What they are not good on is their drivers on Linux. So while GPUs on ARM will get better it will definitely be on closed hardware/OS.
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SoftBank Nears Deal to Sell Arm to Nvidia [Updated]
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I'm confused by these posts, what stops NVIDIA from shipping macOS drivers again for their devices? Unless the expectation is some how Apple should write NVIDIA's drivers for them but that's not really how that works for Windows though.
Except any company partnering with NVidia has always come out losing. It's why Intel and AMD worked against NVidia entering the x86 market.
Cause this does nothing to ease Apple/NVidia relations that is dead and the gap will probably widen.
It's not even debatable. It's like purchasing a CD and the artist telling you that you no longer have access to it.
A quick google search thats why. The fact that they had it for earlier version as well.
Smart business move by Nvidia honestly. I imagine they're looking to diversify to become more competitive against AMD and Intel in the long term, and this feels like 'skating to where the puck is going.'
I doubt this will have much impact on Apple, but I'd be worried if I were Qualcomm or Texas Instruments.
I doubt this will have much impact on Apple, but I'd be worried if I were Qualcomm or Texas Instruments.
SemiAccurate doesn't think it's a good idea...
Nvidia will be the end of ARM
So the Nvidia purchase of ARM is now officially announced and if it completes, SemiAccurate thinks ARM is dead.semiaccurate.com
TBH I can see the logic in Charlie's argument. Every AMD CPU and GPU has a few ARM cores on it ( like ARM SC300 secure core in AMD PSP, & other microcontrollers etc). It would be unrealistic to assume AMD would want NVidia to know about those roadmaps and detailed dates.
And AMD isn't the only one who are using those microcontrollers with Secure core, Cortex-M, Cortex-R etc.
I expect that sales of licences to the PRC will be stopped dead if the current POTUS gets re-elected. The puppet UK government of Boris Johnson will do everything he tells them to do.
If Nvidia moves the ARM R&D away from the UK, Apple already has a site close by that I'm sure would be a natural home for those who don't want or can't move. That would lose a lot of talent from ARM but I get the feeling that Nvidia don't really care. They just want the IP.
Agree, except that Amazon is already doing exactly that: they license ARM, and have an AWS-CPU built by a foundry like TSMC, heck even Intel has an ARM license since 1998.
ARM Processor - AWS Graviton Processor - AWS
AWS Graviton processors deliver the best price performance for your cloud workloads, optimized for a range of general-purpose, compute, memory, and storage-intensive workloads.
Both Windows and Intel have reached de-facto monopoly; are cash cows who's only innovation is clever marketing.
Apple approves all drivers for MacOS, and both Nvidia and Apple are stubbornly holding their ground. Nvidia could release unsigned drivers which require SIP to be disabled, but that is never going to happen. A decade long rift between Nvidia and Apple has led to the current situation. The details are of course obscured, but Apple's hardline push for Metal to be the only graphics API in MacOS has definitively closed the door.
Everything is about datacenters nowadays. Even Nvidia’s brand new Ampere is focused on datacenters. Guess what... they tend to trickle down to consumer levels.
But why is the discussion about drivers and not the hardware? The drivers Nvidia used to provide were only for pre-2013 Mac Pros that had been upgraded later. All the other Macs have AMD or integrated graphics, except for a few old ones like the 2012 high-end retina MBP. Seems really niche.
Dear gods, no! One thing Apple doesn't seem to have a lot of experience doing is building things as a service for commercial customers. Taking on TSMC would saddle them with huge capital costs, reduce their future flexibility in manufacturing partners, and push them into a business they just don't have the temperament for.
I expect Apple will continue buying little players here and there with the ability to add custom silicon extensions to the core ARM architecture. That targeted acquisition model has worked well for them to date.
It wouldn't have made any sense for Apple to buy ARM:
- It does not bring any value to their current or future core business
- They would have had to deal with all of ARM's customers, which would have sparked multiple conflicts of interest
- Therefore they wouldn't have got regulatory permission anyway
- Nvidia or any other buyer can not cut off their access to license new ARM instruction sets
- Even the price is rather on the lofty side
More likely they will switch to their own GPU.
The Nvidia thing is a part of their business relationship, nothing to wake up to - it’s not like they don’t know people would want Nvidia cards on Macs. It’s all just business.
Why is that “a lol”?
Anyway, Nvidia can’t really threaten Apple even if they wanted to. Apple does their own chip design and the ARM instruction set they already own and use can’t be taken away.
if Apple was indifferent, then why would Apple not provide nvidia with tools to update the graphics driver? Because they hate the company so much for ruining the user experience with 2008 MacBook pros with lousy graphics card. Internally, Apple is probably really angry at SoftBank for selling the ARM to Nvidia. (Apple probably thought maybe Google or Oracle couldve
If Apple’s dispute with nvidia is strictly business, then why would Apple refuse to allow Nvidia to update the graphic drivers needed for their GPUs to work with latest macs externally? When a company goes this far to prevent even a drivers from being updated, it’s beyond business, it’s officially petty and deep hatred toward a company.
Apple may not have any other option given their deep hatred towards Nvidia.
Many tech journalists all appear to be going with the same angle for the purchase, that Nvidia want to get a foothold into the very profitable server market and buying ARM will allow them to do that.
What is interesting to note is that the article written for the BBC indicates that Softbank who bought ARM previously had an agreement with the UK government that the ARM headquaters would stay in the UK until 2021
www.bbc.co.uk
Therefore unless the UK government works out a new deal with Nvidia, Nvidia could honor that orignial condition.
What is interesting to note is that the article written for the BBC indicates that Softbank who bought ARM previously had an agreement with the UK government that the ARM headquaters would stay in the UK until 2021
ARM: UK-based chip designer sold to US firm Nvidia
The new owner of the Cambridge-based chip designer has promised to keep its headquarters in the UK.
www.bbc.co.uk
Therefore unless the UK government works out a new deal with Nvidia, Nvidia could honor that orignial condition.
Some questions...
Why did Arm sell themselves to SoftBank?
And why is SoftBank selling them just 4 year later?
Why did Arm sell themselves to SoftBank?
And why is SoftBank selling them just 4 year later?
1. Apple has a perpetual ARMv8.2 license.
2. Apple is also the leading company working with ARM on ARMv9, so I would bet they have that license as well.
Basically Apple has everything covered in terms of CPU IP, and likely NPU and GPU IP for the next 10+ years. Anything else is too far in the future they shouldn't really be worrying much about.
2. Apple is also the leading company working with ARM on ARMv9, so I would bet they have that license as well.
Basically Apple has everything covered in terms of CPU IP, and likely NPU and GPU IP for the next 10+ years. Anything else is too far in the future they shouldn't really be worrying much about.