Engadget

Intel kills Larrabee discrete GPU, will focus on integrated graphics

Nilay Patel — Tue, 25 May 2010 15:50:00 EST

Intel's been promising to blow up the graphics market with its Larrabee GPU for over three years now with virtually nothing to show for it, and it looks like the company has finally decided to can the entire project after downsizing it to a "software platform" last year. A new Intel blog post on the matter says the company won't bring a discrete graphics chip to market, and will instead focus on integrated graphics for everyday computing and highly-parallel multicore processors for high-performance computing. Now, Intel's obviously still in the graphics game, and it's already made a strong move towards integrated graphics by building GPUs right into the Atom N470 and much of the Core 2010 line, but on a much broader level the decision to drop Larrabee means that Intel is now essentially pursuing the same strategies as its competitors: AMD is famously behind schedule with its Fusion project but plans to ship ATI-powered hybrid CPU / GPUs next year, and NVIDIA has been pushing its multicore GPU-based Tesla high-performance computing platform for a while now.

We're also curious about how Intel intends to address the gaming market in the future -- its own integrated graphics obviously aren't up to the task, and it's still fighting with NVIDIA over a Core 2010 chipset license, so that's a big question mark going forward as more and more focus is placed on low-power and integrated solutions. We'll see what happens -- it's not too often the death of a vaporware product has the potential to shake up the entire industry.

Intel kills Larrabee discrete GPU, will focus on integrated graphics originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 May 2010 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Console scuttlebutt: multi-core CPU for next-gen PlayStation, Intel inside future Wii

Darren Murph — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 07:14:00 EST

We're but three years removed from the US introduction of both Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PlayStation 3, and already the rumors are running rampant about the future iterations of both consoles. Two separate reports from Japan's Impress touch on both units, with speculation and insider information on the former suggesting that Intel could be in talks with the Big N about powering the second Wii. Hard details are obviously tough to come by, but word has it that the two are mulling a GPU / CPU combo similar to the Larrabee; granted, we'd prefer something a touch more potent in the Wii 2, but we wouldn't be shocked if Nintendo chooses the less powerful path yet again. In related news, it seems as if Sony could be looking for an alternative to its Cell CPU in the PlayStation 4, an alternative that involves some sort of "multi-core CPU." Potentially more interesting is the notion that Sony's next-gen handheld could be out before said console, which is loosely pegged for a 2013 release. We wouldn't take any of this to heart just yet, but we're pretty certain we can't stop the dreamers from going too far.

Console scuttlebutt: multi-core CPU for next-gen PlayStation, Intel inside future Wii originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 07:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel's Larrabee graphics processor delayed, downsized to mere software development platform

Paul Miller — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 03:45:00 EST

Well. NVIDIA has to be loving this. Intel has announced today that not only is its Larrabee graphics chip delayed, that chip which promised to usher in a new era of post-GPU computing, but that it's been downgraded to a "software development platform." Intel isn't even saying what that "software development" will be aimed at, though we have to assume it would be some future version of the hybrid GPU / CPU chip. As to when the kit itself might arrive is anybody's guess, Intel is merely saying "next year." Meanwhile we can look forward to Intel's first example of a GPU / CPU hybrid in the upcoming Pineview Atom processor, which kicks those lackluster integrated graphics to the curb and moves everything onto the CPU. Who knows if that will be enough to quell the NVIDIA's quiet takeover of the higher-end netbook space with its ION graphics, but with Intel's current track record in the graphics space, we doubt it.

Intel's Larrabee graphics processor delayed, downsized to mere software development platform originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Dec 2009 03:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel shows Larrabee die shot in Germany, speculators go berserk

Darren Murph — Thu, 14 May 2009 15:59:00 EST

It's been right around a century since Intel has provided any sort of hard evidence that Larrabee (a next-gen hybrid CPU / GPU) was more than a figment of anyone's imagination, but thanks to a die shot throw up Will Ferrell-style at the Visual Computing Institute of the Saarland University, we'd say the speculation is definitely back on. Intel's Chief Technology Officer, Justin Rattner, was responsible for the demo, but when PC Perspective pinged the company to inquire further, it suggested that the image we see above may not necessarily be indicative of the final shipping product, but that Larrabee was "healthy and in [its] labs right now." Sweet, so how's about a date in which that statement changes to "in shipping machines right now?" Hmm?

