Nvidia Is Trying To Make an x86 Chip

Slatterz writes with a story from PC Authority which says that "Word has reached us that Nvidia is definitely working on an x86 chip and the firm is heavily recruiting x86 engineers all over Silicon Valley. The history behind this can be summarised by saying they bought an x86 team, and don't have a licence to make the parts. Given that the firm burned about every bridge imaginable with the two companies who can give them licences, Nvidia has about a zero chance of getting one."

Comments

What?

[kmac06]

What does that mean, "they don't have a licence to make the parts"? Are they not designing it from the ground up? Are chips typically made up of a bunch of simpler elements, designed by a third party?

Re:What?

[Anonymous Coward]

it means that intel+amd have over 9000 patents on integral parts of an x86 cpu

Re:What?

[Anonymous Coward]

Did you mean;

it means that intel+amd have OVER NINE THOUSAAAAANDD! patents on integral parts of an x86 cpu

Re:What?

[Anonymous Coward]

You think it's funny until you see my Wolfenstein 3D benchmarks.

Re:What?

[Anonymous Coward]

What would happen if you pushed turbo on THAT thing?

Re:What?

[morgan_greywolf]

...And now you know how they came up with the Large Hadron Collider! ;)

Re:What?

[SpaghettiPattern]

I'd love to see a modern-day version of the 68060.

You mean PPC? Just get yer screwdriver and head for the server room. Open the box that says "IBM zSeries". You'll find it just across the cabinet where the "IBM first prize" golf trophies for the "IBM Sales manager vs. customer cup" are on display.

Re:What?

[boredhacker]

I'd love to see a modern-day version of the 68060.

You mean PPC? Just get yer screwdriver and head for the server room. Open the box that says "IBM zSeries". You'll find it just across the cabinet where the "IBM first prize" golf trophies for the "IBM Sales manager vs. customer cup" are on display.

Those trophies are also on display inside the Playstation 3 ;-)

But, seriously... there's no viable option other than x86; computer's simply won't work without them. Just take a look at the size of the heatsink attached to my iPhone :-P

Re:What?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, well the "It Stopped Being Funny The First Time It Was Used" meme stopped being funny the first time it was used.

Re:What?

[rubycodez]

why, the yellow LED next to the TURBO tag shines, of course

My Capital-E 268 did that, went from 6MHz to a roaring 10MHz

Re:What?

[Jesus_666]

Duh. Everything's bigger in the United States.

Re:What?

[Yvan256]

(Score: overflow, Infinite loop)

Re:What?

[Bill, Shooter of Bul]

Yeah, they're more like cousins by marriage than blood relatives. Still, just to avoid the awkward family reunions they still shouldn't hook up.

Hrmm

[acehole]

Maybe they just want to run Quake 3 raytracing at 5fps. I mean who wouldnt?

Re:Hrmm

[ShakaUVM]

>>Maybe they just want to run Quake 3 raytracing at 5fps. I mean who wouldnt?

NVIDIA - for all your sphere and chessboard needs!

Re:Ripped from The Inquirer

[HeLLFiRe1151]

Maybe they cross license with each other.

Re:Patents vs. GPU

[X0563511]

Or are you implying that every office in the world has their own fab plant and I didn't know about it?

Yes. You didn't get yours? It should have arrived last month.

Did I slip into Bizarro world?

[meist3r]

Intel building GPU's for gaming consoles, nVidia building a x86 CPU, Microsoft looking for OpenSource strategy.

I am confused. Or rather: I totally know what's going on.

Re:Where's the *proof*?

[Anonymous Coward]

Charlie Demerjian, is that you?