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blastdoor
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AMD APUs in Macs?

Sat Feb 08, 2020 12:08 pm

https://twitter.com/_rogame/status/1225381275617415168

References to AMD GPUs (no big deal) and APUs (!!!) in MacOS 10.15.4 Beta 1.

Getting an APU design win for Apple would be a big deal for AMD and also good news for Apple users.

But what I'd be even more excited about would be the 3950X in an iMac. In fact, I'd be so excited that I might actually just run out and buy it.
1. iMac 27" (2020) i7 10700k; AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT 8 GB; 64 GB RAM; 500 GB internal SSD + external box of SSDs
2. ThreadRipper 2990wx; Ubuntu; Headless; 64GB RAM
3. MacBook Pro (2017); Core i7-7820HQ; 16 GB RAM
 
just brew it!
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Re: AMD APUs in Macs?

Sat Feb 08, 2020 12:41 pm

Betcha they put those references in there to scare Intel into giving them a price break.
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
 
blastdoor
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Re: AMD APUs in Macs?

Sat Feb 08, 2020 1:09 pm

just brew it! wrote:
Betcha they put those references in there to scare Intel into giving them a price break.


Ha! You're probably right! :-)
1. iMac 27" (2020) i7 10700k; AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT 8 GB; 64 GB RAM; 500 GB internal SSD + external box of SSDs
2. ThreadRipper 2990wx; Ubuntu; Headless; 64GB RAM
3. MacBook Pro (2017); Core i7-7820HQ; 16 GB RAM
 
blastdoor
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Re: AMD APUs in Macs?

Tue Mar 31, 2020 5:03 pm

So now we have a resurgence of Apple going with a custom ARM solution in Macs:

https://www.macrumors.com/2020/03/26/ku ... macs-2021/

This, combined with the progress other firms (esp Amazon) are making in ARM-based server products, makes me wonder if the competition between Intel and AMD is going to end up being a side show compared to a broader x86 vs ARM competition.

I relish this competition in CPU design. But, and especially speaking as an American, this makes me nervous about increasing dependence on foreign foundries. While I admire what TSMC has achieved, the short distance between them and the PLA is worrying.

Apple ought to have a greater appreciation for the perils of putting all of their production eggs in one basket. Perhaps they should invest in American foundries before its too late.
1. iMac 27" (2020) i7 10700k; AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT 8 GB; 64 GB RAM; 500 GB internal SSD + external box of SSDs
2. ThreadRipper 2990wx; Ubuntu; Headless; 64GB RAM
3. MacBook Pro (2017); Core i7-7820HQ; 16 GB RAM

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