[Via PC Perspective]

Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, Laptops

Intel shows Larrabee die shot in Germany, speculators go berserk originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 May 2009 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel to officially refresh laptop chips next week?

Darren Murph — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:51:00 EST

We had a hunch this refresh was coming, and according to information gathered by CNET, it's all going down on Monday. The 2.53GHz SP9600, complete with its 6MB of cache memory and $316 sticker, will reportedly be revealed alongside the 1.6GHz SU9600, which will be pegged at $289. Furthermore, we should see a single-core 1.4GHz SU3500 ($262) with a thermal envelope of only 5.5 watts, which will obviously cater to those really, really low-power applications where horsepower isn't a concern. Interestingly, these newfangled pieces of silicon won't be those rumored CULV chips we heard about in January, as those won't be good and ready 'til summertime. There's also a slight chance that we'll hear a bit more on Intel's reemergence in the GPU field, but we're not holding our breath quite so much on that. Dig in below for lots more, or just be patience and wait for the 30th. Totally your call.

Read - Intel CPU details
Read - Intel GPU details

Filed under: Laptops

Intel to officially refresh laptop chips next week? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel hoping to get Larrabee within next-gen Xbox?

Darren Murph — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 07:50:00 EST

Quite honestly, there's absolutely zero proof that Intel and Microsoft are yapping it up in regard to Larrabee, but considering just how logical it sounds, we couldn't help but pass along the latest whispers surrounding the two. According to those fabled "industry insiders," The Inquirer has it that Intel is currently on bended knee asking Microsoft to integrate Larrabee into the next-generation Xbox. If it were to land such a deal, developers would -- in essence -- be forced to develop for Larrabee given the need for console titles, which could then make things all the easier for Intel on the PC side. Like we said, this is all speculatory for now, but so long as the dots continue to connect, we'll at least give this one a fighting chance at materializing.

[Via Joystiq]

Filed under: Gaming

Intel hoping to get Larrabee within next-gen Xbox? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Sep 2008 07:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LVIII: NVIDIA CEO doesn't know what Larrabee is, doesn't care

Richard Lawler — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:22:00 EST

NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang just can't resist throwing more jabs at Intel, distracting the inaugural NVISION crowd from Battlestar Galactica star Tricia Helfer with the claim that "Larrabee hasn't shipped so you don't know what it is and I don't know what it is." The fact that we do know what it is -- a next-gen hybrid CPU / GPU -- shouldn't be a concern according to Huang, because "By the time it does ship, Nvidia's technology will be so far advanced it won't matter." Besides stuffing Usain Bolt-type speed into a GPU the company will keep busy working on its WinMo smartphone hardware, and software for the not-exactly-Atom-killing VIA Nano, but forget about that rumored x86-compatible hardware 'cuz, as Jen-Hsun reminds us, "the Internet doesn't run on x86." For a company that lacks innovation, is "a joke," and at least four years behind, Intel must be doing something right, because the competition can't keep its name out of their mouths.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LVIII: NVIDIA CEO doesn't know what Larrabee is, doesn't care originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NVIDIA throws another punch, sez Larrabee would've been hot in 2006

Darren Murph — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 06:21:00 EST

You've got to love it, don't you? The prolonged hatefest between Intel and NVIDIA is continuing on today, with Andy Keane, general manager of the company's GPU computing group, delivering the latest blow. While speaking to reporters at the outfit's headquarters in Sunnyvale, California, he was quoted as saying that there is still "an incredible amount about Larrabee that's undefined." Furthermore, John Mottram chimed in by suggesting that "as [blogger and CPU architect] Peter Glaskowsky said, the 'large' Larrabee in 2010 will have roughly the same performance as a 2006 GPU from NVIDIA or ATI." We're beginning to wonder if these guys aren't just passing disses while sharing a cold one afterwards just to get attention, but being that it's more fun to envision suits from rival firms intensely angry with one another, we'll just keep believing this actually isn't a joke.

