Tag: FPGA

  • Intel Sells 51% Stake in Altera for $4.46 Billion Deal

    Intel Sells 51% Stake in Altera for $4.46 Billion Deal

    Key Takeaways

    1. Intel is selling its FPGA unit, Altera, to Silver Lake for $4.46 billion, significantly less than its original investment of $17 billion in 2015.
    2. The deal will provide Intel with $3.4 billion in cash and is aimed at improving the company’s focus and financial health.
    3. Altera’s CEO, Sandra Rivera, will resign, and Raghib Hussain from Marvell Technology Inc. will become the new CEO.
    4. Altera is a leading supplier of programmable chips, including FPGAs and SoCs, with applications across various industries.
    5. The transaction is expected to close in the latter half of 2025, after which Altera will operate as an independent entity.

    Intel is set to hand over its FPGA unit, Altera, to the private equity firm Silver Lake for a sum of $4.46 billion. This transaction values Altera at $8.75 billion, which is almost 50% less than the $17 billion Intel invested in 2015.

    Cash Flow and Strategic Focus

    As reported by Bloomberg, Intel will gain $3.4 billion in cash from this deal. Intel’s CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, expressed that this decision will “sharpen” the company’s focus, decrease its cost structure, and enhance its financial standing.

    Leadership Changes

    With this transition, Altera’s CEO, Sandra Rivera, will resign, and Raghib Hussain, who is the president of products and technologies at Marvell Technology Inc., will take over her role.

    Kenneth Hao, who is the chairman and managing partner at Silver Lake, mentioned that this investment represents “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in a scale leader in advanced semiconductors.”

    Altera’s Market Position

    Altera is recognized as a top supplier of programmable chips, such as Field-programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) and System-on-a-chip (SoC) components. These chips can be adapted for a wide range of uses, including data centers, communication systems, industrial automation, and much more.

    The agreement is expected to finalize in the latter half of 2025. After the transaction is complete, Intel will detach Altera’s financial data from its own, allowing Altera to function as a completely independent entity.

    “Altera is in a strong position to capitalize on its current momentum and create groundbreaking FPGA-based solutions that are influencing the future of computing driven by AI,” said Hussain. “I deeply appreciate the contributions Sandra has made and the team she has assembled as we embark on Altera’s new growth journey.”

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  • Analogue 3D: Nintendo 64 Reimagined for $249.99 with 4K Gameplay

    Analogue 3D: Nintendo 64 Reimagined for $249.99 with 4K Gameplay

    It took a bit of time, but Analogue has finally shared more information about its new version of the N64, known as the Analogue 3D. This console uses a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chip to emulate N64 games in hardware. Analogue describes their product in a few interesting ways:

    The Analogue 3D is a significant step in preserving video games: it’s not just the first new take on the N64 in the world, but also the first recreation that is completely compatible with the original. After almost four years of work on the FPGA, Analogue has eliminated the typical issues found with software emulation, like input lag, sound and graphic inaccuracies, and frame rate problems. Now, you can enjoy the N64 just like it was meant to be played, without any compromises.

    Features and Capabilities

    In practical terms, the Analogue 3D can play N64 cartridges in 4K resolution over HDMI and it is region-free. Additionally, the console is said to work with original accessories and includes support for the Expansion Pak. It also features modes for CRT and PVM displays and offers a variable refresh rate for smoother gameplay.

    Technical Specs and Availability

    This impressive functionality comes from the Intel Cyclone 10 GX FPGA chip, which has 220K logic elements (LEs). Pre-orders for the Analogue 3D will start on October 21 at 03:00 UTC. The console is set to retail for $249.99 and will be available in black and white colors before shipping. However, it’s likely that supply will be limited, as is often the case with products from Analogue.

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