Jim Keller Leaves AMD, Again

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Jim Keller Leaves AMD, Again

While AMD's forthcoming Zen CPU architecture has high hopes and was made more exciting when Jim Keller joined back AMD to work on its design, this successful CPU designer has left AMD once more...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Jim-Keller-Leaves-AMD-Again

[duby229]

Yep, I think Zen has taped out and it doesn't look as good as it needs to be. Just my opinion, I have no evidence of that at all. SMT just isn't the answer it adds too much complexity and too little advantage for that. Intel can get away with wasting resources, but AMD can't.

EDIT: The very best thing AMD can do right now is to reduce the physical size of their cache cells. They are giant compared to what Intel is fabricating. If they can do that it would reduce die size and make them much more competitive. They don't need a new architecture, they need to shrink CMT, add another integer unit per pipeline, and then reduce the size of each cache cell. That would combine to provide better per thread performance at smaller die sizes and keep multithread scalability intact.

[computerquip]

I swear to god AMD, dont fuck this up. Zen failing will be the end of your reputation in consumer desktop CPUs.

[raonlinux]

Well looks like now I believe that Microsoft is going to buy AMD, this is not look good. The thing about Zen, is that I have some faith was on this person to make desktop processor for compete with Intel. That' s bad news also the division of AMD Graphics parts. Not look very good to AMD.

[dungeon]

Jim now has good track record on leaving and returning back to AMD.

Maybe he will return tommorow, for another article

[WOLF308]

Wonder what those "other opportunities" are?

Yeah Microsoft buying AMD will be bad for everyone since they will then be able to monopolize the hardware into their console.

[blubbaer]

IMHO another bad decision was the sharing of the SIMD units. It might be a good decision for office application but not for games or HPC programs.

[pinguinpc]

Wonder what those "other opportunities" are?

Yeah Microsoft buying AMD will be bad for everyone since they will then be able to monopolize the hardware into their console.

Yes stay more and more closer for make mac on pc (dedicated hardware)

[duby229]

Well, I don't think MS is going to buy AMD. I hate to say it, but I don't think AMD can survive without a good CPU. The very worst case scenario, which I hope doesn't happen is, the GPU division will be spun off and the CPU division will use the profit to develop a new CPU. They can still cooperate for APU products, but technically seperate companies.

[johnc]

Well, I don't think MS is going to buy AMD. I hate to say it, but I don't think AMD can survive without a good CPU. The very worst case scenario, which I hope doesn't happen is, the GPU division will be spun off and the CPU division will use the profit to develop a new CPU. They can still cooperate for APU products, but technically seperate companies.

Seems kind of backwards though. Selling x86 CPUs just seems like a losing proposition from the very get-go. You're not going to compete with Intel at their own game, let alone all the channel sales Intel has locked up. Meanwhile the desktop / laptop market is shrinking as the products have become completely commoditized now. How could anybody but Intel make money in this market?