DOJ Closes Antitrust Probe Of Chip Makers Nvidia, AMD

[PBS Poll-435]

DOJ Closes Antitrust Probe Of Chip Makers Nvidia, AMD
October 13, 2008: 03:21 PM EST


Chip makers Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) said the U.S. Justice Department closed its antitrust investigation into the pricing and marketing of graphics processing units and cards.

In December 2006, the companies received subpoenas from the San Francisco office of the Justice Department, which has managed the agency's high-profile investigation of possible collusion in memory chips called DRAMs and has studied the market for memory chips known as SRAMS.

AMD, which entered the graphics market in fall 2006 by buying ATI Technologies Inc. for $5.4 billion, and Nvidia both said at the time that the Justice Department hadn't made any specific allegations about their conduct but pledged to cooperate with the investigation.

ATI and Nvidia have battled in the graphics-chip market, offering chips that can be built into personal computers or placed on accessory circuit boards that plug into PCs. Graphics chips are best known for simulating three-dimensional landscapes and objects in computer games and software that runs on videogame consoles. The technology has advanced rapidly, with enthusiasts routinely paying hundreds of dollars to upgrade their PCs.
Chip makers Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) said the U.S. Justice Department closed its antitrust investigation into the pricing and marketing of graphics processing units and cards.


Read more at: http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200810131521DOWJONESDJONLINE000619_FORTUNE5.htm

[PBS Poll-435]

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