5 ms·

Thanks to Jim Keller.

by observr 8y ago

tambre 8y ago
He did just quit Tesla after a short time there and re-joined Intel.
- observr 8y ago
  He was the architect of Ryzen.
  - tambre 8y ago
    I'm aware.
- dman 8y ago
  I have been watching the dynamics between AMD and Intel recently and some interesting things are happening. Jim Keller and Raja headed to Intel. Intel announcing plans to get into the discrete GPU space (a place ridden with patent landmines). The KabyLake chip released with Intel CPU + AMD GPU. Wonder if the companies are aligning to work closely to counter NVidia or if something else entirely is at play.
  - monocasa 8y ago
    > Wonder if the companies are aligning to work closely to counter NVidia I mean, yeah, that's actively happening, as can also be seen by the Intel/Vega combo.
CodeArtisan 8y ago
Sure but also thanks to a few patents having expired, especially that one about hyper threading[1]. edit: https://patents.google.com/patent/US3728692A/en https://patents.google.com/patent/US3728692A/en https://patents.google.com/patent/US3771138 https://patents.google.com/patent/US3771138 [1] Should have said simultaneous multithreading (SMT) instead of hyper threading which is specific to Intel.
- Moto7451 8y ago
  Weren't those patents part of the AMD-Intel cross licensing deal or are there some x86 CPU related patents that are kept separate?
  - monocasa 8y ago
    Those are 1971 IBM patents. It would be interesting to know anything more on the AMD/Intel agreements than the vague "x86 cross licensing" though for sure.
    - Moto7451 8y ago
      https://www.zdnet.com/article/intel-and-amd-settle-agree-cross-licensing-deal/ https://www.zdnet.com/article/intel-and-amd-settle-agree-cro... https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2488/000119312509236705/dex102.htm https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2488/000119312509236... The first will be a quicker read than the second ;). The other commenter mentioned SMT was an IBM patent rather than an Intel one, so that's probably the answer to my question. It seems weird that they wouldn't have just licensed that from IBM as well.
      - monocasa 8y ago
        The IBM patents have been expired for decades though. There's nothing to licence. But that SEC link is awesome; I though the agreement was completely confidential and we'd only ever see it in a historical context. Thanks!
  - CodeArtisan 8y ago
    Before Ryzen, AMD's CPUs were relying on Cluster-based Multithreading (CMT). you can read more about CMT vs SMT here https://scalibq.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/the-myth-of-cmt-cluster-based-multithreading/ https://scalibq.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/the-myth-of-cmt-clu...
ken47 8y ago
That's a common misperception. Michael Clark played a larger role in Ryzen: https://venturebeat.com/2016/08/24/how-amd-designed-what-could-be-its-most-competitive-processors-in-a-decade/ https://venturebeat.com/2016/08/24/how-amd-designed-what-cou...
- bazooka_penguin 8y ago
  Iirc Jim Keller's title was VP and chief of the microprocessor division. So he was probably more of a technical manager anyway. I believe Suzanne Plummer and Mike Clark were project directors so they'd be more hands on anyway
nicoburns 8y ago
And Lisa Su.
- observr 8y ago
  Agreed. Su had the smarts to get a performant chip made and hire the people to make it happen. You don't get market share with an also-ran offering.
  - bazooka_penguin 8y ago
    Didn't Rory Read hire them and start the projects?
    - observr 8y ago
      I thought Read was a placeholder CEO who was installed to conduct cost cutting. But you're right - a quick google search confirmed that Keller was hired during Read's tenure.
ksec 8y ago
And he has decided to join Intel. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16933931 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16933931

Thanks to Jim Keller.

tambre 8y ago

He did just quit Tesla after a short time there and re-joined Intel.

observr 8y ago
He was the architect of Ryzen.
- tambre 8y ago
  I'm aware.
dman 8y ago
I have been watching the dynamics between AMD and Intel recently and some interesting things are happening. Jim Keller and Raja headed to Intel. Intel announcing plans to get into the discrete GPU space (a place ridden with patent landmines). The KabyLake chip released with Intel CPU + AMD GPU. Wonder if the companies are aligning to work closely to counter NVidia or if something else entirely is at play.
- monocasa 8y ago
  > Wonder if the companies are aligning to work closely to counter NVidia I mean, yeah, that's actively happening, as can also be seen by the Intel/Vega combo.

CodeArtisan 8y ago

Sure but also thanks to a few patents having expired, especially that one about hyper threading[1]. edit: https://patents.google.com/patent/US3728692A/en https://patents.google.com/patent/US3728692A/en https://patents.google.com/patent/US3771138 https://patents.google.com/patent/US3771138 [1] Should have said simultaneous multithreading (SMT) instead of hyper threading which is specific to Intel.

Moto7451 8y ago
Weren't those patents part of the AMD-Intel cross licensing deal or are there some x86 CPU related patents that are kept separate?
- monocasa 8y ago
  Those are 1971 IBM patents. It would be interesting to know anything more on the AMD/Intel agreements than the vague "x86 cross licensing" though for sure.
  - Moto7451 8y ago
    https://www.zdnet.com/article/intel-and-amd-settle-agree-cross-licensing-deal/ https://www.zdnet.com/article/intel-and-amd-settle-agree-cro... https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2488/000119312509236705/dex102.htm https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2488/000119312509236... The first will be a quicker read than the second ;). The other commenter mentioned SMT was an IBM patent rather than an Intel one, so that's probably the answer to my question. It seems weird that they wouldn't have just licensed that from IBM as well.
    - monocasa 8y ago
      The IBM patents have been expired for decades though. There's nothing to licence. But that SEC link is awesome; I though the agreement was completely confidential and we'd only ever see it in a historical context. Thanks!
- CodeArtisan 8y ago
  Before Ryzen, AMD's CPUs were relying on Cluster-based Multithreading (CMT). you can read more about CMT vs SMT here https://scalibq.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/the-myth-of-cmt-cluster-based-multithreading/ https://scalibq.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/the-myth-of-cmt-clu...

ken47 8y ago

That's a common misperception. Michael Clark played a larger role in Ryzen: https://venturebeat.com/2016/08/24/how-amd-designed-what-could-be-its-most-competitive-processors-in-a-decade/ https://venturebeat.com/2016/08/24/how-amd-designed-what-cou...

bazooka_penguin 8y ago
Iirc Jim Keller's title was VP and chief of the microprocessor division. So he was probably more of a technical manager anyway. I believe Suzanne Plummer and Mike Clark were project directors so they'd be more hands on anyway

nicoburns 8y ago

And Lisa Su.

observr 8y ago
Agreed. Su had the smarts to get a performant chip made and hire the people to make it happen. You don't get market share with an also-ran offering.
- bazooka_penguin 8y ago
  Didn't Rory Read hire them and start the projects?
  - observr 8y ago
    I thought Read was a placeholder CEO who was installed to conduct cost cutting. But you're right - a quick google search confirmed that Keller was hired during Read's tenure.

ksec 8y ago

And he has decided to join Intel. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16933931 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16933931