this post was submitted on 27 Apr 2026
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44
Can a company that develops processors get a license to manufacture x86 chips? (fedia.io)
submitted 5 days ago by ryujin470@fedia.io to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world
18 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Reading on Wikipedia, manufacturing x86 chips requires a license from Intel for more advanced features, the 64-bit variant of x86 also requires a license from AMD. Is this really possible?

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[–] infinitevalence@discuss.online 32 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Intel, owns x86, AMD owns AMD 64. So to manufacturer a compatible x86-A64 CPU you would need to get licence.

Which they won't give you since they don't want competition.

There is a 3rd x86 license out there that was owned by Cyrix who was purchased by VIA and now Co owned by a Chinese company.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhaoxin

Intel and HP CO created IA64, and Apple, IBM, and Motorola Co created the Power architecture.

Part of why arm is used in everything is they license the crap out of it. And RISC V is fully open not requiring any license which is why it's rapidly growing in popularity.

[–] Hakuso@scribe.disroot.org 8 points 5 days ago

I keep watching RISC, running a lot of ARM stuff now expecially with Pis using it, but getting out of the licensing mess altogether seems like what we should all be aiming for. Plus it's getting more advanced, and there are more things compiled for it, even RISC repos for distros designed to run on the chips.

[–] lordnikon@lemmy.world 4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I miss SPARC

[–] prex@aussie.zone 1 points 5 days ago

DEC Alpha was massive at the time too - never really took off though.

[–] CameronDev@programming.dev 15 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Historically (and also currently somewhat), yes:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_x86_manufacturers

[–] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 13 points 5 days ago

I would think all the patents have expired but there have been dozens of new instructions added since the 2003 x64. In many cases there are two variants of the same instruction so if a 3rd manufacturer came in they could make their own too. They would need Linux and Windows on board for their variants.

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 0 points 5 days ago

No

[–] scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 0 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Yes it is possible and it is required. The cou microcode is patented and licensed. It's why arm is such a unique and cool thing, arm is open and does not require a license. However converting enetirr architectures to arm is no small task.

[–] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 19 points 5 days ago (1 children)

arm is open and does not require a license

Arm is not open and requires a license.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/10/report-arm-cancels-qualcomms-architecture-license-endangering-its-chip-business/

[–] zikzak025@lemmy.world 11 points 5 days ago

RISC-V might be what they're thinking of. An open-source architecture developed on the same principles as ARM.

Getting better all the time, though always seems to be several steps behind ARM in terms of performance. But the gap is narrowing.

[–] henfredemars@infosec.pub 10 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Doesn't ARM require an architectural license even if you aren't borrowing IP cores? Apple paid big bucks for one.

[–] mp3@lemmy.ca 7 points 5 days ago

Hopefully RISC-V takes over at some point.