AMD graphics card made by “girlfriend”?

GlobalFoundries (GF for short) is a company separated from AMD's original wafer fab business. It made friends with the Middle Eastern oil tycoons and became the world's second largest wafer foundry company after TSMC. However, for AMD, GF is an indispensable but somewhat helpless partner. GF had previously stumbled in foundry production, and AMD suffered greatly from it. However, it seems that GF has become more reliable recently. AMD officially confirmed that GF can not only foundry CPU and APU products for them, but also GPU and host processors.

Traditionally, AMD's CPU and APU are outsourced to GF. FX and the current APU use 32nm SOI and 28nm SHP processes respectively, while GPU and host processors are outsourced to TSMC's 28nm process.

The situation has changed now. AMD CFO Devinder Kumar said at the 18th Credit Suisse Annual Technology Conference that GF's foundry business with AMD has expanded to AMD's full range of product lines, not just CPU and APU foundry. It now also includes GPUs for graphics cards and semi-custom processors for PS4/Xbox One consoles.

Kumar said: "GF's execution capabilities have been significantly improved, which has helped to enhance the cooperation between the two parties in all aspects. In 2014, the two parties achieved a historic cooperation relationship beyond PC products for the first time. This year we have manufactured graphics, PC and semi-custom products in GF wafer fabs, and this cooperation will continue in 2015."

AMD did not disclose what products GF manufactured for them. Among the CPU, APU, GPU and console processor product lines, CPU and APU have always been manufactured by GF, so there is nothing much to say. The console processors include PS4 and Xbox One, and it is not certain which part GF manufactured. As for the graphics products, it is even more confusing. AMD has more types of GPUs. Although TSMC and GF both have 28nm processes, the production processes of GPU and CPU are traditionally different. What is suitable for CPU may not be suitable for GPU.

It is worth mentioning that there was news that AMD GPU would give part of its resources to GF, but nothing happened. Although TSMC is a long-term partner of AMD GPU, it is busy clinging to Apple's thighs. TSMC is dedicated to Apple's 20nm and is also fighting with Samsung on 16nm. AMD was forced to find others.

Maybe GF has really become more reliable. AMD's Carrizo APU will still use GF's 28nm SHP process, but the two parties have cooperated to optimize this process, which has greatly improved Carrizo's transistor density and energy efficiency without upgrading the process.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.