4 ms·

I wonder why Intel doesn't just design their own custom Arm core like Apple and Qualcomm do. Why so focused on moving manufacturers to x86?

pjmlp 12y ago
They had it (XScale) and sold the unit, maybe due to internal politics.
- jotm 12y ago
  I'm surprised that so many people don't know this. Back in the day, StrongARM and XScale were used in most (if not all?) of the PDAs. Intel could've easily had a monopoly today if they continued developing the technology.
  - achamayou 12y ago
    And then they'd face regulator-imposed breakup because they'd be the only game in town for CPUs, from phones to datacenters. All that money they throw at mobile suggests they're not intentionally staying out now, but you have to wonder if they did at some point.
  - wvenable 12y ago
    Except that they didn't own the technology like they own x86.
    - jotm 12y ago
      Well, they don't own x86-64, either - and that worked out incredibly well for them :-)
      - wvenable 12y ago
        Actually they do. AMD licenses x86 from Intel on which x86-64 is based.
- joezydeco 12y ago
  The article above states (or assumes?) that Intel sold off XScale to Marvell when the iPhone ship sailed without them.
- bsder 12y ago
  It's all about margin. Intel isn't going to allocate fab time to a chip that gives them 1/10 the price margin. Once Intel starts having idle time on its factories because of lack of x86 demand, then they'll start producing lower margin chips, but not before.
mrpippy 12y ago
The cost of developing an ARM core would need to be paid for solely by sales of ARM chips. By sharing x86 and graphics cores with all their other chips, that R&D is amortized across everything (and the financials for the Mobile division don't look nearly as bad)
- timthorn 12y ago
  Cores are designed to hit a particular performance and power envelope. Even if implementing the same instruction set, cores will be very different for low power sensor platforms compared to tablets and to servers.
minthd 12y ago
ARM is interested in a strong custom core ecosystem , not a single strong manufacturer, especially one that at some point in the future might become a competitor.
- Narishma 12y ago
  It doesn't have anything to do with ARM. Intel used to have an ARM license but they sold it to Marvell just as the iPhone came out.

pjmlp 12y ago

They had it (XScale) and sold the unit, maybe due to internal politics.

jotm 12y ago
I'm surprised that so many people don't know this. Back in the day, StrongARM and XScale were used in most (if not all?) of the PDAs. Intel could've easily had a monopoly today if they continued developing the technology.
- achamayou 12y ago
  And then they'd face regulator-imposed breakup because they'd be the only game in town for CPUs, from phones to datacenters. All that money they throw at mobile suggests they're not intentionally staying out now, but you have to wonder if they did at some point.
- wvenable 12y ago
  Except that they didn't own the technology like they own x86.
  - jotm 12y ago
    Well, they don't own x86-64, either - and that worked out incredibly well for them :-)
    - wvenable 12y ago
      Actually they do. AMD licenses x86 from Intel on which x86-64 is based.
joezydeco 12y ago
The article above states (or assumes?) that Intel sold off XScale to Marvell when the iPhone ship sailed without them.
bsder 12y ago
It's all about margin. Intel isn't going to allocate fab time to a chip that gives them 1/10 the price margin. Once Intel starts having idle time on its factories because of lack of x86 demand, then they'll start producing lower margin chips, but not before.

mrpippy 12y ago

The cost of developing an ARM core would need to be paid for solely by sales of ARM chips. By sharing x86 and graphics cores with all their other chips, that R&D is amortized across everything (and the financials for the Mobile division don't look nearly as bad)

timthorn 12y ago
Cores are designed to hit a particular performance and power envelope. Even if implementing the same instruction set, cores will be very different for low power sensor platforms compared to tablets and to servers.

minthd 12y ago

ARM is interested in a strong custom core ecosystem , not a single strong manufacturer, especially one that at some point in the future might become a competitor.

Narishma 12y ago
It doesn't have anything to do with ARM. Intel used to have an ARM license but they sold it to Marvell just as the iPhone came out.