NVIDIA thinking about acquiring VIA?

We're not suggesting you put any stock in rumors, particularly from DigiTimes, but there's something about the chatter that NVIDIA is in talks to acquire VIA that makes sense -- or maybe we're just blinded by our desire to see all that unnecessary capitalization finally come together. Still, whispers are just whispers, and while we can see NVIDIA trying to bolster its GPU offerings with VIA's x86 CPU offerings -- and perhaps snag some of that Crysis-capable Isaiah thunder -- we'll believe it when we see it. After all, the last we heard NVIDIA was set to buy AMD, remember?

[charles.a.ray @ Mar 18th 2008 3:23PM]

This is probably a good move for them; they need to expand into CPUs before Intel and AMD encroach too much on the GPU market (I've heard Intel has been looking into developing discrete graphics chips in addition to their integrated solutions).

However, in the long run it may be more beneficial for them to invest in some fabs and try to develop x86 chips in-house. I don't see how they could compete with Intel or AMD while still having to contract production out to TSMC and the like.

[Mr.Tech @ Mar 19th 2008 5:06AM]

@ charles.a.ray | I can't agree with you more but if nVidia did acquire VIA, will nVidia really improve?

[Nabil @ Mar 18th 2008 3:27PM]

Now all the phones will be able to play Doom, Quake, and even Call of Duty 4.

[mike @ Mar 18th 2008 4:02PM]

Windows Mobile can do COD2...

[roflercopterer @ Mar 18th 2008 3:34PM]

This would hurt the chipset market

[mabhatter @ Mar 19th 2008 12:21AM]

not really. Via is taking a pounding from Intel because of the Centrino line... that pretty much eats Via's lunch for OEM systems. Nvidia has been cut out from the AMD deals (the recently announced ATI line should make ATi/AMD notebooks preferred over nVidia), and Intel is again trying to eat the bread-n-butter low-end chips. Via holds licenses for both chipsets, just like nVidia does. There's not much overlap in their markets, Via is so much cheaper than nVidia and is focused on very low watts where nvidia is focused on selling higher wattage power supplies.

[rewind @ Mar 18th 2008 3:34PM]

The theme song can be "nVidia gotta da Via", to the tune of "ina gadda da vida" by Iron Butterfly

[bartoron @ Mar 18th 2008 3:38PM]

If this happens, then Intel might lose some ground. Nvidia could start making motherboards for VIA processors that have Nvidia chipsets just to get in on the action.

[LJKelley @ Mar 18th 2008 3:41PM]

Makes sense... AMD has ATI, Intel has well Intel, and nVidia can get VIA.

[kbnguy @ Mar 18th 2008 10:20PM]

Uhh...So, AMD is gonna make graphic card, Intel's going for chipset and NVidia gets CPU?
God helps us all!

[Blaine Oliver @ Mar 18th 2008 3:46PM]

These rumours are good for stocks, but i will reserve judgement till there is some proof, I do think that Nvidia do need some kind of CPU backing for that extra silicone knowledge when it comes to production. I do think that these rumours are purposefully generated to divert attention away from Nvidias real gameplan, we will see in time though.

[dagamer34 @ Mar 18th 2008 3:49PM]

It seems CPU/GPU combos are gonna be hot in the future.

[Phil Perman @ Mar 18th 2008 3:51PM]

I can really see this making sense for nvidia. With both Intel and AMD looking to integrate GPU's onto CPU's, nVidia would totally left out of the low power PC market. By building off VIA's existing and very good line of ultra low power x86 processors they would stand a very good chance of getting a good market position in that market.

Also, if they could drag a few VIA chips up into the high power, high performance arena, it would be great to see a 3 horse race between Intel AMD and nVidia

[John Willaford @ Mar 18th 2008 4:00PM]

That'd be the best move they could ever make. It puts all 3 heavy hitters in a good position. VIA brings with it S3, so, uh, everyone's about to pay Nvidia some patents. This is going to be hilarious.

[mabhatter @ Mar 19th 2008 12:40AM]

Both Via and nVidia have chipset rights in BOTH existing camps that gives them options to pick the best of both sides without having their pants sued off. That's a big deal, that they've both acquired a good number of licenses as cannon-fodder between Intel & AMD and now have gobbled up the smaller players to be a competitor.

nVidia supposedly has CPUs in the works, and Via has been doing low-end stuff for years with a dash of 3D & media. The only PC chip they don't make is wireless as far as I know. Via has the closest to it's own platform but won't actively "bite the hand that feeds it" (microsoft compatibility) by proclaiming it's linux support (which is OK but gets publicly ignored for long periods). Perhaps an nVidia merger would push them to create a true platform... not just copycat low-end intel, but really market their own thing, their own software APIs, perhaps draw support to a third big platform. (I'd go for $300 tweaked game boxes that run Linux of some sort) nVidia has enough draw, and ambition to do that. AMD/ATI is firmly in bed with the console makers, intel is in bed with Microsoft (and with Apple to look cool) that leaves an opening in the social oligarchy for one more big PC brand and Linux hasn't really stepped up in the consumer market. Legally the battles are fought and paid for and for the most part Via/nVidia has fought them off.

