The Rumor Is Back That Future Intel CPUs To Use Radeon Graphics

[cj.wijtmans]

yes. it does.

Intel's 64bit attempt was initially called EMT, but they eventually implemented the AMD64 extension instruction set.

AMD64 is a brand name for x86-64 not an architecture and it was called IA-64 by intel.

[boxie]

I've read that Intel may not end up using Radeon GPUs on its processors, but needs a new licensing deal because the current deal with nVidia will expire in 2017. The licenses are necessary because it wouldn't be doable to avoid using patented technology of AMD and nVidia.

I think this is the most likely scenario. given that intel paid through the nose to avoid a legal battle they would lose - I am sure extending the cross licensing deal with AMD came as a real steal!

[Serafean]

AMD64 is a brand name for x86-64 not an architecture and it was called IA-64 by intel.

Wrong : IA-64 was an Intel specific instruction set for their Itanium processors.
x86-64 really is AMD64. AMD slapped this on their Opteron CPUs in 2003, and Intel eventually had to follow...

[L_A_G]

Seems like a crazy idea if true.

It's not all that crazy when you remember that Intel has in the not too distant past used PowerVR-based GPUs as their integrated GPUs. Seeing how Intel has tried to create at least competitive integrated GPUs internally this actually makes perfectly good sense and like the PowerVR deal, they're probably going to try to learn as much as they can from the licensed designs and then move on to newer in-house designs created with the lessons learned from AMD GPUs.

As for AMD, it also makes a lot of sense seeing how they announced quite a while ago that they had licensed the Zen designs to a Chinese company so they could make their own Zen chips for the Chinese market (thou I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they end up trying to sell their second source Zen chips in the West).

[cj.wijtmans]

Wrong : IA-64 was an Intel specific instruction set for their Itanium processors.
x86-64 really is AMD64. AMD slapped this on their Opteron CPUs in 2003, and Intel eventually had to follow...

Correct about IA-64, my wordings were unfortunate. Intel was already working on IA-64 before x86-64 by AMD64. And incorrect about saying x86-64 is AMD64. That is a misnomer, its a branded name for the architecture when they were copying what intel was doing to Itanium to compete with it.

[fithisux]

More competition is good for the consumers. This model reduces competition and would lead to monopolization. Hopefully Open Source GPUs catch up.

[wichtounet]

Please no

I really don't have to have to deal with the horrible AMD drivers ever again

[chuckula]

More competition is good for the consumers. This model reduces competition and would lead to monopolization. Hopefully Open Source GPUs catch up.

No it doesn't. Without this deal Intel will be sued for simply producing graphics products. That would greatly reduce competition by removing a large player from the industry. Consequently, a licensing deal that lets Intel continue to produce integrated graphics (that tend to have the best open-source support you can find) would be a good thing.

[riklaunim]

More competition is good for the consumers. This model reduces competition and would lead to monopolization. Hopefully Open Source GPUs catch up.

Saves em a lot of driver trouble i guess. But i do not think this is a good thing. I dont want AMD on my cpu.

Now you have nVidia on your CPU. Licensing agreement is going to expire soon and likely current Intel tech is based on licensed nVidia IP and they can't or for the sake of law-suits don't want to use. They have a nice multimedia iGPU so there must be something blocking them from using it further and it's also unlikely they will want to combine a 4-10W ultrabook CPU with higher tier iGPU that would use 30W+

AMD custom hardware is their business model so the cards are open. It will be only iGPU segment of a CPU so not a separate custom chip made by them, but still - they share their technology with interested companies. It also would be cool to see Intel and AMD working and using one GPU driver and software creators using Radeon APIs for boosting performance of some tasks (a.k.a. more GPUOpen).

[dungeon]

This model reduces competition and would lead to monopolization.

It was already "monopolization" on x86 gaming even without this rumor... more does not mean near total, just in total x86+gaming it is more of course read small letters down there