Intel plans to launch its first discrete GPU in 2020

The leader in semiconductor chip technology– Intel Inc. has said that its first discrete graphics chip will be available in 2020. “Intel’s first discrete GPU coming in 2020,” as confirmed by the company in a recent Tweet.

Intel's first discrete GPU coming in 2020: https://t.co/s9EPeFifBp pic.twitter.com/n5zmUY2Mc2

— Intel News (@intelnews) June 12, 2018

Though Intel’s Tweet has not clarified where those GPUs were destined to, the company has confirmed that both types of technology– data centre and gaming PCs are targeted. Intel has yet to confirm which was coming first.

Intel had offered its desire to get serious about graphics in November of 2017 when it announced it had got AMD’s graphics head Raja Koduri in its fold. Koduri is known as a revered leader in the graphics industry, no one has expected Intel to get any worthwhile products for at least next three years.

Analysts have the views the plans to push out a product by 2020 to compete with AMD’s Radeon and Nvidia’s GeForce products as very hard. They say that Intel needs to work out on the performance and efficiency as AMD and Nvidia first.

Few people in the industry are not buying into the Intel’s prospects. Everone says, it is tough. It takes a long time and research before anybody could see the finished product, it is hard to believe that anyone can displace Nvidia and AMD from the leadership positions.

Observers also note this isn’t the maiden initiative of Intel, it has promised graphics parts. in 2009 too, it was supposed to hit shelves by 2010 but it could not be materialized.

Similarly, it is said that even a 2020 release seems very quick for Intel. When it announced the formation of a new Core and Visual Computing Group, Intel was trying to begin from scratch. While its integrated graphics technology has steadily improved over the years, it still can’t hold true to the performance of a dedicated GPU. It is the reason, that partnership can clearly be seen as a stopgap plan until Intel can deliver its own GPUs.

Intel thus faces an uphill task. The leader AMD and Nvidia are on solid footing in discrete graphics, and they have roadmaps for future architectures. Nvidia is scheduled to offer its next-generation GPUs at a conference in August this year, by which time it might have already unveiled a new technology in GeForce GPU.

In terms of product development, 2020 isn’t too away. Intel will need to work overtime to offer something worth by then, even if it’s a low power option.