backtop

Hardware Intel Job Openings Hint at Discrete GPU
Anh Tuan Huynh (Blog) - January 22, 2007 8:04 PM
Print E-mail del.icio.us 38 comment(s) - last by jmuffat.. on Jan 24 at 7:07 AM
Intel recruiting for upcoming discrete graphics solutions and a hybrid CPU/GPU product

Intel is currently recruiting employees for its Visual Computing Group, or VCG, according to Beyond3D. The new recruits will work on unannounced Intel discrete graphics products and integrated CPU/GPU products to compete with AMD’s upcoming Fusion architecture.

According to the job description:
Intel's Visual Computing Group (VCG) has the mission to establish the future of computing for high-throughput workloads. We are focused on developing discrete graphics products based on a many-core architecture targeting high-end client platforms. Our vision is that the resulting ingredients and technology will extend to mobile clients, servers, and embedded platforms over time. VCG will initially focus on discrete graphics products but will also expand the previous charter to include developing plans for accelerated CPU integration.
VCG positions are available at Intel Hillsboro, Oregon and Austin, Texas campuses with various engineer and developer positions available. It is unknown when Intel's first discrete graphics product since the ill-fated i740 will materialize.

Shortly after the AMD acquisition of ATI, the company announced it would pursue a project called Fusion, a development tree aimed at integrating GPU elements into a CPU. Since then the company has remained silent about discrete graphics products.

With the entrance of Vista analysts predict upgradeable graphics may be a hot market.  In order to fully utilize Aero Glass and Flip 3D features in the premium versions of the OS, the computer needs considerably higher performance hardware than what is deployed in IGP setups today.  Cost effective, low end discrete graphics cards would bring the majority of last year's hardware up to snuff with Vista's hardware requirements.

Comments     Threshold


This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
I want Intel in!
By MrDiSante on 1/22/2007 9:01:52 PM , Rating: 5
I want Intel in the GPU market - more competition's always a good thing and hopefulle they can reverse this horrid trend of more and more power-hungry GPUs.




RE: I want Intel in!
By FITCamaro on 1/22/2007 9:07:00 PM , Rating: 2
Any GPU from Intel is going to be not much better than integrated graphics. They're not going after the high end. They're going after having whats necessary to run premium Aeroglass effects. Thats it.


RE: I want Intel in!
By MrDiSante on 1/22/2007 9:14:46 PM , Rating: 2
You never know - I don't know the numbers but I imagine margins on higher-end video cards would be a bit higher than entry level. Furthermore even if it's a bit of pressure from the lower end it still helps.


RE: I want Intel in!
By wien on 1/23/2007 7:56:07 AM , Rating: 2
Really?
quote:
We are focused on developing discrete graphics products based on a many-core architecture targeting high-end client platforms.


RE: I want Intel in!
By Targon on 1/23/2007 8:08:25 AM , Rating: 2
The thing about having a high end machine is the CPU tends to have a LOT of processing ability, which can compensate via drivers for a lack of GPU power.

As it stands now, Intel's latest GPUs support DirectX 9 due to drivers that compensate for what the hardware lacks.


RE: I want Intel in!
By Khato on 1/23/2007 11:18:04 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
As it stands now, Intel's latest GPUs support DirectX 9 due to drivers that compensate for what the hardware lacks.


Oh really now? And how exactly is the graphics architecture in the current G965 lacking? Sure, it's not quite a DirectX 10 architecture yet, but what DirectX 9 features aren't there?


RE: I want Intel in!
By Bluestealth on 1/22/2007 9:47:07 PM , Rating: 2
Does anyone know how broad Intel's cross licensing with AMD is? If it were to include ATI's patent portfolio they would have a pretty nice selection already. Besides if they wanted to they could probably just buy NVidia.


By Bluestealth on 1/22/2007 9:58:39 PM , Rating: 2
Hmmm.... Intel signed a cross licensing agreement with Nvidia a few years back... which is probably still active... looks like Intel just has to worry about the little patent trolls then...


