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Apple to switch to NVIDIA by 2007?

updated 05:20 pm EDT, Tue July 25, 2006

ATI's future with Apple

In the wake of AMD's decision to acquire ATI yesterday morning, Intel announced that it has no plans to renew ATI's chipset bus license. The implications of that decision directly impact two of Apple's most popular computer lines, the iMac and the MacBook Pro. One ZDNet columnist speculates that Apple will debut all new computers with NVIDIA graphics technology; he believes that the Cupertino-based company will be "all but forced" by Intel to make the switch, as any further business with ATI will fund Intel's arch-rival -- AMD. Further speculation leads to the possibility that NVIDIA's SLI technology for multiple graphics processors may make its way into Apple systems. By the time the dust settles, the columnist believes that all Mac will feature either NVIDIA or Intel graphics technology by the end of 2007.

by MacNN Staff

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Infini-t
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: May 2005

0

07/25, 05:31pm | report spam | close Reply |
Hmmm...

Intel graphics? Well that sux :(

zankoku
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Feb 2001

0

07/25, 05:40pm | report spam | close Reply |
Well... duh

Who didn't see this coming?

MacScientist
Junior Member

Joined: Feb 2000

0

07/25, 05:52pm | report spam | close Reply |
what a stupid question!

Apple uses Nvidia now! It has used Nvidia for quite some time. What next? Will Apple switch to Pioneer optical drives?

zankoku
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Feb 2001

0

07/25, 05:55pm | report spam | close Reply |
Not all...

Actually edt, Apple does not use Nvidia graphics in all of their computers. As the article noted, the MacBook Pro and iMac, for example, use ATI Radeon graphics (Radeon X1600).

DarylF2
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Joined: Nov 1999

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07/25, 06:20pm | report spam | close Reply |
Performance?

In the past, ATI's Mac offerings generally seemed to outperform those from NVIDIA. This was probably mainly due to drivers. Does this mean that Apple and/or NVIDIA will finally get truly serious about optimizing the Apple/NVIDIA drivers?

Toyin
Mac Elite

Joined: Nov 2000

0

07/25, 06:26pm | report spam | close Reply |
What does this mean?

By not renewing the ATI chipset bus license does that mean that only AMD chipsets will work in the future? What percentage of ATI video cards are used with Intel based systems now? It seems that AMD would be shooting themselves in the foot if they didn't support Intel for sometime. Of course they could hobble the drivers and delay development, but that would only lose them business.

Toyin
Mac Elite

Joined: Nov 2000

0

07/25, 06:36pm | report spam | close Reply |
disregard statement above

From the New York Times: "A.M.D., based in Sunnyvale, Calif., expects that it could lose $80 million to $100 million a quarter in revenue that ATI gets from selling chips to Intel. "

Seems like a gamble....good luck to them

redesigner
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Joined: Jul 2003

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07/25, 09:49pm | report spam | close Reply |
re: anti-trust issues?

Surely, Intel had enough problems in the past about locking out competitors.

chadpengar
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Joined: Oct 2001

0

07/25, 09:50pm | report spam | close Reply |
are they talking chipsets

are they talking chipsets or graphics cards? ATI also makes chipsets for the motherboards, like nvidia does. This is where their crossfire motherboards come in. This may have nothing to do with graphics chips as those sit on industry standard busses like AGP and PCIe

Terrin
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Joined: Jan 2006

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07/25, 09:51pm | report spam | close Reply |
This Stinks

This move makes no apparent sense for AMD. There is much to lose, and seemingly nothing to gain. Moreover, it stinks for consumers. I wonder if AMD has something else up its sleeves. Perhaps, it wants ATI's property rights or manufacturing facilities.

Toyin:

If Intel does not renew ATI's license AMD cannot support Intel.

Terrin
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Joined: Jan 2006

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07/25, 09:54pm | report spam | close Reply |
PS

BY the way, Apple could easily build some MAcs using AMD technology. It is not stuck using Intel. Apple likely went with INtel, however because it could support the transition better, and it liked the road map better.

Apple said it considered using Sony's Cell processor. Considering the problems that IBM and Sony are having there, Apple's decision seems smart.

shawnce
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Joined: Nov 2000

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07/25, 10:26pm | report spam | close Reply |
Ms. Information

Little to much misinformation going on here...

ATI licenses from Intel specifications that allows them to develop chip sets for Intel processors (Intel is stopping this license going forward). This part of ATI's business is separate from their video adapter / GPU business.

It is highly unlikely that ATI (under AMD's control) will stop producing video adapters and stop making available GPUs to third-parties. As a result little reason exists for Apple to stop considering ATI as a source for video adapters and/or GPUs.

If ATI has a part the fits a need and price point of an Apple product ... Apple will use them ... just as they do with Nvidia.

