Replies to post #82334 on Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD)

[Golfbum]

In retrospect it's easy to see that their choice of integrated memory controller precluded doing a dual die approach. Whether they considered that at the time they did their roadmap will probably never be told.

Making that choice committed them to a core count in one package that could never exceed their ability to integrate on a single die.

Intel exploited that weakness beautifully.

checkmate*

gb

*tm ephud ;-)

[mas]

Worse yet, was the decision to go for >30% of the market, something that will be etched in the history pages, when you don't have the capability and technology to fight someone 10X larger.

This is an Intel investor's myth that has no grounding in reality. They were only 5-6% away at their peak while still turning profits. Also all they have done on the capacity side is gone from 1 200mm Fab to 1 300mm Fab which is hardly going for broke in capacity. They have plans for Fab38 and NY which have now been both sensibly postponed until they start making profits again. They obviously need time for consolidation while they convert Fab 36's output into profitable overall. 30% is perfectly doable but they need truly competitive products again to make it profitable overall otherwise there is no point and no money for further expansion. Fab36 always needed building to avoid becoming obsolete on the process side so despite the rhetoric AMD have not done anything outrageous yet in pursuing their 30% goal.