Re:ARM v8-A with Scalable Vector Extensions: Aiming for HPC ...
by dogma1138 on Monday August 22, 2016 @08:58AM
(#12335981)
Intel "dumped" Xscale on Marvell but it didn't stop manufacturing them, Intel is still manufacturing for Marvel and for many other companies.
Besides Marvel Intel has been manufacturing FPGAs for Altera, and at least 5 other companies are using Intel Fabs to make their own silicon (Achronix, Tabula, Netronome, Microsemi, Panasonic).
In fact one can argue about the brilliant move Intel made here, Intel opens up it's Fabs to 3rd parties, various companies including the leading FPGA designers jump onto it.
3-4 Years later Intel starts exploring integrating FPGAs into it's Xeon CPU's and SOCs, that's not coincidence when you fabricate something you have technology transfer even if it's completely "unintentional", furthermore Intel gains a lot of experience in fabricating and optimizing FPGAs silicon and they do it on some one else's dime while being paid heftily for it.
So I don't really think your conclusion of Intel's strategy is correct, Intel can very well keep the cake and eat it, Intel makes ARM CPUs and SOCs Intel gains experience and knowledge in producing and testing new silicon, Intel gains access to technologies that it could later implement in its own line of X86 CPUs to further optimize their microarchitecture for multiple cores, asymmetrical CPU designs, power efficiency etc.
So I don't see Intel being at a crossroads, they don't have to go big with ARM or go home, they just need to get enough ARM chips out the door to be profitable and considering Intel's fab efficiency it's not hard for them to do, and in the meantime gain enough knowledge and experience to improve their own IP and designs.
Intel has made the bet once that I would take ARM just as long to get to X86 performance levels as it would take Intel to get X86 down to ARM's power levels and they made the right bet at the time, and I'm pretty sure they also made the right bet this time around also.
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/05/01/microsemi-emerges-as-...
In fact one can argue about the brilliant move Intel made here, Intel opens up it's Fabs to 3rd parties, various companies including the leading FPGA designers jump onto it. 3-4 Years later Intel starts exploring integrating FPGAs into it's Xeon CPU's and SOCs, that's not coincidence when you fabricate something you have technology transfer even if it's completely "unintentional", furthermore Intel gains a lot of experience in fabricating and optimizing FPGAs silicon and they do it on some one else's dime while being paid heftily for it.
So I don't really think your conclusion of Intel's strategy is correct, Intel can very well keep the cake and eat it, Intel makes ARM CPUs and SOCs Intel gains experience and knowledge in producing and testing new silicon, Intel gains access to technologies that it could later implement in its own line of X86 CPUs to further optimize their microarchitecture for multiple cores, asymmetrical CPU designs, power efficiency etc.
So I don't see Intel being at a crossroads, they don't have to go big with ARM or go home, they just need to get enough ARM chips out the door to be profitable and considering Intel's fab efficiency it's not hard for them to do, and in the meantime gain enough knowledge and experience to improve their own IP and designs. Intel has made the bet once that I would take ARM just as long to get to X86 performance levels as it would take Intel to get X86 down to ARM's power levels and they made the right bet at the time, and I'm pretty sure they also made the right bet this time around also.