Intel reportedly mulling over outsourcing chipset design to ASMedia

[Dan_D]

Intel reportedly mulling outsourcing chipset design to ASMedia

Intel is reportedly considering placing chipset design orders with Taiwan IC designer ASMedia Technology, which is already a partner of AMD, as part of its efforts to fend off competition from AMD, according to industry sources.

www.digitimes.com

"Intel is reportedly considering placing chipset design orders with Taiwan IC designer ASMedia Technology, which is already a partner of AMD, as part of its efforts to fend off competition from AMD, according to industry sources."

This could definitely save Intel some money moving forward, but there is no doubt in my mind Intel's platform would suffer in terms of quality, were this to happen.

 

[alxlwson]

Interesting. You don't think Intel would go through it with a fine tooth comb before anything would actually get soldered to a motherboard?

 

[Dan_D]

It would depend on how Intel handled things. How hands on or hands off Intel ends up being is what would make the difference. Things could work if Intel works with ASMedia engineers to make ensure the chipsets are sound and up to Intel's standards. Mostly, I think Intel's trying to shift costs somewhere else. Unfortunately, if they do that there will be some things that may be outside their control.

 

[David_Schroth]

I don't really see how this could end well for them. They've got a decades long reputation for having rock solid chipsets and drivers for their platforms. Sure, the features lagged from time to time, but they simply work when you run them. Outsourcing like this has not historically worked well for other companies...

 

[Dan_D]

I don't really see how this could end well for them. They've got a decades long reputation for having rock solid chipsets and drivers for their platforms. Sure, the features lagged from time to time, but they simply work when you run them. Outsourcing like this has not historically worked well for other companies...

Not only that, but companies producing chipsets other than Intel have had dubious quality at best. SIS, VIA and others have done very poorly over the years.

 

[David_Schroth]

Not only that, but companies producing chipsets other than Intel have had dubious quality at best. SIS, VIA and others have done very poorly over the years.

The pinnacle of performance and stability was once an AMD K6 running on an Intel chipset :-D.

 

[Dan_D]

The pinnacle of performance and stability was once an AMD K6 running on an Intel chipset :-D.

I am going to disagree with that having read the white papers and seeing the errata for that chip. Not only that, but I wouldn't call the K6 king of performance back then. AMD never had a decisive edge over Intel pre-Athlon.

 

[alxlwson]

I am going to disagree with that having read the white papers and seeing the errata for that chip. Not only that, but I wouldn't call the K6 king of performance back then. AMD never had a decisive edge over Intel pre-Athlon.

You and your facts!

 

[David_Schroth]

I am going to disagree with that having read the white papers and seeing the errata for that chip. Not only that, but I wouldn't call the K6 king of performance back then. AMD never had a decisive edge over Intel pre-Athlon.

Ok. Maybe the price/performance of the chip?

You and your facts!

I'll go take a seat over there....

 

[Dan_D]

Ok. Maybe the price/performance of the chip?



I'll go take a seat over there....

Sure, price / performance K6 was a winner. The biggest problem was something we saw on Athlons. Post-Intel Super 7's from VIA and others were absolutely awful. They were fast, but were absolute **** in terms of reliability and compatibility.