[YoMomma @ Mar 18th 2008 4:10PM]

But WIll it Blend?

That is the question folks?

[L @ Mar 18th 2008 4:28PM]

I'm all for freedom of speech...



...but really, can we just auto-hide comments containing the words "blend", "play quake", "play doom" and "first!!1"? That would probably make the world an itsy-bitsy tiny bit better imho.





Anyway, does anybody know when Isaiah is going to hit the market - I'm kinda interested in that since the HP 2133 UMPC/subnotebook thingy is said to be powered by a VIA CPU and that one doesn't sound so bad...

[John Johnson @ Mar 18th 2008 4:24PM]

I'm an embedded systems developer and I deal with 3.5" form factor pc boards, often using a VIA processor. A real disadvantage to these is the horrid graphical ability. This could be great for mobile embedded applications.

[Mace Moneta @ Mar 18th 2008 4:40PM]

Does anyone remember when floating point processors (FPUs) were physically separate chips? This is just the next stage in the evolution, moving the GPU into the CPU.

[Andir3.0 @ Mar 18th 2008 4:48PM]

I like nViVia better! /shrug

[Ryan Pierce @ Mar 18th 2008 5:08PM]

Ha, that has a nice ring to it. n-VIA-DIA.

[Travis @ Mar 18th 2008 5:12PM]

Does anyone remember the VIAgra chipset? I swear to god that is not a joke. I saw it once on a VIA motherboard back in the late 90's I believe. Wish I could find a photo of this.

[andrew wilson @ Mar 18th 2008 10:55PM]

W0QQitemZ190206212597QQihZ009QQcategoryZ131520QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[motang @ Mar 18th 2008 5:32PM]

Interesting, and if it had gone through then that would have brought nVidia into the CPU market.

[ethana2 @ Mar 18th 2008 5:39PM]

VIA:

NooOOOOOOOoooooo! I am not a NOM!

[Roofus @ Mar 18th 2008 6:08PM]

Maybe they'll buy them and sell them off in peices. VIA makes horribly unstable chips.

[Allen @ Mar 18th 2008 6:14PM]

The theme songs just roll off my tongue. "Livin La Via La Loca" or " In Gadda da Vida" all work well. Hell, they could use latina models in the commercials.

I think Nvidia should go forth with this, it'd beat Intel to the punch (so far, their integrated chips are more paper than stone), and it'd be rather easy for Nvidia to integrate their processor's with VIAs.

The one thing integrated chips worry me on, though, is cost effectiveness. Right now you pay $200 for a AMD Phenom and then you can choose a graphics card of any cost to go with it, but sticking within ATI solutions at max you'd pay $350 for a 3870X2. So your total price there is $550.

What if you wanted to buy a good CPU now but upgrade the card later? You could, right now, buy the $200 CPU then buy a $160 3870 and run with it until you could upgrade to the 3870X2. Then, when you want to upgrade to a 3870X2, you spend $350.

But if chips become integrated, then when you go to buy the equivalent of a 3870 you might spend $330 and have both processor and GPU (I'm assuming that an integrated processor/gpu is cheaper than a de-integrated processor/gpu). What happens when you want to upgrade to the equivalent of a 3870X2? You have to spend money on both a processor and GPU again, maybe another $400-$500.

It'd be cheaper to reuse your last top of the line processor with the new 3870X2 card then have to buy another processor and card all at once. If processors and GPUs become integrated, you'd basically have to buy a processor and GPU every time you'd want to upgrade just one component.

What I'm saying here is that where as today, I can buy a top of the line processor and saddle a shitty graphics card to it to wait for better cards to come out, or buy a good graphics card and then later saddle it with a good processor, I can't do that with a integrated CPU/GPU. Hence, I'd end up spending more money for the same results.

As of right now, no one is talking about massive performance increases in integrated architecture over the current independent CPU and GPU configuration. Theoretically they are there, but theory and reality don't always meet right away, if ever.

[RickyR @ Mar 18th 2008 7:14PM]

NviVia! NviVia! Viagra!

[Wolfticket @ Mar 18th 2008 8:30PM]

I like VIA because they are cool and quiet. I hope Nvidia don't turn them into the power hungry motherboard mounted bbqs that most gpu are these days.

[Montusama @ Mar 18th 2008 11:09PM]

I don't want them to buy Via, I don't own anything via, but I'm a via fanboy.... >_>

[manbearpig @ Mar 18th 2008 11:34PM]

I think X86 license is not transferable from one company to another. If nVidia acquires VIA, VIA will lose x86 license automatically and nVidia doesn't get to build x86 CPU's. In other words, I don't see why would nVidia buy VIA. They already have better chip sets, better GPUs and other tech.

On the other side, I could see them buying a PCB manufacturer to make them their own mobos and PCBs for GPUs...

[manbearpig @ Mar 23rd 2008 11:24AM]

Sorry, I meant licence, not "license" :S

[bw @ Mar 19th 2008 12:35AM]

lol nviadia