AMD's ARM Efforts Appear Stalled, But At Least Zen Should Be Great

[chuckula]

Probably for low power consumption.

ARM and "low" power consumption is a myth that's busted every time real world benchmarks are run.
It's true that an ARM SoC in a phone uses less power than a full bore desktop system.
It's not true that if you tried to build an ARM desktop system that you would get similar performance to a regular desktop in a lower power envelope. You can have low power, you can have high performance (with ARM designs that haven't been built yet), but you aren't getting both.

[log0]

ARM and "low" power consumption is a myth that's busted every time real world benchmarks are run.
It's true that an ARM SoC in a phone uses less power than a full bore desktop system.
It's not true that if you tried to build an ARM desktop system that you would get similar performance to a regular desktop in a lower power envelope. You can have low power, you can have high performance (with ARM designs that haven't been built yet), but you aren't getting both.

Yeah. The main reason ARM dominates the mobile market is the flexibility in SOC design/customization imho. You just don't get that kind of thing with x86.

[bug77]

ARM and "low" power consumption is a myth that's busted every time real world benchmarks are run.
It's true that an ARM SoC in a phone uses less power than a full bore desktop system.
It's not true that if you tried to build an ARM desktop system that you would get similar performance to a regular desktop in a lower power envelope. You can have low power, you can have high performance (with ARM designs that haven't been built yet), but you aren't getting both.

Intel thought the same and their asses handed to them. x86 seemed to be as power efficient as ARM while it was built on a smaller node (intel has traditionally dominated in this area). Once TSMC and Samsung closed that gap, x86 exited the SoC business.
Basically, ARM is RISC, which needs less silicon to the work a CISC processor does. CISC is easier to program for in return.

[nomadewolf]

Well, they did fire their x86 engineers in Dresden and closed that facility while betting on ARM, so "focusing" is not exactly what they've been doing.
But yes, they're strapped on so many fronts that I simply cannot see them getting into a better position by simply releasing something that matches intel (like many seem to think will be enough). They need to smash intel again the way they did with AthlonXP and Athlon64. Or smash Nvidia the same way. Or both.

Fun fact: Qualcomm bought their mobile graphics division from ATI/AMD.

What they need is for consumers to buy their products in the cases where AMD is better.
If people buy Intel and NVidia no matter what, it gets hard.
I buy AMD whenever i can justify it. And on the graphics department isn't too hard.

[pal666]

You can have low power, you can have high performance (with ARM designs that haven't been built yet), but you aren't getting both.

but you are getting less power for same performance with sane design. just try to find intel smartphone lol

[pal666]

no need for arm when riscv is just around the corner

[vein]

but you are getting less power for same performance with sane design. just try to find intel smartphone lol

http://m.gsmarena.com/asus_zenfone_2_ze551ml-6917.php

[Krysto]

Except that SEV might be broken by design and they apparently still have trouble with their SMT implementation on Naples. None of this should affect Desktop systems, though.

Well unless you were planning on using a future version of Qubes OS that supports that feature...

[Krysto]

When Qualcomm is rich enough from its new server revenue, it should buy out AMD. That should put it 1 on 1, mano a mano, with Intel, in all chip markets.

[starshipeleven]

Probably for low power consumption.

Probably nope.