Intel getting into high-end GPU game

After AMD bought ATI, it became quite clear that integrated graphics (i.e. integrating both the CPU and the GPU into the same chipset) are the wave of the future. Manufacturers are increasingly looking toward integrated graphics as a way to decrease both the size and price of laptops--much to the chagrin of graphics enthusiasts, who feel that integrating graphics into the chipset greatly reduces overall graphics performance. That might be about to change, however, with Intel announcing that it's looking to the high-end--and possibly discrete--GPU market with its upcoming "Larabee" chip. The processor, which is scheduled to ship in 2010, "will scale to trillions of floating point operations (teraflops) per second" and is aimed at markets like scientific research, data mining and visualization. Is Larabee a discrete GPU? Intel CEO Paul Otellini wouldn't say, stating that "Graphics will also be an area for the chip." Given Intel's track record, however, it's probably a pretty safe assumption that the company is sticking to integrated graphics rather than entering the discrete GPU market. Regardless, with integrated AMD/ATI products on the horizon, Larabee still puts Intel on a collision course with one of the biggest players in the graphics game. 

For more on Larabee:
- see this InformationWeek article

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