Last year AMD was hemorrhaging talent. While we don't have a good indication of the extent of the talent exodus, Qualcomm seemed to benefit quite a bit from the tough times that had fallen on AMD. AMD PR mounted the beginnings of a turnaround with the announcement that Jim Keller, former K8 architect and chip-head at Apple had rejoined the company. Then came John Gustafson and last month, we got word that Raja Koduri rejoined as well - also after a multi-year stint at Apple.
Today I just got word from a couple of very accurate and trusted sources that my old friend Sean Pelletier will be joining AMD as well. Sean will abandon his role as Senior Technical Marketing Manager at NVIDIA to assume a similar role at AMD, initially focusing on GPUs. Reporting on individual hires doesn't actually tell you a lot about talent within a company, but it can give insight into whether or not a company is viable. Not too long ago, leaving Apple, NVIDIA or pretty much any other tech company to join AMD sounded like a career death sentence. The fact that smart folks from all paths are considering AMD as an option for long term employment tells us a lot about how things have changed.
Update: I just got word that Sean ended up back at NVIDIA. He sent me a message after making the decision saying that there wasn't anything wrong with AMD, but that the fit simply didn't feel right.
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wilmotsprings - Monday, May 20, 2013 - link
The top bar (lighter blue) is combine test score. The bottom bar (darker blue) is graphics test score. You can peruse 3DMark technical guide for more details.http://s3.amazonaws.com/futuremark-static/download...
owlhuang - Monday, May 20, 2013 - link
For 3DMark, they are "total score" and "GPU score".For Games, they are "minimum fps" and "average fps"
Hrel - Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - link
Not even close to a reliable source.eanazag - Monday, May 20, 2013 - link
Yeah, um. I am having a hard time swallowing this pill. The video card portion could be believable. I think you may be even surprising the folks at AMD.cmdrdredd - Monday, May 20, 2013 - link
Um...no cause I still buy a dedicated GPU anyway. So until they have actual useful CPU performance on par with intel but cheaper or higher performing, then I don't even care what they do. Maybe I'll buy their graphics cards but that's cause their GPU side actually remains competitive at the task it is meant for. I am never going to buy a CPU because it has a GPU that can play 30fps at 1280x720. Give me a break.hfm - Monday, May 20, 2013 - link
Integrated GPU's are more the rule, gamers are the exception. Having much better integrated GPU solutions is a complete win for the industry.Death666Angel - Wednesday, May 22, 2013 - link
If gamers are the exception, what do the other people need the GPU horsepower for? I'm pretty sure HD2000 is adequate for all non-gamers with sub 30" resolutions.DigitalFreak - Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - link
I see we have another delusional fanboy in the house.Donkey2008 - Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - link
If I had a nickel for every AMD fanboy that said "AMD iz gonna crushez Intelz!!!" I would be playing bridge with Bill and Warren every week.medi02 - Thursday, June 6, 2013 - link
AMD didn't crush even when Intel when Athlon 64's were hands down the better CPUs in all regards (and that situation lasted for quite a while). Intel was still selling times more than AMD, even though it's CPUs were:1) Slower
2) Consumed more power
3) AND WHERE MORE EXPENSIVE (tadaa)
So I'm not quite sure which virtual fanbois you are refering too.