Why can't AMD compete with Intel?

[mikeo01]

Because AMD was focused on CMT for a while and are finally moving back to SMT which is a solid move (if I am incorrect, correct me ).

Plus the manufacturer that builds AMDs chips (can't remember their name) are more technically limited on the nano scale; so that's why Intel get big chip dies. Their manufacturing process allows them to fit a lot of clever stuff on their compact chips.

AMD doesn't have the resources, nor manufacturing process to build a chip. Sure they may be able to design one, but unless they can physically build it then it is out of the picture. Basically its physically difficult to design something that will compete.


For a company that is actually quite small compared to Intel I don't think they are doing too bad


I prefer AMD as a company for definite, but their compute side of things are still with Nehalem (that was released how many years ago, 2010 or something?). So they are kind of lagging behind in pure raw compute performance.


However, they are trying to get us foks and developers to buy into the idea of "HSA", which to be honest, is something we need. Offload that CPU work to the GPU.

Its becoming seriously difficult to design better performing CPUs, were nearing 14nm, soon we will hit that brick wall in terms of pure physics and dynamics.

So in a way its a good move for AMD, don't try and follow Intel and find the ever increasing difficulty, let things pan out for a while and get support for other areas. HSA is promising

[DanceswithUnix]

I am not sure if this is still the case in 2014, but when I bought my current laptop, there was one thing that swayed me to the green team: Optimus. AMD simply didn't have a solution as elegant at the time. Now I know this is about AMD vs Intel, not AMD vs nVidia, but unless AMD is willing to let a manufacturer with their CPU while using nVidia's GPU/Optimus.. assuming that is feasible, then I may have to stick with Intel laptops.

Yep understood, AMD let down by drivers is not a new thing

Thankfully for AMD most people want cheap laptops, so integrated graphics it is.

[Zak33]

I think that, quid for quid, in the mid arena they do compete fairly well.

In semi recent times they were better value for the cpu, and the motherboard and for the ability to use diff kinds of ram acccording to board as they were the first to use on cpu mem controler sthat were fairly backward compatible.

and they did good work on lower power use too.

I've had a hex core AMD for several years now and I don't think I need to change for my gaming and if I did.. I'd still seriously consider AMD

[Zak33]

Yep understood, AMD let down by drivers is not a new thing

as a PC users I've not had an AMD driver issue for...... soo many years.

[KeyboardDemon]

I built with AMD CPUs for several years and only recently changed to Intel, I also went through 3 generations of AMD GPUs but ended up coming back to nVidia.

I would like nothing more than to see some fantastic high end AMD SKUs out in the market, I really want a reason to go back to the red team, but unfortunately I don't feel there is a good enough reason at the moment, but I hope there will be by the time I put together my next build.

[DanceswithUnix]

as a PC users I've not had an AMD driver issue for...... soo many years.

The everyday stuff works OK, it only seems to be the corner cases. Old cards, non-Windows, multi card, OpenGL, that sort of stuff. Hence a mainstream laptop with just the APU graphics running Windows they would seem to be a good choice.

[ZaO]

It wouldn't at all, unfortunately - us enthusiasts are basically just fan service, we're a drop in the ocean compared to the markets which actually sell in any volume. Intel can afford to throw us a bone because they got the spare profit, but AMD have to try and compete in the markets that will make them lose less money, first and foremost, hence servers (margin) and low power chips (volume).

I suppose you might have a point there! I'm so used to being more of an enthusiast, that I may have been ignorant to see what a minority we are in the cpu market haha And I definitely think that Amd have a pretty cool little line up of Apu's right now. The pricing on them seems good for what you get!

Because AMD was focused on CMT for a while and are finally moving back to SMT which is a solid move (if I am incorrect, correct me ).

Plus the manufacturer that builds AMDs chips (can't remember their name) are more technically limited on the nano scale; so that's why Intel get big chip dies. Their manufacturing process allows them to fit a lot of clever stuff on their compact chips.

AMD doesn't have the resources, nor manufacturing process to build a chip. Sure they may be able to design one, but unless they can physically build it then it is out of the picture. Basically its physically difficult to design something that will compete.


For a company that is actually quite small compared to Intel I don't think they are doing too bad


I prefer AMD as a company for definite, but their compute side of things are still with Nehalem (that was released how many years ago, 2010 or something?). So they are kind of lagging behind in pure raw compute performance.