[Via Slashdot]

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

NVIDIA throws another punch, sez Larrabee would've been hot in 2006 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Aug 2008 06:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel discusses ATI and Nvidia killing Larrabee, launching as early as 2009

Thomas Ricker — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 04:27:00 EST

While Intel's Larrabee might not be a household name for consumers just yet, it's certainly at the table where Nvidia and AMD/ATI eat. The many-core (8 to 48, at least, according to that Intel graphic) x86 chip runs all your existing apps while tossing in support for OpenGL and DirectX thus eliminating the need for a discrete graphics chip. At least that's the plan. While the exact number of cores remains a secret as does the performance of each core compared to current GPUs, given the importance Intel places on Larrabee, it's reasonable to assume that an 8-core chip will launch in 2009 or 2010 with comparable performance to GPUs on the market at that time. Intel does say that Larrabee cores will scale "almost linearly" (read: within 10%) in games; that means that a 16-core chip will offer nearly twice the performance of an 8-core chip, 32-cores twice that of 16, and so on. Apparently this has already been proven in-house with Intel name-dropping Larrabee-coded titles such as Gears of War, FEAR, and Half-Life 2, Episode 2. It's no coincidence then to hear that Intel's first Larrabee product will target PC gamers. Click through if you're just dying to read about Larrabee's 1024 bits-wide bi-directional ring network and other bits of technical wonderment sure to create at least the hint of a silicon malaise.

[Via CNET and Washington Post, Thanks Dan R.]

Filed under: Desktops, Gaming

Intel discusses ATI and Nvidia killing Larrabee, launching as early as 2009 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Aug 2008 04:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel rep says people "probably won't" need discrete graphics in the future

Donald Melanson — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:54:00 EST

Intel's already made some fairly bold promises at its Intel Developer Forum in Shanghai this week, and it now looks like it's getting into the prediction game as well, with one representative from the company telling TG Daily that people "probably won't" need discrete graphics cards in the future. That word comes from Intel Graphics and Gaming Technologist Ron Fosner, who was showing off a graphics demo running on a multi-core Nehelam system that, as you can see in the video at the link below, likely won't have NVIDIA or AMD rethinking their strategy just yet. Fosner also curiously looked to the past to back up his argument, saying that "if you look back into the mid 80's, there were no discreet graphics cards." Of course, all of this is all the more puzzling given that Intel is itself dabbling in discrete graphics with its Larrabee project, albeit under the guise of a CPU / GPU hybrid.

Filed under: Desktops, Gaming

Intel rep says people "probably won't" need discrete graphics in the future originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel details the Larrabee next-gen hybrid CPU / GPU

Nilay Patel — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:54:00 EST

Although they've gotten better recently, Intel's integrated graphics chipsets have never gotten a ton of love -- the underpowered 915 chipset is at the heart of the whole "Vista Capable" debacle, for example -- but it looks like the company's about to make a strong play to be your new pixel-pusher of choice with the new Larrabee graphics chip. Based on the x86 instruction set, the new chip isn't just limited to GPU duties, but can serve as a general-purpose processor as well. Early 16-core versions have been developed with max speeds of over 2GHz, but the design can apparently scale to thousands of cores in the future. The plan is first to release Larrabee chips as separate graphics units in Q4 of this year, but early next year we should see both laptop and desktop-oriented 45nm Nehalem processors with the Larrabee tech built right in. That should beat AMD's Fusion processors to market -- looks like the race is on.

