Steal the enemy's base at the start and build a technological empire.

Chapter 110 Intel's Series of Moves

Just as Lingyun was pondering how to break the deadlock with Intel's new move, his various allies were also caught in different predicaments.

Disagreements arose within Compaq.

The technology department insisted on pushing forward with UHSB, but the procurement department received a warning: if Compaq pushed UHSB, Intel might delay the supply priority of its next-generation processor (Pentium II).

Febrez faces a dilemma: sticking with UHSB could affect its core business, while abandoning it would damage its image as a technology leader.

HP is becoming more conservative.

A report submitted by the enterprise customer department stated that 87% of large enterprise customers indicated they would prefer to continue using USB or even older interfaces if there were any compatibility risks associated with UHSB.

"HP's primary responsibility is to serve enterprise customers," Platt said at an internal meeting. "The best technology is useless if customers don't want it."

Dell persists but adjusts its strategy.

Dell has decided that its high-end gaming PCs and XPS series will be the first to feature UHSB, while mainstream commercial PCs will remain on hold for the time being.

Michael Dell told his team, "We're walking a tightrope. We need to demonstrate technological leadership without angering Intel. The high-end market has less impact, so we can test the waters."

AMD is under increasing pressure.

Intel hinted to TSMC that if AMD's UHSB chip production priority is too high, Intel may transfer some chip orders to UMC.

A TSMC vice president of sales privately told AMD, "We can produce it, but the delivery time may be delayed by four weeks. Production capacity is indeed tight."

On January 10, the UHSB Alliance held an emergency video conference.

Five companies have joined: StarCraft, Dell, Compaq, HP, and AMD.

Ling Yun began: "Everyone, you've all seen the situation. Intel is applying full pressure. We need to decide: retreat, persevere, or change our strategy?"

Dell stated first, "Dell will persist, but with a strategy adjustment. We'll launch the high-end line first to test market reaction. This requires the support of UHSB equipment—peripheral manufacturers are currently hesitant."

"Compaq is facing supply pressure," Fairfax said gravely. "Intel's processors are our lifeline. We need to assess the risks."

Pratt stated bluntly: "HP's enterprise customers have reservations about UHSB. It's difficult to convince them unless there are heavyweight applications driving it."

Sanders was the most agitated: "AMD won't back down! But we need support. How can we compete with Intel if our own alliance members hesitate?"

The meeting lasted two hours, and the final resolution was:

1. Unified technical response: Five companies jointly released a white paper, publishing complete test data to refute SI's report.

2. Ecosystem Breakthrough Strategy: Seek breakthroughs in vertical markets. Focus on speed-sensitive fields such as video editing, scientific computing, and game development, and collaborate with specialized equipment manufacturers.

3. Supply chain assurance: StarCraft and AMD share the additional costs that TSMC may incur due to delays, ensuring that chips are produced on time.

4. Tiered rollout plan: Dell will launch its high-end offerings first, while Compaq and HP will postpone their offerings but will commit to maintaining their technological investment.

At the end of the meeting, Febvre privately told Ling Yun, "Ling, I need time to appease Intel. Compaq won't withdraw from the alliance, but public support may decrease. Please understand."

Lingyun understood. This was the reality of the alliance: loyalty had its limits when faced with self-interest.

台积电正式通知AMD：UHSB主控晶片的流片日期从原定的1月31日推迟到3月15日。理由：「12英寸产线调试延迟，影响整体排期。」

AMD's technical vice president pressed for answers, but the TSMC project manager only replied, "It really is a production capacity issue. Intel's chip orders are also piling up."

However, internal AMD intelligence indicates that Intel's orders from TSMC have not increased significantly, and are mainly for mature process chips, which should not affect the production schedule of advanced 12-inch wafer fabrication lines.

On January 11, Lingyun met with Sanders at AMD headquarters.

"It's clearly Intel putting pressure on us," Sanders said. "TSMC doesn't dare offend its major customers."

Lingyun asked, "What if we pay an express fee?"

"We tried. TSMC said, 'It's not a matter of money, it's a matter of technology timelines.'" Sanders sneered, "Nobody believes that."

The two discussed alternative plans:

1. Switch to UMC: UMC's technology is slightly inferior and may require redesign, resulting in longer delays.

2. Deconstructed design: First, use a simplified version with a 0.35-micron process to save time, and then upgrade it later.

3. Legal pressure: Sue TSMC for breach of contract, but the cost is a complete breakdown in relations.

"I recommend option two," Ling Yun said. "The simplified version may only have 3Gbps performance, not 5Gbps, but that's enough to demonstrate its advantages. Let's launch the product first, and then iterate on it."

Sanders agreed: "AMD can finalize the simplified design within a week. But we need the alliance's confirmation: are you comfortable with lowering performance metrics?"

Dell accepted: "3Gbps is 200 times faster than USB, which is enough to be a selling point."

Compaq hesitated: "Performance downgrades will affect our marketing claims."

HP disagrees: "Enterprise customers need definitive specifications. Changes midway through the process will undermine trust."

Final vote: 3 votes in favor (StarCraft, Dell, AMD), 1 vote against (HP), 1 abstention (Compaq). Passed.

Although the simplified design was approved, Lingyun clearly sensed the ulterior motives of each of his allies.

Intel's counterattack was impressive in its series of moves, but lacked real impact. Even so, it caused quite a stir within the league.

This is a bunch of hopeless good-for-nothings. No wonder Compaq collapsed and AMD was crushed by Intel until Sue Lee took over, when things got a little better. HP and Dell were like dogs chained up in Microsoft's backyard, obedient and not daring to cross the line.

The alliance I formed was originally an alliance of losers, so I can't expect too much from them.

How could he break this deadlock? Ling Yun was also at a loss. In this situation, ordinary methods wouldn't be very effective.

Wintel has too many allies, making it difficult for them to turn the tide in this area.

Suddenly, a brilliant idea flashed into Ling Yun's mind—a way to kill several birds with one stone.

With this in mind, Ling Yun quickly went to the alien company, had a good talk with Alex, and gave him a new mission.