LouZer
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Joined: Nov 2000

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07/25, 10:27pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: ps

BY the way, Apple could easily build some MAcs using AMD technology. It is not stuck using Intel. Apple likely went with INtel, however because it could support the transition better, and it liked the road map better.

I wouldn't make that assumption. Intel is offering Apple a lot to get their business. I can't imagine they didn't get some sort of "Use us only" in their contract. Otherwise Intel could spend a lot of money helping Apple with the transition, optimizing their apps and OS, and then watch apple take all that investment and just switch to AMD.

And as was mentioned, this only applies to on-board integrated graphics. Anything using a graphics card isn't affected. Of course, with Apple, that means the only computers NOT affected are the PowerMacs, since those are the only computers apple feels users should have the ability to change cards on.

Feste
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Joined: Jul 2006

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07/25, 11:30pm | report spam | close Reply |
PowerMacs

Actually, for the time being, the PowerMacs are the computers most affected. Remember, the first generation Intel PowerMacs are being designed jointly by Apple and Intel, and the entire motherboard is a collaboration between the two. Presumably, that means Intel has a lot of say as to what graphics chips/cards/what have you are used in those boxes. Moreso than they do with the iMacs, for example...

Buran
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Joined: May 2000

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07/25, 11:33pm | report spam | close Reply |
Won't miss ATI

I've had horrible problems installing ATI's drivers on Windows systems I've worked with and had all kinds of problems, but Nvidia's unified drivers and hardware have never given me trouble. I have always been disappointed that Apple seems to so heavily favor a company that has given me such a bad experience. I won't miss ATI if Nvidia becomes the primary source of graphics hardware.

At least when I build a gaming PC, I get to pick my own video card maker.

migs647
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Joined: Aug 2005

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07/26, 04:52am | report spam | close Reply |
RE: won't miss ati

I've had horrible problems installing ATI's drivers on Windows systems I've worked with and had all kinds of problems, but Nvidia's unified drivers and hardware have never given me trouble. I have always been disappointed that Apple seems to so heavily favor a company that has given me such a bad experience. I won't miss ATI if Nvidia becomes the primary source of graphics hardware.

At least when I build a gaming PC, I get to pick my own video card maker.

I agree. Especially in linux... ati is such a b**** to get going but NVidia works perfectly with their drivers 9 times out of 10.

I've actually got better performance and longer life out of Nvidia cards. So what gives with apple? Maybe there was a nicer partnership between ati and apple than apple and nvidia.

Who know, but i'm glad ati will soon be out of the picture.

hayesk
Professional Poster

Joined: Sep 1999

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07/26, 11:54am | report spam | close Reply |
Means nothing

Apple can still license ATI technology and have Intel put them on the boards. And for Pro Macs, Apple can still buy ATI cards and stick them in the AGP slots.

Cadaver
Addicted to MacNN

Joined: Jan 2003

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07/26, 08:24pm | report spam | close Reply |
Intel Bus License

This simply means that ATI will no longer be permitted to make chipsets (Northbridge and Southbridge chips) for motherboards sporting Intel processors. ATI can continue to make graphics chips - even integrated on to the motherboard like Apple uses - without problems.

About the only thing this will affect in the Mac world is to rule out Apple's use of ATI's CrossFire technology. So, if Apple ever offers a dual-graphics card SLI system, it will by default use nVidia's SLI technology (better than ATI's anyway, IMHO).

zapman2000
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Joined: Feb 2007

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02/25, 04:58pm | report spam | close Reply |
what do you think?

I'm strongly considering purchasing a Mac Pro.. and a major side-use would be to make pretty good games on my Mac. Mainly, I'm interested in the Multimeida field. Multiple graphic processors -how important would that be for multiple cores?? I would like to get it in 2007.

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Apple to switch to NVIDIA by 2007?

updated 05:20 pm EDT, Tue July 25, 2006

ATI's future with Apple

Hmmm...

Well... duh

what a stupid question!

Not all...

Performance?

What does this mean?

disregard statement above

re: anti-trust issues?

are they talking chipsets

This Stinks

PS

Ms. Information

Re: ps

PowerMacs

Won't miss ATI

RE: won't miss ati

Means nothing

Intel Bus License

what do you think?

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Apple to switch to NVIDIA by 2007?

updated 05:20 pm EDT, Tue July 25, 2006

ATI's future with Apple

Related Articles

Recent Articles

Hmmm...

Well... duh

what a stupid question!

Not all...

Performance?

What does this mean?

disregard statement above

re: anti-trust issues?

are they talking chipsets

This Stinks

PS

Ms. Information

Re: ps

PowerMacs

Won't miss ATI

RE: won't miss ati

Means nothing

Intel Bus License

what do you think?

Login Here

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