Intel and AMD have announced a new strategic partnership through the creation of the x86 Ecosystem Advisory Group.
While Intel and AMD first teamed up under IBM’s leadership back in 1978 when Intel launched its x86 microprocessor, their rivalry truly heated up when they were racing to develop the world’s first 1GHz CPU. Their history is full of competition and intrigue, but that’s a story for another time.
Now, the x86 Ecosystem Advisory Group has been formed with a mission to “advance the x86 architecture with new levels of customization, scalability, and compatibility” across hardware and software. This initiative aims to cover everything from embedded devices to PCs, and all the way up to data centers and cloud platforms, incorporating critical input from various tech communities to ensure the architecture remains relevant for decades to come.
The group will bring together industry heavyweights like Broadcom, Dell, Google, HP, Lenovo, Meta, Microsoft, Oracle, and Red Hat, along with influential voices like Tim Sweeney and Linus Torvalds.
With ARM-based processors gaining ground especially as they appear in Windows laptops powered by Qualcomm starting this year, as well as dominating smartphones and tablets – it’s clear that Intel and AMD are taking Qualcomm’s Snapdragon advancements seriously.
By joining forces early, they hope to prevent any major market shifts. But in the end, competition often benefits consumers, so it will be interesting to see what “magic” the x86 architecture can deliver in the coming years.
