Samsung wants an AMD or Nvidia GPU in its Exynos SoCs

[HEXUS]

Says a Samsung insider report.

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[scaryjim]

If they're looking for current mobile graphics technology then nvidia is the place to look - AMD sold off ATi's mobile SoC oriented graphics IP years ago.

OTOH, nvidia's tegra chipsets were never that well supported in terms of driver updates, particularly on Android (I remember my O2X being stuck without OS updates for a couple of years because no updated drivers were forthcoming from nv).

So, bit of a tricky decision IMNSHO...

[HW90]

I think if they want it for the long term they'll go with AMD as they'll have more control over the chip and likely a lower price. If it's just for the short term then Nvidia it is as they have the experience already and AMD isn't really in the situation where it can divert resources towards short term gains.

[scaryjim]

... AMD isn't really in the situation where it can divert resources towards short term gains.

OTOH the semi-custom business is one of their big priorities, so if they can get Samsung as a big mobile semi-custom customer it might be worth it to them long-term to make the investment: proving their GPU tech can scale down to smartphone power envelopes would give them a big sell into mobile gaming and high-end phones, even if they're only licensing IP rather than creating designs.

[Bagnaj97]

It's ancient history now, but I wonder if there could have been some sort of non-compete agreement when AMD sold Imageon (now Adreno, anagram of Radeon) to Qualcomm. Even if AMD want to either licence or sell something to Samsung perhaps they can't?

[scaryjim]

... I wonder if there could have been some sort of non-compete agreement when AMD sold Imageon (now Adreno, anagram of Radeon) to Qualcomm. ...

I really can't see AMD letting that happen in 2009, when the lines between handheld/smartphone and PC were already beginning to blur. It'd be a monumentally stupid thing to do to allow yourself to be tied into a non-compete clause as the outcome of you selling a processor technology. The more likely direction would be a non-compete clause binding Qualcomm from entering the desktop graphics market...

[jigger]

Don't Nvidia partnerships usually end in court.

[3dcandy]

Don't Nvidia partnerships usually end in court.

Seems this way...

[nobodyspecial]

Nvidia has instigated ONE lawsuit in 20yrs. Haters gonna hate I guess...

[ET3D]

I think it makes sense for NVIDIA to become a GPU IP supplier. Tegra might end up successful, but it's a struggle for NVIDIA, and there will be tons of chip suppliers looking for fast GPU's to include in their SoC's. Imagine an Intel low power CPU with an NVIDIA core. That would totally kill AMD APU's.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

I think it makes sense for NVIDIA to become a GPU IP supplier. Tegra might end up successful, but it's a struggle for NVIDIA, and there will be tons of chip suppliers looking for fast GPU's to include in their SoC's. Imagine an Intel low power CPU with an NVIDIA core. That would totally kill AMD APU's.

Intel already licensed Nvidia graphics IP for the last few years.

[DanceswithUnix]

Intel already licensed Nvidia graphics IP for the last few years.

I'm pretty sure that is just patent protection, I don't think they have source or even modules to compile nvidia graphics into their CPU designs.

[Kato-2]

AMD may draw more power and not have as good drivers but the drivers are now mostly open source so AMD's Vulkan driver which Android will be using should improve and more importantly AMD are cheap.

Nvidia have more power efficient hardware and better drivers but Nvidia have burned lots of companies in the industry, there's a reason why they are called the graphics mafia.

Nvidia's Tegra has been a failure in the mobile market & they have ceased development of phone hardware, no-one wanted to do business with Nvidia because they had a choice (same as Intel).

However the reality of the situation is that there are only two high performance GPU makers still in existence, so companies eventually after some time start doing business again with Nvidia.


What Samsung has to gain from an AMD/Nvidia GPU we can only speculate on.
1) Samsung gets to call it's chips special snowflakes with a "high end" GPU.

2) Mobile doesn't need that kind of horsepower unless Samsung have ideas on something else like their own games platform.

3) Microsoft are preparing an Arm PC standard & allowing Win32 Arm apps (would make sense for a Surface Phone), Samsung wants in and with a PC GPU it could allow ports of PC games.

In all likelihood 1 is the main reason.