Intel put the kibosh on anti-Ion hubbub, welcomes standalone Atom sales

A nasty rumor had been making the rounds about Intel, something along the lines of it wouldn't sell its Atom CPUs to netbook vendors without its 945 chipset in tow. If true, the move would essentially act to block graphical entrants such as NVIDIA from making a move into the netbook GPU space. An unnamed Intel spokesman chimed in on the whispers today by outrightly denying the claims, telling InternetNews that "there is nothing preventing vendors from using [NVIDIA's] Ion platform; [Intel] sells Atom as a standalone processor, or as a package with chipset." 'Course, it's not like Intel hasn't pulled similar tricks before, and to say that the chip maker's relationship with NVIDIA has been dysphoric is understating things dramatically. Still, it sounds as if the company's in the clear here, but we're still waiting to see a wicked Atom + Ion combo in a shipping product before we believe the hatchet is entirely buried.

[digitallysick @ Dec 25th 2008 7:37PM]

Hey intel if your graphics didn't suck, then we wouldn't want an nvidia chipset. *hates intel intergraded graphics* they are always horrible

[Major4Play @ Dec 25th 2008 7:43PM]

Tell em Steve-Dave

[warrrennnnn @ Dec 25th 2008 8:46PM]

hahahaha, i love how you physically *hate* the "intergraded" graphics.

[MadMike @ Dec 25th 2008 9:33PM]

Intel should just buy nVidia. Just like AMD bought ATi. Now, yes - the AMD/ATi merger is/was bad news, especially for AMD since they basically lost SLI for the less-than-stellar ATi alternative.

But I think an Intel/nVidia merger would work.

Fact: Intel graphics suck.
Fact: nVidia is the de-facto graphics leader
Fact: Intel has very good QC and Fab processes
Fact: nVidia NEEDS very good QC and Fab processes

To me, that's a match made in heaven. Now all they need is lower prices!!!!

[angelwolf71885 @ Dec 25th 2008 9:46PM]

@MadMike

you know nivda still makes chipsets for AMD right?
just look on newegg...

so sli is still avilaable to the latest AMD prossers

[Abuzar Baloach @ Dec 25th 2008 10:37PM]

Uhhh, Crossfire works better than SLI...

[Mike @ Dec 25th 2008 11:07PM]

I'd rather see VIA buy nVidia (or the other way around), but that'll never happen :(

The only thing that makes VIA setups unattractive is that their integrated graphics are even worse than Intels.

Give me a VIA board with integrated nVidia graphics and i'll make a damn mess in my pants.

[Paul @ Dec 26th 2008 12:43AM]

It wouldn't be so bad if Intel was pairing the Atom with its latest chipest and graphics processors.

[nick @ Dec 25th 2008 7:48PM]

Well, Intel is truly working on the graphics type stuff, but they're so focused on larrabee I don't think as much progress has been made in traditional integrated graphics. I wouldn't be surprised to see a larrabee announcement with Apple's intro of Snow Leopard, since getting them into a standard Mac Pro would likely cement support from people like Adobe. But, I felt like the timeline for larrabee might have been a bit too far off to be that optimistic. A nice atom dual core with an efficient nvidia cpu would be a netbookers dream system, hd video playback and decent batterylife/performance.

[Sea Urchin @ Dec 25th 2008 7:48PM]

What we need is an additional graphics company, Intel just plain sucks, and Nvidia and ATI are a duopoly that basically make cards that are slightly better than the privious one.

We need a third company to shake things up. Maybe Microsoft can team up with someone to make things happen.

[angelwolf71885 @ Dec 25th 2008 9:48PM]

SIS and VIA make videocards..dx 10.1 compatable to boot

[Rollins @ Dec 25th 2008 9:58PM]

SIS and Via may make video cards, but that's like saying that the Amiga OS is going to shake up the battle between Windows/Mac/Linux. He meant that a -real- third competitor is needed.

[angelwolf71885 @ Dec 25th 2008 10:14PM]

@Rollins

well those are the only other companys that make laptop videocards
so its gunna have to be one of them...

now if your talking about for desktops then that company would be
matroix but thay make simmaler cards to the quotro series
so thay wouldent really do you any good...

so your still stuck with SIS and VIA
ide go with SIS bc thay were the first cheep $50 or less dx 10.1 glass supporting videocard

[Bryan @ Dec 25th 2008 11:10PM]

Seriously? You'd rely on Microsoft to get the job done right?

I needed a good laugh- thank you.

[roach @ Dec 26th 2008 11:07AM]

@ Bryan

That would be stupid and hardly unlikely that Microsoft would get into Intel's affairs.
But lets say these OS does have a poison pill that stops certain hardware (Intel) from working with their OS:

Apple killing Intel support would cause Intel to loose its glitter being connected to a high profile product and a drop in its stock price.

Window killing Intel support would cause people to laugh at Window but cause Intel into (near) bankruptcy.

[Kris120890 @ Dec 25th 2008 8:08PM]

Said that about two hours ago on the msi wind. I'm glad they're probably not blocking vendors. And yes I'm glad that what I said was wrong. The ion platform looks promising.

[maveric101 @ Dec 25th 2008 8:20PM]

what happened to the highest ranked comments? raise the ranking thresholds?

about the news, good.