Read - PC Perspective roadmap article with Intel slides
Read - DailyTech roadmap with Larrabee details

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Intel details the Larrabee next-gen hybrid CPU / GPU originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel's 6-core Dunnington CPU coming this year, Nehalem gets official

Thomas Ricker — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:42:00 EST

Quad-core shmod-core Intel, we need 6 cores or more to keep our uh, web browsers snappy. While you're at it, how about tossing in some Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT) so that each core can process two threads at a time -- 16 simultaneous threads per 8-core processor or 32 for dual-processor, 8-core rigs. If that sounds good then you're in luck; Intel just went official with its near-term architecture plans which include the 2008 launch of a 6-core Dunnington-class server CPU platform based on Intel's 45-nm Penryn "tick" architecture. On deck is Intel's second generation Nehalem "tock" architecture with SMT and scalable from 2- to 8-cores. We're talking "dramatic" performance and energy improvements, according to Intel, from a microarchitecture bent on delivering an 8 MB level-3 cache, DDR3-800 memory support, 25.6GB per second Quickpath interconnects (so long Front Side Bus!), an integrated memory controller and optional integrated graphics to high-end servers and eventually laptops. Hear that AMD? Tick, tock goes the clock.

P.S. That's Nehalem pictured. What, can't you tell?

[Via BetaNews, thanks Mike O.]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Intel's 6-core Dunnington CPU coming this year, Nehalem gets official originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel teraflopping into high-end graphics with "Larrabee"

Paul Miller — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:06:00 EST

Intel's Paul Otellini IDF keynote shed some new light on the company's Larrabee processor, which is now set for a 2010 release and will compete against AMD and NVIDIA in the realm of high-end graphics. Paul says the chips will scale up to teraflops in speed, and be targeted at science and analytics in addition to graphics -- though he dodged questions about Larrabee potentially being a discrete graphics competitor for AMD and NVIDIA, and only reiterating that "Graphics will also be an area for the chip." Intel has so far stayed squarely in the realm of integrated graphics, but a move to discrete graphics would be quite a welcome shakeup to the current market, and teraflops would certainly make it all the more interesting.

Filed under: Desktops, Gaming

Intel teraflopping into high-end graphics with "Larrabee" originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel talks up multi-core Larrabee processor, powerline Ethernet

Donald Melanson — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 12:56:00 EST

Intel's already been doing quite a bit of talking about future products amid the hubbub of the Intel Developer Forum, but it looks like it still has plenty on its plate, with the company now revealing some details on two slightly nearer-term initiatives. First up, the company has confirmed its long-rumored, general purpose GPU-competing Larrabee processor, which it describes as a programmable, multi-core processor that'll reach "at least one teraflop." The first such chips, apparently with "tens of cores," are set to be demonstrated sometime next year, with a number of different versions of the processor also planned, each with varying numbers of cores. On another front, Intel also looks to be making a big push for integrated powerline Ethernet, with the company set to work the HomePlug AV 200Mbps powerline standard into its desktop designs next year as an optional feature, in particular in its Viiv platform.

Read - The Register, "Intel confirms programmable, multi-core chip"
Read - Reg Hardware, "Future PCs to integrate powerline Ethernet"

Filed under: Desktops, Networking

Intel talks up multi-core Larrabee processor, powerline Ethernet originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Apr 2007 12:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel set to challenge NVIDIA and AMD/ATI in discrete graphics biz

Donald Melanson — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 15:13:00 EST

There's been rumors, but Intel looks to have finally made its challenge to the NVIDIA, AMD/ATI establishment official, revealing some details of its so-called Larrabee project in a new round of job postings on its website. Now less-mysteriously named the Visual Computing Group, the division looks to be taking square aim at the two big players in the graphics business, promising to deliver "discrete graphics products based on a many-core architecture targeting high-end client platforms." In other words, a big step up from Intel's current underpowered integrated graphics offerings. Unfortunately, that's about all that Intel's saying about the project for the time being, and given that the first official word we're about it comes in the form of a job posting, it's probably safe to assume that we're still a ways off from actually seeing any products come out of the newly-formed group.

[Via Slashdot]

Filed under: Desktops, Gaming

Intel set to challenge NVIDIA and AMD/ATI in discrete graphics biz originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Jan 2007 15:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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