovate to survive. And soon they will make MS start to innovate again. First step should be a UNIX/Linux kernel. That would help greatly.

    3. Re:Dear Lord, No! by jsight · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Dell excels in B2B where you have programs in place where IT shops can order their own parts under warranty and they have access to skilled technicians that are paid by the higher costs of the warranties and hardware / contract.


      I'm actually not down on Dell (had some decent experiences with their consumer support recently), but this made me laugh!

      "skilled technicians"? Ie, the same ones that demand you reboot and run diagnostics to replace a bad drive in a HOT-SWAPPABLE RAID ARRAY! I would say their B2B support is not so great either.
      --
      Throw the bums out!
  2. Not a chance. by mmell · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Intel would smack them back to infancy and spank them!

    Besides, I'd be more impressed if I could buy bare metal from their retail locations rather than pay the M$ tax. Getting AMD chips instead of Intel would just be the icing on the cake IMHO.

  3. AMD lags in on-chip cache capacity by mrm677 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Intel's SRAM technology is pretty much an entire generation ahead of AMD's. Thus Intel can fit nearly twice as much cache into a given die area. Given this, its quite impressive that AMD's performance numbers are competitive (or better).

    However you often don't see cache-sensitive benchmark numbers. SpecINT and SpecFP fit and the stuff you see on the ./-type review sites (Tom's Hardware, etc) probably fit too. But give it something like TPC-C, does AMD's numbers lag here?

    1. Re:AMD lags in on-chip cache capacity by mrm677 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      They'd have to because cache is their remedy for FSB memory latency issues. AMD has the better answer with the integrated memory controller.

      Your integrated memory controller reduces DRAM latency, but it is NOT the answer to smaller caches!

      And it isn't entirely clear that on-chip memory controllers are the way to go. For one thing, a northbridge allows the pin bandwidth to be used for both DRAM accesses and inter-chip sharing communication.

      But Intel probably hasn't switched to on-chip memory controllers because of the uncertainty in DRAM markets and standards. Intel's volume is huge compared to AMD and by integrated an on-chip controller for a particular interface, they are placing a lot of eggs in one basket.

  4. Re:Just a trick by the+eric+conspiracy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Yes, but this time it is different because Dell is getting creamed in server space by HP Opteron boxen. Nobody wants Xeon.

    If Dell does ship AMD stuff I'd bet it is servers, not laptops or desktops.

  5. A reaction to Apple's no "Intel Inside" sticker by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Seems til today (macworld) Dell always had the sweetest sweethart deal from Intel; but when Jobs gets to announce that they're exempt from Intel's branding campaing - and God (Jobs) knows what other concessions Intel had to give Steve to win them from IBM, I bet Dell is pretty pissed.

    It'll be fun to see the new wars brewing between the big PC players - Dell & Intel using Linux against Microsoft. Dell & AMD using AMD against Intel. t. Microsoft using IBM (Xbox) against Intel. Intel&Apple using MacOS against Microsoft. The computing industry's starting to get fun again.

    1. Re:A reaction to Apple's no "Intel Inside" sticker by kalislashdot · · Score: 2, Interesting

      As far as I know Intel gives companies a break if they use the logo. For example the CPU cost $20 each, but if you put our logo on the box it is $18 each. I know also that if on commericals if they put the logo and chime in they get a chunk of money to help pay for the commercial.

      So A: Apple pays more per CPU, or B: it was part of the deal years ago for Intel to get into Apple's pants.

      Intel, AMD I could care less who I buy. Who ever gives me more bang for the buck. Usually that was AMD in the past for me. I am glad Apple is moving to a more mainstream CPU since it will have more R&D behind it and lower manufacturing costs since they push more units.

  6. Cry Wolf by no_pets · · Score: 2, Interesting

    News articles about Dell using AMD processors is the tech equivalent of crying wolf. If Dell ever actually uses AMD processors nobody will believe it.

    --
    "A government is a body of people, usually notably ungoverned." - Shepard Book Quoting Malcolm Reynolds
  7. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  8. No. by LesPaul75 · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I got modded "Troll" the last time I said it, years ago, and I'll be modded "Troll" again this time, but I'll still be right, just like I was last time:

    Dell and Intel are effectively the same company. Intel makes the CPUs and Dell makes the cases. Dell will not ship an AMD CPU.

    How many times is this "news" going to have to come out that Dell is seriously considering shipping an AMD CPU, followed by the "news" that they decided not to at the last minute?

    1. Re:No. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      I can say with quite a certain amount of veracity, Dell and Intel are not the same company. At least in the Enterprise space. In fact many of us really want Opterons, just for an offering. Intel based servers would still sell the majority of our equipment but we want to be able to have a Dell branded Opteron offering for our customers. In fact, this may sound crazy, but if Dell had an Opteron offering, Dell would sell more Intel based servers. I firmly believe this, and if you read the article the sales force (and to another extent the tech force) are practically screaming to management to put out an AMD offering (even if it is just two servers say a 1U and a 2U).

  9. Re:Wait til aprils fool by AFCArchvile · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Solaris on Power.

    --
    "Ancillary does not mean you get to rule the world." --U.S. Circuit Judge Harry Edwards, speaking to the FCC's lawyer
  10. Doesn't need to be under the "Dell" brand. by WoTG · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I read an idea on some forum (maybe here) that suggested that Dell could get the AMD chips that it needs a lot more easily for all parties by buying someone that specializes in Opteron based servers -- the company suggested by the poster was Rackable.

    I doubt that Dell will "tarnish" their relationship with Intel by directly selling AMD machines; however, a back-door approach does seem possible to me. Heck, they already sell the CPUs out of their parts store.