[FLYING @ Dec 25th 2008 8:31PM]

Doesnt Intel own NVIDIA? Like AMD owns ATI? If so, Intel is Retarded just like apple.
Whats the worse that can happen if the two work together? Make more money? expand the Netbook market? Not like its a replacement GPU, or their stealing your sales. Just like Apple. If OSX wasnt limited to apple machines they would have made a lot more money....

[roflercopterer @ Dec 25th 2008 9:26PM]

Wikipedia confirms that no, no they do not infact own nvidia.

[Shyam D @ Dec 25th 2008 9:29PM]

Ok.... you've obviously just learned to read and write and therefore have made a comment without any understanding what so ever.

Intel does not own Nvidia. Maybe some shares of Nvidia, but not Nvidia outright. Nothing is wrong if Intel and Nvidia work together to make a better netbook from our standpoint. Their standpoint is, well, basic Nvidia graphics won't expand the market much, so why not make more money off each netbook by forcing everyone to user our graphics chip, because yes, it is a replacement GPU. Thankfully, Intel is under too much scrutiny for that to be truly viable these days. That and Nvidia has enough bucks to keep them in line in this case.

Apple makes profit off hardware, not OSX. Therefore selling OS X for all PCs would not net them any profit. In fact, it would probably lose them money. Next time you post, lay off the crack.

[matt merritt @ Dec 26th 2008 12:22AM]

If Intel owns nVidia, I'll eat my 8800GT

[Kizorblade @ Dec 26th 2008 5:24AM]

Just... Ugh. Idiot, ahoy.

/Facepalm

I worry for the human race with idiots like these.

[Valicore @ Dec 26th 2008 2:41PM]

"Wow" is all I can say to that comment; actually, it isn't... WTF are you babbling about?

[renai @ Dec 25th 2008 8:36PM]

I though the title said "ant-lion"...

[ohforfucksake @ Dec 25th 2008 9:31PM]

I thought the title said - "anti- what the freakinhell is this bullshit post about n who really gives a rats"

[renai @ Dec 25th 2008 10:46PM]

You wouldn't know what in world Black Mesa is either, would you?

[Steveborough @ Dec 25th 2008 8:59PM]

why is geek.com reporting the exact opposite today?

[Wansoo @ Dec 25th 2008 9:04PM]

Nice job noticing that! Perhaps they saw the rumors and posted the news on that instead?

[Kris120890 @ Dec 25th 2008 9:08PM]

They probably catching up. This story has been around for a week. Notice engadget didn't post about it until now (even though I tld them a week ago) and this story about the intel guy saying it's a load of crap only said it today.

[Steveborough @ Dec 25th 2008 9:13PM]

well, geek.com is reporting that today (4pm)

[ohforfucksake @ Dec 25th 2008 9:29PM]

First, fweekin N-O-T!

[Devin @ Dec 25th 2008 10:41PM]

So like what is the mobo pictured up top and where can I get one?

[dj moon @ Dec 26th 2008 2:29AM]

Me, too!
Looks like some sort of pseudo-Pico-ITX thing-a-ma-jig.

[Toni Borgetto @ Dec 26th 2008 1:23AM]

Without prices this soundbite "[Intel] sells Atom as a standalone processor, or as a package with chipset." is just zero-value information. Consider for example this hypothetical price list: Atom 60$, Atom incl. Intel chipset 62$.
Now of course you can go and buy the standalone Atom, not the package with chipset. Only problem is that the price of the standalone Atom is inflated (to make the package more attractive), and going with an alternative chipset is simply not competitive.

Now, I'm not saying that this is the way Intel's handling the issue, but the information that "of course we are selling Atom standalone" doesn't mean anything.

[Motorola 3G Victim @ Dec 26th 2008 7:20AM]

Actually the way Intel keeps their hands "clean" is by the quota allocation scheme.

Intel counts the chipset's into your quota allocation. Those that buy just the Atom will get a lower allocation of chips than those that buy the Atom with chipset.

Is this anti-Ion or just being practical about distribution of a limited resource?

[Dax Cruz @ Dec 26th 2008 1:59AM]

Atom+Ion? I may give the netbook category a second look if this comes into reality soon (January 2009, at least?)

I always wanted a netbook with decent graphics performance. Intel, swallow your pride and admit your graphics chipsets are not worthy!

[randomgyan @ Dec 26th 2008 3:55AM]

I call BS.

Intel HAS to say that it isn't blocking NVIDIA from putting Atom into its chipset.

If Intel bundles in a way which prohibits "fair competition" I think they would get into trouble with the law.
They are in the middle of an anti-trust lawsuit to begin with.

And I agree - I am waiting for a few tier 1 guys to launch some notebooks (netbooks?) with ION to really believe intel.

[randomgyan @ Dec 26th 2008 4:01AM]

also, darren,

Ion = Atom + NVIDIA Chipset

saying Ion+Atom is kinda redundant. Also - inaccurate.

[taciturnforsale @ Dec 26th 2008 6:22AM]

Isn't this along the lines of what got Microsoft in trouble?

[Egg @ Dec 27th 2008 12:04AM]

There are already netbooks with an Intel Atom and an nVidia GPU: the ASUS N10 has a nVidia Gerforce 9300m, and has for at least a month on newegg.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220385