View Full Version : Nvidia buying large chunk of via
a12ctic
03-28-09, 11:59 AM
Rumor has it NVIDIA is currently talking to VIA Technologies about purchasing a large stake in the company, to the tune of around 300 million new shares each priced somewhere in the range of NT$9 and NT$12 ($0.27 and $0.35 US equivalent) apiece, for a grand total of approximately US $81 million to $105 million.
This could change the playing field a lot. With nvidiaa behind it, via could develop some pretty beast chips. The nano is already no laughing matter. I honestly wonder how scalable it is. I wouldn't be surprised if they could crank the clocks and add another core and have it competitive against k8 chips.
digitimes (http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20090327PD204.html)
CaptNKILL
03-28-09, 02:18 PM
Wow, that'd be pretty cool.
The nano is a nice little CPU for sure. Via have come a long way.
nekrosoft13
03-28-09, 03:17 PM
so nvidia could make CPUs, but they would be sold under VIA name
Nvidia + VIA NANO = Pure bliss
AthlonXP1800
03-28-09, 05:41 PM
VIA has 1,309,236,885 outstanding shares so if Nvidia buying VIA stake with 300 million shares mean Nvidia will have 43% stake in VIA. Then VIA's x86 cross license will be safe with 57% of ownership, just bare over 50%!
Runningman
03-28-09, 06:09 PM
We will know alot if any members of NV are sitting on VIA's board. Look for names and job titles.
LordJuanlo
03-29-09, 09:39 AM
After my horrible experience with nForce 4, I highly doubt I will put again an nVidia chipset in my gaming rig, however for a small HTPC / home server, a VIA processor with nVidia graphics could be the best option.
josiahsuarez
03-29-09, 11:11 AM
Nano + GeForce = Nanorfce?
Great news! :) Really can't wait 'til the next generation of hand helds and netbooks come out!
Ninja Prime
03-29-09, 03:17 PM
X86 licenses don't transfer that way anyway, if remember correctly.
josiahsuarez
03-29-09, 03:46 PM
that's why it would have to be sold as a Via CPU, with Via paying Nvidia some royalties for their technology on every chip sold. I'm no lawyer but it seems like that would work. Intel will probably sue anyway (hell, they already are suing Nvidia) but at least this would give Nvidia some cover. seems like a win-win situation: Via gets to address new markets and Nvidia gets in the CPU game.
CaptNKILL
03-29-09, 05:23 PM
that's why it would have to be sold as a Via CPU, with Via paying Nvidia some royalties for their technology on every chip sold. I'm no lawyer but it seems like that would work. Intel will probably sue anyway (hell, they already are suing Nvidia) but at least this would give Nvidia some cover. seems like a win-win situation: Via gets to address new markets and Nvidia gets in the CPU game.
I think it'd be more beneficial for both companies if nvidia made platforms for Via's CPUs.
Via's UniChrome chips are even slower than Intel's GMA 950, and THAT was really slow years ago.
Plus, nvidia has already proven that they can make a compact chipset with the ION platform.
Imagine having a dual core Nano with a decent clock speed and a Geforce 9400 chipset in something half the size of a mini-ITX system. It'd be faster than most store-bought low end systems, it probably wouldn't be very expensive, it'd use very little power and it would be small enough to mount to the under-side of your desk.
The Atom dual core could probably do something similar with the Ion but I think there are just too many problems between Intel and nvidia for the platform to ever be widely available.
a12ctic
03-29-09, 06:48 PM
I think it'd be more beneficial for both companies if nvidia made platforms for Via's CPUs.
Via's UniChrome chips are even slower than Intel's GMA 950, and THAT was really slow years ago.
Plus, nvidia has already proven that they can make a compact chipset with the ION platform.
Imagine having a dual core Nano with a decent clock speed and a Geforce 9400 chipset in something half the size of a mini-ITX system. It'd be faster than most store-bought low end systems, it probably wouldn't be very expensive, it'd use very little power and it would be small enough to mount to the under-side of your desk.
The Atom dual core could probably do something similar with the Ion but I think there are just too many problems between Intel and nvidia for the platform to ever be widely available.
The thing is, the Nano is faster than the Atom. I think the ultra low power/low cost chips are really going to start battling it out now. Nvidia is behind the Nano with their Ion platform, and AMD should be rolling out its neo platform too. Intel has really been exploiting consumers with the Atoms, they're just way more expensive than they should be. Maybe now everybody will get faster performing chips, on better platforms (cough cough no ****ing gma950) in the same form factor and price range as the current nettops.
CaptNKILL
03-29-09, 09:07 PM
The only thing that kinda sucks is the high TDP of the nano compared to the Atom. If Intel eventually upgrades the chipset to one that's more power efficient the nano will have some very stiff competition. Right now the only thing that keeps them close is the power hungry chipset.
Intel still has them beat on price ($80 Atom 330 boards), graphics performance and power efficiency though.
Hopefully nvidia can help Via push the nano in the right direction before its too late.
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