Still searching for the Nvidia-Intel smoking gun

THE SEMI-OFFICIAL LINE from Nvidia over the fact it doesn't have an Intel Pentium 4 chipset is that it doesn't want to pay for the licence.

But we don't think we buy into that one. For a mere few dollars more, Nvidia could have a much bigger market share which would more than compensate it for its money.

No. There's a smoking gun here somewhere and we believe that Intel point-blank turned down Nvidia's request for the said Pentium 4 licence.

A combination of factors, we think, led to Intel going rip-roaringly crazy with Nvidia and caused it to turn down the application from the chip company.

First off, Nvidia and Intel had to work closely with Microsoft when the design of the first Xbox was being created - in turn that gave Graphzilla a peep under Chipzilla's IP bonnet (hood), that it didn't care much for.

Secondly, we think that Nvidia's wholesale marketing of its products as graphics processor units (GPUs), made Intel think it was impinging on its dollar PC real estate.

And there's a Dell connection too. We understand from industry sources that it's this which really incensed Intel. But why?

How about this bit of speculation? Nvidia danced along to the Dell Corporation and said, hey! why don't you guys use our design for a Pentium 4 chipset in your boxes, before, that is, the graphics boys had got a deal with Intel.

Perhaps Nvidia hoped that Mikey Dell would give Andrew Grove a buzz and say something like: "Why don't you give Nvidia a licence - you know it makes sense."

Which would cause incandescence at Santa Clara, we're sure.

What is for sure is that Intel turned down Nvidia, and doesn't look likely to turn from that path, especially considering SNAP - the strategic Nvidia AMD partnership - which still rolls merrily along. µ