AMD's Fortunes Are Improving

[SteelCrysis]

https://www.extremetech.com/computing/28...d-hardware

A deal with AMD would be a significant win for the smaller manufacturer, but there are practical reasons to be dubious of this happening. Even if AMD’s 7nm mobile products are the equal of Intel’s, Microsoft might have concerns about whether AMD will continue to deliver long-term mobile follow-ups for the foreseeable future. A strong 7nm ramp would probably help here, but between the two firms, Intel has the more consistent track record.

The other factor to consider is that Microsoft has historically been quite willing to bend when Intel applies pressure. There are consistent rumors that the Surface Go was originally going to be based on ARM hardware until Intel strenuously lobbied for the system to rely on a Pentium instead. During the old Vista Capable lawsuits from a decade ago, Microsoft acknowledged that it changed the definition of “Vista Capable” solely to help Intel ship more chipsets and make its quarterly earnings, despite the fact that this represented a reversal of promises Microsoft had made to HP regarding which products would receive the nod for Vista support.

The old Wintel alliance may have some cracks in it compared with the old days, but it’s still held remarkably steady based on what we’ve heard about Intel-Microsoft relations. Rumors to the contrary could also be a way for Microsoft to put pressure on Intel and push for better pricing or allocation in future builds.