Re: AMD offers no motherboard: why?

Ok, let me change the question... WTF does making processors,
chipsets, or silicon(e) breast implants have to do with making
motherboards?

Well, let's see here. In order to make a motherboard, you must use a
chipset. That leaves AMD with two alternatives:
1. Use AMD chipsets - wastes silicon that would be more productively
used producing MPUs.
2. Use a 3rd party chipset - Now AMD is giving their official blessing
to one chipset provider, which will piss off all the others. Not
smart, when you rely on your partners. Or AMD could produce a
motherboard using each chipset. That's just too expensive though.

Neither one of these is attractive...AMD simply has better uses for
their capital.

Intel has older fabs to produce chipsets. Where are AMD's older fabs?

FAB 25? You do know that AMD makes chipsets (this board is 8151/8111
based), right? ...though they'd rather not (and for good reason).

Yes, I am aware of this.

You do
know that Athlon64/Opteron aren't tied as tightly to the chipset as is
Intel. How much money does Intel make selling chipsets?

I don't really know, nor do I really care. AMD's not in a position to
get back into the chipset business.

Intel may produce motherboards for their own internal needs, but I'd be
relatively surprised. As you pointed out, playing with FR4 is a bit
different than silicon.

Intel used to have FR4 lines, but sold the business off. Now that you've
danced all around the issue, let me ask again; WTF do motherboards have to
do with fab capabilities?

See my prior comments. It should be rather obvious, silicon doesn't
grow on trees.

[useless comments snipped]

You do know that AMD makes chipsets? But that's not the point. It has
nothing to do with investing away from there core competency. Try this
for a reason: THERE IS NO MONEY TO BE MADE IN MOTHERBOARDS (sub titled -
let the Chinese fight it out).

AMDs chipsets are ancient. They might be better off simply outsourcing
the design of chipsets...

Perhaps you missed it, but I said almost the same thing earlier. I
agree there's no profit in motherboards, unless you have volume. That
means entering or re-entering the market is tough or impossible.

Now, a more interesting question is whether there's any profit to be
had in the chipset market. I suspect the answer is no. AMD was only
in the chipset market because nobody else would produce AMD chipsets
initially. I think they may continue with their policy of producing a
couple of chipsets for new product launches, but I rather doubt they
will ever actually be in the chipset business. They simply have more
lucrative uses for silicon and their design teams.

Yes it should and it's surprising to see you dance all around the issue.

I never danced around the issue, you simply chose to selectively quote
me to give that impression.

DK

.

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