AMD breakup just weeks away?

Those AMD breakup rumors are back with a bullet this morning thanks to some chatty sources speaking to TG Daily. Though this one can hardly be called rumor since it was AMD's own freshman CEO, Dirk Meyer (pictured), who said that AMD was "just months away" from spinning off its manufacturing and fabrication business into a separate entity. TGD's sources claim that an announcement is indeed planned for next month in fruition of its Asset Light and Asset Smart strategies. With it, we'll see Meyer take over the development of chip technologies while someone else (possibly Hector Ruiz, who recently shed his CEO role but stayed on as the board's chair) taking responsibilities of manufacturing. Let's just hope that they can get past this distraction in short order -- a strong, focused AMD is good for the industry and that's good for us consumers.

[melvz @ Aug 12th 2008 5:02AM]

yes... that is good news!!! the boat will be sinking anytime soon!!!

[Blaine Oliver @ Aug 12th 2008 5:56AM]

Your an idiot, if AMD prices go up, they will go out of the CPU market, leaving Intel to charge what they like because there is no competition.

[melvz @ Aug 12th 2008 7:16AM]

you're more than an idiot... AMD can't jack up their prices cause their currently lineup is underperforming and they know that... as for competition... its been more than 3yrs since there was a competition against Intel... face it fanboy... the K8/athlon glory days have been over for several years

[neofolklore @ Aug 12th 2008 7:35AM]

or maybe this will force everyone to change their business model and top of the line graphics card will cost less than $100. Since it only costs barely $100 to manufacture them, it will be like the consoles, sell closer to the manufacture cost

[Kizorblade @ Aug 12th 2008 7:51AM]

I think he's basically saying that should AMD go down under then Intel will raise prices as they're the only company in the industry, effectively having a monopoly

[melvz @ Aug 12th 2008 8:28AM]

its basic economic effect of supply and demand... its not just AMD who expanded (probably tried) their production capability, intel also upgraded their production facilities. With Intel capable of mass producing chips, they also need to keep their prices down just to get their chips off the shelves and reduce stock inventories. Intel jacking up prices on their mainstream and value segments won't do them any good. Business is business, and you gotta sell

[melvz @ Aug 12th 2008 8:28AM]

its basic economic effect of supply and demand... its not just AMD who expanded (probably tried) their production capability, intel also upgraded their production facilities. With Intel capable of mass producing chips, they also need to keep their prices down just to get their chips off the shelves and reduce stock inventories. Intel jacking up prices on their mainstream and value segments won't do them any good. Business is business, and you gotta sell

[Dan Halen @ Aug 12th 2008 10:16AM]

@Kizorblade

Intel basically WAS a monopoly for a long time (in the early days). Remember when every single new PC you could buy had an Intel in it? The prices stayed reasonable then. I don't believe Intel would just jack the shit out of all their prices just because AMD goes under.

[joe blow @ Aug 12th 2008 12:37PM]

Whomever thinks competition doesn't keep prices down is an idiot.

[xValentine @ Aug 12th 2008 5:04AM]

Just Do it™

[Vanillacide @ Aug 12th 2008 5:52AM]

NVIDIA should buy AMD/ATI as the combined force will be needed to compete with resurgent Intel whose Larrabee graphics cards are not far away.

[Ayle @ Aug 12th 2008 1:25PM]

Unfortunately they can't because then there will be a monopoly when it comes to discrete graphic cards...

[Ryback @ Aug 12th 2008 6:15AM]

"Let's just hope that they can get past this distraction in short order"

How is this a distraction? I would rather say separating the two will allow them two future companies to focus on the tasks at hand. One will focus on designing chips, the other will focus on manufacturing them.

[Daniel @ Aug 12th 2008 6:18AM]

AMD? What is AMD ? who is AMD....





-note to self fools who think i dont know what AMD is must be monitored and probed ....with a trout.

[Cash @ Aug 12th 2008 6:19AM]

Please AMD, get your shit together soon so Intel can hurry up and quit stalling with Nahelem or Core i7, or whatever gay name they've come up with for their next chips. Because of your Phenom-enal failure this year they got lazy with Core 2 which by all rights should be cranking out 4ghz stock speeds. I'm thrilled you got this little competition going on with Nvidia and kudos for your win with 4870 X2 (even if it can't scale for shit in crossfire) but hows bout you get back to your bread and butter and put out some CPU's for something other then the bargain bin.

