So Nvidia bought ARM Holdings for $40 billion

Chimpzy

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So that happened. This may be a pretty huge deal, since Nvidia now has owns the designs of the ARM processor chip, widely used in most mobile phones and tablets includings Apple's, as well as some dedicated gaming devices such as Nvidia's own Shield and as the CPU in the Nintendo Switch.

Basically, Nvidia now has a finger in both CPU's and GPU's, same as its main competitor AMD, something they've wanted for a long time now. Do they perhaps plan to start competing with AMD (and Intel) on the PC CPU front as well? It's known Apple will be moving their Macbooks from Intel to ARM architecture in the coming years and Microsoft did some experiments with ARM-based architecture to moderate success. Perhaps they're eyeing those lucrative console all-in-one chips that are now firmly in AMD's hands, but perhaps in next next gen hardware? Intel is supposedly working on graphics hardware, so will we be seeing a 3-way race in future?

Not that I'm applauding this. Nvidia claims they'll continue the open-license model as before, but a corporations word means nothing, and consolidation of tech into a handful of companies rarely ever ends up beneficial for the consumer.
 

SupahEwok

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Guess this is how Nvidia wants to invest all that bitcoin miner money.
 
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Adam Jensen

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Do they perhaps plan to start competing with AMD (and Intel) on the PC CPU front as well?
Not in the consumer market. But it absolutely will put a lot of pressure on Intel in the server market. A more compact server that runs on Nvidia's hardware and software and uses less power while delivering more performance. Intel is sweating right about now.
 

crimson5pheonix

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I was just about to bring up how ARM chips don't use the x86-64 instruction set you need for running PCs/Macs, but apparently Microsoft worked with Qualcomm to make an emulator specifically to run x86-64 on ARM chips. D'oh!
 

Agema

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This is "success", by the standards of British engineering firms: get bought out by a foreign competitor so they can make the money instead.

Outside pharmaceuticals and military hardware, there is pretty much literally nothing the UK has made a success out of in manufacturing / engineering since WW2. When Napoleon called the English a nation of shopkeepers, he wasn't so much wrong as he was 200 years ahead of his time. The only countries in Europe that make less than the UK (% GDP) are Cyprus and Luxembourg.
 

Chimpzy

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This is "success", by the standards of British engineering firms: get bought out by a foreign competitor so they can make the money instead.

Outside pharmaceuticals and military hardware, there is pretty much literally nothing the UK has made a success out of in manufacturing / engineering since WW2. When Napoleon called the English a nation of shopkeepers, he wasn't so much wrong as he was 200 years ahead of his time. The only countries in Europe that make less than the UK (% GDP) are Cyprus and Luxembourg.
Ok, this comes across as having a personal angle. you alright there, mate?
 

Agema

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Ok, this comes across as having a personal angle. you alright there, mate?
I'm fine. I just think it's a sign of economic dysfunction in the country that it has so few home-owned design and manufacturing industries, especially in newer industries (computers, mobile phones, hardware/software etc.). Nearly all the one-time large electricals, chemicals, engineering firms have basically failed or been swallowed by more successful overseas rivals. When Mitt Romney described the UK as a country that doesn't make much the world wants anymore, the painful thing for the British is that he was right. It really doesn't.

There are some, obviously: the largest UK company (market cap) is Unilever, which has a substantial R&D / manufacturing component to its business. There's Glaxo and AstraZeneca (pharmaceuticals), BT (telecoms) and BAe (military), and after that, all minnows, really. All in all, it paints a picture of a country low on R&D (~1.5% GDP, compared to say France ~2%, Germany, Japan & USA ~3%) and that can't effectively exploit even what innovation that produces. It's a country run for the benefit of landowners and bankers, and as long as Londoners are able to extract rent and get paid for international money-laundering, all seems to be deemed well by the government.
 

Chimpzy

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Ok, bit of a necro, but apparently Nvidia never fully went through with the acquisition of Arm, and probably never will, on account of running into too much opposition and anti-monopoly laws.