Dell Rejects AMD Chips (again)

LarsWestergren writes "A few months ago Slashdot reported that Dell was considering using AMD for server CPUs, but most people rightly remained sceptical since Dell has announced this several times before and always backed out. Well, according to the Register you were right to be sceptical." From the article: "Dell, however, doesn't seem concerned by these pricing issues or the fact that Opteron outperforms Xeon on numerous benchmarks. 'We believe that Intel has responded,' Rollins said in the wire report. 'That is now beginning to put customers more at ease that they don't need to make a shift (to AMD).'"

Apparently, changing chip vendors is too much work

[ABeowulfCluster]

They'd have to actually track which chip goes in which board.

Translation

[Jameth]

"That is now beginning to put customers more at ease that they don't need to make a shift (to AMD)."

- or -

We are Intel's customer, and now that they gave us a dumptruck full of money, we are quite at ease.

HAHA

[Anonymous Coward]

First Microsoft will only allow re-installs/product activation of XP via phone support, now Dell won't use AMD's incredible processors. Let Dell and Microsoft both fade into irrelevancy. Christmas in February! I love it.

Re:Logical

[sosegumu]

It's Dell. They make inferior computers for people who don't know anything beyond how to turn it on.

A recent exchange:

Customer: Wow, that system your company built for us seems much faster than the other one we have--and it was even less expensive. Was there some sort of mistake?

Me: No mistake. It's because we only use AMD Athlon 64 processors in the computers we build. Your Dimension has an Intel Pentium processor which isn't nearly as fast and costs much more.

Customer: What? How can that be? Are you saying that you produce a better system for less money.

Me: Yep.

Customer (indignantly): Your system can't be faster than the Dimension--it's a Dell.

Me: ...Sigh...

Re:All About the Pentiums, Baby

[FidelCatsro]

"What kind of chip you got in there a dorito "
I am sorry but dell only supply intel brand x86 procesors

Re:Well

[Qzukk]

Well, as the other coward pointed out, you need to justify it. In triplicate. With change control forms sent out at least a year in advance citing exactly what make and model hardware you're going to buy, why you're going to make the switch, and how much this change will increase the stock price (to the quarter-point). Once the change control has been reviewed and rejected twice, the boss's brother's daughter's husband's nephew's wife's niece's brother-in-law will suggest the same thing, at which point he'll be promoted and the change control will be accepted "for review" at which point you'll need to purchase the new equipment out of your own budget ("sorry, we can't requisition new equipment for you until the change control process is complete") after which you will need to document in entirety the process of setting up and installing the kit, along with months of testing to prove that the applications will even run on this "AMD Thingy", then ensure that the applications will not crash on this "completely unknown" architecture. Then, two years later, you will have completed the change control process and your AMD computers will be put into production (being, a model from two years ago). And when your boss's wife's father's second cousin's child's sister-in-law's (who doesn't even work at this company!) computer BSoD's, your head will roll!

Re:Please explain "better product".

[wfberg]

Explain, in technical terms, just how one processor is "better" than another. I do not accept annecdotal evidence. This explanation must also accompany a long term projection of cost savings over the life of the product. There should also be a justification for switch factor that states, in car terms, if the speed limit for most consumers is 55-65 mph, just why it is important to drive a Ferrari on the standard business highway.

I fully agree. I don't understand why Dell moved away from the 286, those were just as good as any other processor.

Re:Well

[Anonymous Coward]

I think we're co-workers.

Geek Pissing-Contests.

[Shturmovik]

I've stopped talking to friends about computer-related issues, and have actually stopped talking to some completely because all they ever want to do is engage in these fucking idiotic competitions.

Here's a typical IM chat transcript:

Friend: what r u doing?

Me: Installing a new video card for somebody

Friend: what card did you get?

Me: The XXXX-XX

Friend: good luck! those are shit!

Me: It seems okay. These guys only do basic stuff anyway

Friend: pffft! sucker! Those are garbage! I got a XX-XXXX! WAAAAY better!

Me: Whatever

Friend: how much did u pay? i hope it wasn't more than $XXX!!!!

Me: $XXX

Friend: LOL!!! dude they saw u coming! u wont even get XX fps from that! the drivers are the WORST eva!!! u should have asked me!

Me: Uhuh

Friend: I had one of those cards AGES ago and it stunk. i gave it to somebody and got the XX-XXXX instead. way way better. the pixellatingvertexantialiasingtrilinearnucleardefib rillator is the best around. that card u got is a dog!!! man when r u going to learn tha-

Me has signed out...