'Preciate it.

[Ryback @ Aug 12th 2008 6:35AM]

Maybe because server and bargain-bin/enterprise market is where the money is. Even if every Engadget reading know-it-all only bought AMD it would be a drop in the bucket.

[Ignatius @ Aug 12th 2008 7:14AM]

What they really need is a strong image. Back in 2005, you didn't see a single gaming computer without the precious AMD Athlon 64 939 boards.

As soon as C2D came around, the Athlon 64 was screwed.

[Steffen Jobbs @ Aug 12th 2008 7:16AM]

I had thought manufacturers were trying to avoid using high core speeds by having multiple cores. 4GHz is fairly high end (with a high price) and surely wouldn't be mainstream. I don't think Intel is stalling with the Core i7, they probably just need to produce it in quantities. Rumor has it that Apple will get it first, so the rest of the industry will have to wait.

[Jatin @ Aug 12th 2008 7:08AM]

so the two companies won't blend?

[Harry Wagstaff @ Aug 12th 2008 8:11AM]

No, but one of them might play Doom if they're not careful.

[Dale @ Aug 12th 2008 10:41AM]

*shoehorns an anti-iPhone comment in*

[Skyride @ Aug 12th 2008 7:33AM]

The problem is that even for years after Core 2 smashed athlon, the AMD bottom-mid range was still better value for money. Now time, Penryn and the upcoming Nehalem have schuffled the market down in price so what was the top end when core 2 came in is now available extremely cheaply, and can be overclocked to your hearts content.

[Mike Sanders @ Aug 12th 2008 9:00AM]

AMD is facing similar troubles, as GM... Either, GM needs to outsource it's manufacturing and concentrate on design, or AMD needs to downsize it's microprocessors and concentrate on efficiency.

[Dalcébolus @ Aug 12th 2008 10:06AM]

Then it is obvious to us all... AMD and GM should merge.

[spyder91 @ Aug 12th 2008 4:04PM]

@Dalcébolus

I can't wait to see the Chevrolet Corvette x3. I can see the marketing spin now... "Three wheels are better than 2!"

[ShadowKain @ Aug 12th 2008 9:12AM]

They will persevere, a CPU market without competition is grim indeed. AMD will surly be around for many more years you nerve racking fools. If not, then you'll see intel charging us 300+ or more dollars on CPU's because they know we will buy them. Unless, VIA picked up speed. But don't fret, AMD isn't going anywhere.

[z0phi3l @ Aug 12th 2008 3:08PM]

Love how all you AMD fanboys think Intel would raise prices without the pitiful competition AMD gives them. Seriously, Intel won't raise prices, we won't buy overpriced crap unlike Gamers and their "Extreme" CPUs and "XXX" or whatever AMD calls their "Gamer" cpu

[BigD145 @ Aug 12th 2008 9:32PM]

I can also see this as a way to shift future blame for bad cores onto some separate name, thus preserving brand loyalty. A corporation can go bankrupt with ease and the people behind the name can just make a new one and go on like nothing happened.

[John @ Aug 17th 2008 6:16PM]

Intel CPUs have may have a 5% performance advantage of the AMD rival, but the AMD version is 50% of the cost.

Any idiot who pays twice as much for a 5% increase in performance must enjoy being anally raped by an elephant.

[anantha92 @ Oct 7th 2008 10:09AM]

Friend, you have just won the internet.

[sebt3 @ Oct 7th 2008 6:47AM]

Remember me Palm...
Sad.

[Grumpyoldbastard @ Oct 7th 2008 10:29AM]

You guys have probably forgotten anything more than 10 years old....as far as Intel pricing goes. in Nov 1997, I had to dish out $5400 on a new PC. I still remember what the CPU, a Pentium II 300Mhz cost me.... are you ready?.... it was priced at $1987.00

So if you guys think that Intel is not run by the same greedy people that gave us the sub-prime mess then your head is not in the right place.