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A $182B Chip Maker: AMD's Labs – Full Documentary [video]

188 points by Night_Thastus 3y ago

tester756 3y ago
That's beautiful - an actual low level work The more I learn about semicos, the more I'm excited - there's some magic and complexity that software doesn't have the focus on solving problems instead of endless arguments about philosophy like tdd is the only way to write software, microservices are the way to go, etc.
- jakeinspace 3y ago
  The older I get (I’m not even 30 but nevertheless), the less invested I feel in so many of the problems in software engineering. It’s why I’ve gravitated toward embedded and computer architecture, the problems there feel more fundamental and necessary. I have a friend who jumped ship recently from the CS department to physics, and he tells me that spending so much time thinking about the theoretical underpinnings of the physical world just sort of ruined CS and software engineering for him. I imagine that physics can make almost anything else feel trivial, so maybe it’s an unfair example. I know there are interesting problems in CS and software engineering but rarely do those of us working in industry get the chance to do anything truly novel. Embedded is simple, almost like using hand tools, but at least the products I contribute to are physical and solving real, hard problems. Just wish the money was better…
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
  - itsthecourier 3y ago
    Theorical underpinnings... Wondering how much a paycheck cuy he took long term by choosing that way
    - jakeinspace 3y ago
      Well, he’s working for a quantum computing startup while finishing his thesis, he’s doing okay I think.
- lnsru 3y ago
  There are hard deadlines and many sleepless nights in semiconductor industry. After a decade I want to get out. There is no magic compensation or any other magic. Just customers waiting for your chip working according spec on promised date. The time pressure can be blurred working in a nice team with nice manager. But looking back it was all the shitshow. Better endless discussions about philosophy and the ability to recompile everything last minute or let the customer use old version for one week more than yearly world end cycle with hysterical group leader.
swader999 3y ago
I wonder what the staff has cobbled together for their home machines.
- mbfg 3y ago
  i'm not kidding, i believe Steve (tech jesus) has a bulldozer in his personal rig.
  - herodoturtle 3y ago
    And I bet the thermals are optimal!
- Tuna-Fish 3y ago
  If you mean the people working at the site, probably something boring yet practical. I know someone who tests new, unreleased parts for a living and I once teased him if he's running on something new and fancy, and if I could have some too. His reply was that the market is competitive enough that they never sit on working parts, if it wasn't horribly broken it would already be for sale, and as he spends all day messing with broken hardware, he has no particular desire to do that once he returns home.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
newsclues 3y ago
It's wild and amazing to see that journalists have emerged from video game and hardware reviewers. Gamers Nexus has a remarkable progression.
- AnthonyMouse 3y ago
  It's how journalists originally came about. You started writing about something you were interested in, and enough people wanted to read it that you could make a career of it. It was large corporations that ruined journalism, and now those corporations are slowly dying.
- zamalek 3y ago
  They have also productized integrity, which is amazing to see (and worth supporting).
- pixelatedindex 3y ago
  There are a lot of video game / hardware reviewers out there, but GamersNexus to me is the best. Enough that I have bought their merch - their coasters are so cool!
vkdelta 3y ago
How hard is it for a new startup to become a chip company?
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- laverya 3y ago
  Depends on what you mean. If you want to be a fab, the answer is "hahahahahahaha how many billion dollars do you have?" If you "just" want to send custom designs to an existing fab that's far easier.
lathiat 3y ago
Gamers Nexus also has many other tours and an entire playlist with 31 videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsuVSmND84QuVMZuk2HGUtCSYXR7nmC5a https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsuVSmND84QuVMZuk2HGU... If you enjoyed this, you may also enjoy the Intel Equivalent Linus Tech Tips - I Can Die Now. - Intel Fab Tour!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ehSCWoaOqQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ehSCWoaOqQ Linus Tech Tips - Checking on my Investment in Person - Framework Laptop Factory Tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nXVJBGowmY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nXVJBGowmY

188 points by Night_Thastus 3y ago

That's beautiful - an actual low level work The more I learn about semicos, the more I'm excited - there's some magic and complexity that software doesn't have the focus on solving problems instead of endless arguments about philosophy like tdd is the only way to write software, microservices are the way to go, etc.

jakeinspace 3y ago
The older I get (I’m not even 30 but nevertheless), the less invested I feel in so many of the problems in software engineering. It’s why I’ve gravitated toward embedded and computer architecture, the problems there feel more fundamental and necessary. I have a friend who jumped ship recently from the CS department to physics, and he tells me that spending so much time thinking about the theoretical underpinnings of the physical world just sort of ruined CS and software engineering for him. I imagine that physics can make almost anything else feel trivial, so maybe it’s an unfair example. I know there are interesting problems in CS and software engineering but rarely do those of us working in industry get the chance to do anything truly novel. Embedded is simple, almost like using hand tools, but at least the products I contribute to are physical and solving real, hard problems. Just wish the money was better…
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- itsthecourier 3y ago
  Theorical underpinnings... Wondering how much a paycheck cuy he took long term by choosing that way
  - jakeinspace 3y ago
    Well, he’s working for a quantum computing startup while finishing his thesis, he’s doing okay I think.
lnsru 3y ago
There are hard deadlines and many sleepless nights in semiconductor industry. After a decade I want to get out. There is no magic compensation or any other magic. Just customers waiting for your chip working according spec on promised date. The time pressure can be blurred working in a nice team with nice manager. But looking back it was all the shitshow. Better endless discussions about philosophy and the ability to recompile everything last minute or let the customer use old version for one week more than yearly world end cycle with hysterical group leader.

swader999 3y ago

I wonder what the staff has cobbled together for their home machines.

mbfg 3y ago
i'm not kidding, i believe Steve (tech jesus) has a bulldozer in his personal rig.
- herodoturtle 3y ago
  And I bet the thermals are optimal!
Tuna-Fish 3y ago
If you mean the people working at the site, probably something boring yet practical. I know someone who tests new, unreleased parts for a living and I once teased him if he's running on something new and fancy, and if I could have some too. His reply was that the market is competitive enough that they never sit on working parts, if it wasn't horribly broken it would already be for sale, and as he spends all day messing with broken hardware, he has no particular desire to do that once he returns home.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

newsclues 3y ago

It's wild and amazing to see that journalists have emerged from video game and hardware reviewers. Gamers Nexus has a remarkable progression.

AnthonyMouse 3y ago
It's how journalists originally came about. You started writing about something you were interested in, and enough people wanted to read it that you could make a career of it. It was large corporations that ruined journalism, and now those corporations are slowly dying.
zamalek 3y ago
They have also productized integrity, which is amazing to see (and worth supporting).
pixelatedindex 3y ago
There are a lot of video game / hardware reviewers out there, but GamersNexus to me is the best. Enough that I have bought their merch - their coasters are so cool!

vkdelta 3y ago

How hard is it for a new startup to become a chip company?

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
laverya 3y ago
Depends on what you mean. If you want to be a fab, the answer is "hahahahahahaha how many billion dollars do you have?" If you "just" want to send custom designs to an existing fab that's far easier.

lathiat 3y ago

Gamers Nexus also has many other tours and an entire playlist with 31 videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsuVSmND84QuVMZuk2HGUtCSYXR7nmC5a https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsuVSmND84QuVMZuk2HGU... If you enjoyed this, you may also enjoy the Intel Equivalent Linus Tech Tips - I Can Die Now. - Intel Fab Tour!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ehSCWoaOqQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ehSCWoaOqQ Linus Tech Tips - Checking on my Investment in Person - Framework Laptop Factory Tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nXVJBGowmY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nXVJBGowmY