By Targon on 1/22/2007 10:07:49 PM , Rating: 2
I believe that the Intel/AMD agreement only applies to x86 instruction sets, and not even the exact implementation. This is part of the reason why Intel tried to get away from x86 with the Itanium, so AMD wouldn't be able to make Itanium compatible chips.

x86-64 aka AMD64 is still just an extension of the old x86 instruction sets, so Intel had the right to make their own implementation(though I still have doubts about Intel's right to make up their own name for AMD's invention.


By Bluestealth on 1/23/2007 3:08:59 AM , Rating: 2
From what I have heard it was all encompassing as far as the companies patent portfolios go, however I may not be fully understanding what was meant. I believe this allows them to recreate AMD's 64 bit instruction set into their own product. I doubt AMD would have been happy if they used the same name on a similar but different implementation of their product. There are some key differences between AMD64 and EM64T.


By DallasTexas on 1/23/2007 9:59:18 AM , Rating: 2
Really? Ya think Intel acquired critical technologies and patents from Lockheed Martin when they acquired Real3D? What's special about NVIDIA licenses that Intel "needs" and evidently AMD does not need?

Your full of crap, IMHO. As the #1 PC graphics in the world for years, ya think Intel needs to 'catch up'? Intel could have participated in high end graphics but chose not to. Why? Well, it's not their core business and the graphics industry was thriving with many competitors. Note Intel does not sell coffee, either. Whata dumb schmuck.


By FITCamaro on 1/24/2007 6:51:02 AM , Rating: 2
They're #1 in terms of marketplace due to their lowend integrated chipsets that go into millions of Dells and other platforms. This hardly makes them the best at graphics and not needing to catch up.

Yes they could have entered the highend GPU market. But they didn't and most likely still won't because its doubtful they would be able to compete on the highend with ATI or Nvidia.


Oh Really?
By Zurtex on 1/22/2007 9:11:36 PM , Rating: 2
"a development tree aimed at integrating GPU elements into a GPU "

Wow, AMD must have learnt so much when they bought out ATi :P




RE: Oh Really?
By KristopherKubicki (blog) on 1/22/2007 9:13:05 PM , Rating: 2
Whoops


RE: Oh Really?
By rebturtle on 1/23/2007 2:15:02 AM , Rating: 1
quote:
Wow, AMD must have learnt so much when they bought out ATi


How about learned, soo, and AT I ? Clearly, hooked on phonics didn't work for you.....


RE: Oh Really?
By Zurtex on 1/23/2007 4:48:28 AM , Rating: 2
I think you'll find learnt is actually an accepted modern alternative :P. But I did have to check that up. I'm quite convinced, ATi is what I was going for and I think "Soo" was a character out of The Sooty Show ;)


RE: Oh Really?
By S3anister on 1/23/2007 8:00:52 PM , Rating: 2
it's ATi, either that or it doesn't matter, because for the longest time (and i believe still) the ati logo was "ATi"

i know this because that's what it says on my videocard heatsink... that and all of the other images associated with ATi.


hum...
By Vokus on 1/22/2007 8:47:34 PM , Rating: 2
Come on how long will I have to wait...

I need this now in my laptop...




RE: hum...
By KristopherKubicki (blog) on 1/22/2007 9:05:21 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
I need this now in my laptop...

Don't bet on it. The whole idea with discrete GPUs is that you plug them into existing hardware. Intel would just build an IGP for a notebook.


RE: hum...
By Khato on 1/23/2007 3:20:44 AM , Rating: 2
Eh, every Intel chipset of late is technically an IGP, just that functionality isn't enabled. The problem with that, however, is that the 3D graphics core even with a measly number of execution units takes up an awful lot of die space comparatively. Don't want to make that any bigger, since that makes the chips that don't have graphics enabled bigger too - all the various cost analysis stuff says how big integrated 3D can be. Anyway, laptop is a great starting market for a discrete part because laptops never have the ultra high end, and Intel's manufacturing edge can be used to far more effect.

Makes me all the more interested to see some actual benchmarks of the broadwater integrated graphics, especially under Vista. Though by the time this comes around the architecture will have gone through 2 generations or so. Still, exciting to actually hear something about it in the 'news' finally.