AMD To Kill Off ATi Brand

[Amit]

The reasoning for this is two-fold. First, the AMD believes that dragging along two brands - the AMD brand and the ATI brand - is unnecessary since consumers it seems find the AMD brand stronger than the ATI brand.

Source: ZDNet (http://ct.zdnet.com/clicks?t=577706123-0d8099b036150b46659ba124ffbfcd79-bf&brand=ZDNET&s=5)

I find the quoted statement to be the opposite of what is actually true. When I see the letters AMD I think of the underdog of the industry. When I see the letter ATi I think of the saviour of AMD. I think AMD is trying to use the popularity and success of the ATi brand to push their CPUs in the market. I think this is a really bad idea.

[Cojafoji]

I don't. AMD made the smart move in diversifying its assets by outright purchasing a solid GPU manufacturer/designer. Intel would have done the same thing, had they not been bogged down in their own shitty attempts to create something like that. As for AMD using ATI to push out their cpu's? LOL. AMD has always been a cult niche/budget, and probably always will be.

[Dwood]

They aren't going to kill it off... just splitting the brands into two separate companies that just happen to be working with one another very closely. It's just cutting the ties a little more... they've been slowly separating for the past 5 years. You're late to the game.

[Amit]

They aren't going to kill it off... just splitting the brands into two separate companies that just happen to be working with one another very closely. It's just cutting the ties a little more... they've been slowly separating for the past 5 years. You're late to the game.

Hmm, I edited the post to clarify that the graphics team is not being removed, just all under the AMD name. I guess it didn't save.

Also, I'm not sure what you mean by separating. If anything, ATi and AMD are getting closer.



. As for AMD using ATI to push out their cpu's? LOL. AMD has always been a cult niche/budget, and probably always will be.

You just never know. And I agree that they probably will always be that smaller part of the CPU market, but it doesn't mean that they won't try to a couple tricks.

[Dwood]

Also, I'm not sure what you mean by separating. If anything, ATi and AMD are getting closer.


There are two separate companies, AMD CPU and AMD GPU or whatever it is... they may work together like 1 company and share funds in a similar fashion however they are separate companies, owned and operated by the main AMD- I'm not sure the entire purpose, however I believe it is that way to reduce overhead or get out of certain taxes for companies of certain sizes and above, which they cannot pay for until they sell as many products as Nvidia/Intel... don't take my word for it though.

[Amit]

Ahh, I see now.

[Aerowyn]

Welp, good riddance I guess. >>; I hated my ATI cards anyway.

[Amit]

Welp, good riddance I guess. >>; I hated my ATI cards anyway.

I don't think you understand. The graphics cards will still be produced, but are called branded AMD instead of ATi. It's just the change of 3 letters. The cards we all know and love will still be manufactured ;)

[Dwood]

I don't think you understand. The graphics cards will still be produced, but are called branded AMD instead of ATi. It's just the change of 3 letters. The cards we all know and love will still be manufactured ;)

They just need to work on those infernal drivers.

[Rook]

They just need to work on those infernal drivers.

What's wrong with the drivers? I've seen more problems out of nvidia rather than ati.

[Amit]

I've never had problems with ATi drivers from the last 12 years of using their GPUs. nVidia I've only used for 5 years, but they've had some pretty bad driver sets. Some even had the potential to damage hardware.

[Warsaw]

I think AMD should change it's logo colour to red as compensation. A "Green Team vs. Green Team" scenario is just not cool at all. Their logo would also look cool in red. :)

[king_nothing_]

I think AMD plays more of a second fiddle in the CPU market than ATI does in the GPU market. That's the way I see it, anyway. Due to that, I don't really see this how this is a good decision from them.

[Warsaw]

ATi branded CPUs wouldn't make any sense if they did that. Everybody knows that ATi makes GPUs and not CPUs, so if they killed off AMD and went all ATi, then people would question the quality of an ATi CPU. If they keep both, then they have to put both ATi and AMD branding on the new Llano core boxes, which will again make people scratch their heads. Now, people have been slowly being informed that ATi is owned by AMD, so killing off the ATi brand makes sense in that respect and it's perfectly timed with the future release of the Fusion APUs.

Granted, I'll miss ATi and it will be weird not seeing the name in the market space, but such is business.

[Amit]

Of course it wouldn't make sense to kill the AMD name either. In fact, the names should just stay the same. AMD fusion can continue to be called AMD fusion and still use ATi graphics as a brand. It doesn't hurt anyone that a CPU+GPU has two brands attached to it. Using the Single name Fusion should cut out the confusion.

[Dwood]

I've never had problems with ATi drivers from the last 12 years of using their GPUs. nVidia I've only used for 5 years, but they've had some pretty bad driver sets. Some even had the potential to damage hardware.

I know about those problems but ATi lacks in Linux support and the whole Catalyst Center thing really is bad- it's more so the interface... that, and the drivers on my (4850 I think lol) when I first go the computer were crap, tried plying Crysis and I'd go for 30 minutes, no problems then my drivers would freak and I'd have to reset my computer because they had died entering into an unending loop. :|

[CrAsHOvErRide]

I use AMD and Nvidia. No problems for me :P