However, they are trying to get us foks and developers to buy into the idea of "HSA", which to be honest, is something we need. Offload that CPU work to the GPU.

Its becoming seriously difficult to design better performing CPUs, were nearing 14nm, soon we will hit that brick wall in terms of pure physics and dynamics.

So in a way its a good move for AMD, don't try and follow Intel and find the ever increasing difficulty, let things pan out for a while and get support for other areas. HSA is promising

I've sussed it - Amd are ditching silicone, and secretly building the worlds first quantum computer!

as a PC users I've not had an AMD driver issue for...... soo many years.

I've had issues with Amd drivers over the years (mainly with betas to be fair). But I've had just as many with Nvidia. I was never feeling those arguments about Amd having worse drivers, which I remember happening so much somewhere around 2009-2012.

I built with AMD CPUs for several years and only recently changed to Intel, I also went through 3 generations of AMD GPUs but ended up coming back to nVidia.

I would like nothing more than to see some fantastic high end AMD SKUs out in the market, I really want a reason to go back to the red team, but unfortunately I don't feel there is a good enough reason at the moment, but I hope there will be by the time I put together my next build.

I hear ya. This is why I went from my 955 to a 2500k. I don't recall there even being a significantly better Amd cpu at the time!

[Aretak]

as a PC users I've not had an AMD driver issue for...... soo many years.

I had major problems with the current 14.4 drivers and my 7850 (which I've now sold). BSODs all over the place when watching Flash videos, and I saw others complaining about the same thing when I went looking for a solution. Purging them with DDU and installing the latest beta drivers instead fixed the problem instantly.

[HalloweenJack]

I had major problems with the current 14.4 drivers and my 7850 (which I've now sold). BSODs all over the place when watching Flash videos, and I saw others complaining about the same thing when I went looking for a solution. Purging them with DDU and installing the latest beta drivers instead fixed the problem instantly.

I had a gtx 480 burn up and die with NVidia drivers.... both companies have had issues.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Now you see the significance of Mantle - AMD is trying to push improved multi-threading for gaming.

[watercooled]

I had major problems with the current 14.4 drivers and my 7850 (which I've now sold). BSODs all over the place when watching Flash videos, and I saw others complaining about the same thing when I went looking for a solution. Purging them with DDU and installing the latest beta drivers instead fixed the problem instantly.

As I say when I hear people complaining about stuff like this; go to Google (or your search engine of choice), type: 'Insert GPU', 'Insert issue', and you will nearly always find results. It doesn't mean it's any more or less common than another card/brand.

[kalniel]

As I say when I hear people complaining about stuff like this; go to Google (or your search engine of choice), type: 'Insert GPU', 'Insert issue', and you will nearly always find results. It doesn't mean it's any more or less common than another card/brand.

OMG that's so true! I had no idea that Geforce cards caused premature balding before I googled it And that's just something that I can check at work..

[watercooled]

OMG that's so true! I had no idea that Geforce cards caused premature balding before I googled it And that's just something that I can check at work..

That gave me a laugh.

[TooNice]

Yep understood, AMD let down by drivers is not a new thing

Thankfully for AMD most people want cheap laptops, so integrated graphics it is.

I don't think Optimus is a purely driver feature though. That said, how is AMD's switchable graphic nowadays? Three years ago when I was still shopping for laptops, the process was, as I understood, far from seamless, requiring a system restart to switch from onboard to discrete and vice-versa.

[sqwerty]

I don't think Optimus is a purely driver feature though. That said, how is AMD's switchable graphic nowadays? Three years ago when I was still shopping for laptops, the process was, as I understood, far from seamless, requiring a system restart to switch from onboard to discrete and vice-versa.

I visit guru3d drivers section and frequently see user modded version's of the driver with "switchable graphics fix" so it appears it still has issues.

[Agent]

I don't think Optimus is a purely driver feature though. That said, how is AMD's switchable graphic nowadays? Three years ago when I was still shopping for laptops, the process was, as I understood, far from seamless, requiring a system restart to switch from onboard to discrete and vice-versa.

Modern chips are seamless. You just need to make sure you have a profile for the 3D application setup, but 99% of the time it will detect 3D stuff and set one up. If it doesn't it's 2 clicks.

Having said that, the drivers were awful on release. Barely usable. It took them about 6 months to sort out the last mobile ranges they released into a fully working state. I've no issues now though.