Watch Out, Losers! AMD is Making Video Cards for PHONES - WAN Show May 1, 2020

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode centered on three major themes: a promising Samsung/AMD mobile GPU rumor, Microsoft’s push toward cross-generation Xbox game ownership, and Intel’s 10th-gen desktop CPU launch and 10nm struggles. The hosts also spent significant time debating software ownership, piracy ethics, old-game compatibility, and how consumer expectations around digital media and games are shifting toward licenses, portability, and preservation.

Main Topics: Samsung/AMD mobile GPU rumor (Priority: 5/5): The hosts discuss a credible rumor that Samsung’s upcoming Exynos successor could use AMD Radeon graphics and dramatically outperform Qualcomm’s Adreno 650, potentially transforming mobile and tablet gaming while also helping AMD learn how to scale RDNA down for portable devices. Cross-gen game ownership and digital rights (Priority: 5/5): Microsoft’s announcement that titles like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Cyberpunk 2077, and Halo Infinite will work across Xbox generations with one purchase sparks a broader discussion about software as a license, consumer rights, and the decline of traditional ownership in games and media. Intel 10th-gen desktop CPUs and platform shift (Priority: 4/5): The hosts cover Intel’s Comet Lake-S launch, including the 10-core 10900K and its aggressive boost clocks, while noting the new LGA 1200 socket, lack of PCIe 4.0, and the awkward position of launching against AMD’s more forward-looking platform. Game preservation and server shutdowns (Priority: 5/5): A major concern is that live-service and server-controlled games can disappear forever when publishers shut them down, with Paragon and similar titles used as examples of why community-run servers and preservation-friendly design matter. Personal ethics of piracy and media ownership (Priority: 4/5): The conversation expands into how the hosts handled piracy as kids, why they later tried to support creators financially, and where they draw a moral line between convenience, prior payment, and access to remasters or re-releases. Classic game upgrades and nostalgia hardware (Priority: 3/5): They reminisce about upgrading PCs to run games like Warcraft 3, Red Alert, TIE Fighter, and Civilization II: Test of Time, highlighting how old hardware constraints shaped gaming experiences and how modern high-end rigs can revisit those titles at extreme settings. PC infrastructure and channel operations (Priority: 3/5): The show briefly covers practical company updates, including a replacement Eaton UPS after a server-room failure, ongoing hiring for Creator Warehouse, and the need to protect internal infrastructure and keep content production moving.

Key Arguments: More competition in mobile GPUs is good because it can drive better graphics, power efficiency, and innovation across phones, tablets, and handheld devices. If Samsung/AMD’s mobile GPU results are real, they could pressure Qualcomm, NVIDIA, and even Nintendo’s ecosystem to respond with better hardware. Cross-generational purchases are a consumer win because they treat games more like software licenses than tied-to-one-box products. Always-online and publisher-controlled server models threaten long-term game preservation because once servers shut down, whole eras of gameplay can vanish. Piracy is ethically messier than simple theft; the hosts argue they tried to support creators later, and that buying physical media or higher-value editions can offset earlier copying. Intel remains formidable as a company even if it loses CPU share, but its 10nm situation suggests manufacturing and profitability challenges compared with AMD’s momentum. Old games often required expensive upgrades just to be playable, so modern remasters or extreme-performance revisits are a useful way to show how far hardware has come.

Data Points: Samsung/AMD Aztec normal result: 138 FPS - Reported benchmark from a South Korean forum leak comparing the RDNA-based GPU to Qualcomm Adreno 650. Samsung/AMD Aztec high result: ~60 FPS - The rumored mobile GPU allegedly reached nearly triple Adreno 650 performance in this test. Samsung/AMD Manhattan 3.1 result: 181.8 FPS - Benchmark figure from the leak, though the hosts noted it could be more CPU-bound than the Aztec tests. Snapdragon comparison: Up to 3x faster - The rumored Samsung graphics solution is said to be as much as three times faster than the Snapdragon 865 GPU. Intel Core i9-10900K: 10 cores / 20 threads - Top-tier Comet Lake-S part announced in Intel’s 10th-gen desktop lineup. Intel Core i9-10900K boost clock: Up to 5.3 GHz - The hosts highlighted Intel’s multiple boost tiers, ending with thermal velocity boost. Intel Core i9-10900K TDP: 125 W - Official spec discussed during the Intel segment. Intel Core i9-10900K suggested retail price: $488 - Launch pricing mentioned for Intel’s flagship desktop chip. One-game purchase across generations: Xbox One and Xbox Series X compatibility - Games like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Cyberpunk 2077, and Halo Infinite were cited as supporting one purchase across console generations. Threadripper workstation TDP: 280 W - A recent workstation build discussion used this as a contrast to assumptions made from Intel-style TDP expectations. Old game memory upgrade example: 2 MB VRAM minimum - Civilization II: Test of Time was cited as needing only minimal video memory, illustrating how tiny legacy requirements could be.

Pivotal Quotes: "It’s just one more step towards everyone going, like, yeah, it’s just a PC." — Linus: Discussing Microsoft’s cross-generation purchase policy and the broader trend toward platform-agnostic software ownership. "The fact is, it isn’t going to be as strong a note as people would expect from 14 or what they’ll see in 7." — Intel CFO George David (quoted by the hosts): Referenced while discussing Intel’s admission that 10nm is less profitable than older process nodes. "There is an entire era of gaming experiences that is going to be absolutely lost once the companies maintaining the servers go away." — Linus: Arguing against publisher-controlled server shutdowns and for preservation-friendly multiplayer design.

Implications: Listeners are encouraged to think of games and media less as possessions and more as licenses—making preservation, interoperability, and consumer-friendly policies increasingly important as hardware and platforms evolve.