Intel Won't Give Up GPU Push, Analysts Say
Intel's decision to shelve its graphics chip code-named Larrabee is more an indication of the difficulty of building a new architecture than a sign that Intel's giving up on developing a general-purpose GPU, according to analysts. Demand for GPGPUs is growing in the HPC space, and analysts expect Intel to want to tap into that rather than cede the battle to AMD and Nvidia. This is also one more area in which the chip maker can expand the reach of its Intel Architecture.
Intel may have scrapped its "Larrabee" discrete graphics processor, but no one should mistake the move for a sign that the chip maker is moving away from the business of general-purpose GPUs, according to industry analysts.
Company officials are looking for ways to expand the Intel Architecture into new segments, and the demand for GPGPU computing is only going to grow. Intel's decision Dec. 4 to shelve the Larrabee project due to what a spokesperson called development issues was an indication of the kind of challenge the company is putting in front of itself as it works to create a product to compete with offerings from Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices.
