Why isn't Intel making GPUs

[Simon771]

We all know that Intel is dominating CPU share all over the world, and it's best option for any kind of usage you throw at it.

So they realy know how to make great chips etc.

 

And since they own 80% of CPU market share, I'm wondering why aren't they making GPUs also.

I belive they are capable of creating great GPUs at decent price. Lower than Nvidia, and higher than AMD, but in performance they might be better than both.

They could even make optimisation for CPU + GPU. So if you are using Intel CPU and GPU in same system, you benefit in performance due optimisation of those components.

 

Do you guys ever expect any other company to make GPUs? Can we expect it from Nvidia?

Would be interesting to see another rival in GPU world

 

[manikyath]

intel integrated graphics

 

and, for the same reason as why broadcom doesnt make x86 chips most likely.

[oskarha]

Intel does make gpus.

Intel HD Graphics

[IMPERIUS]

probably because they're fine with making the cpus with their integrated graphics

[Simon771]

3 minutes ago, manikyath said:

intel integrated graphics

 

and, for the same reason as why broadcom doesnt make x86 chips most likely.

 

2 minutes ago, oskarha said:

Intel does make gpus.

Intel HD Graphics

 

Yeah I know they have those Intel HD graphics ... I'm talking about serious GPUs for gaming at 1440p and 4K, that could compare with newest Nvidia and AMD cards.

[Benergy]

5 minutes ago, Simon771 said:

We all know that Intel is dominating CPU share all over the world, and it's best option for any kind of usage you throw at it.

So they realy know how to make great chips etc.

 

And since they own 80% of CPU market share, I'm wondering why aren't they making GPUs also.

I belive they are capable of creating great GPUs at decent price. Lower than Nvidia, and higher than AMD, but in performance they might be better than both.

They could even make optimisation for CPU + GPU. So if you are using Intel CPU and GPU in same system, you benefit in performance due optimisation of those components.

 

Do you guys ever expect any other company to make GPUs? Can we expect it from Nvidia?

Would be interesting to see another rival in GPU world

 

Intel's HD Graphics are getting pretty competitive for lower end graphics requirement users, but since they are doing so well in the CPU market, it seems counter productive to divert efforts away from that to make discrete GPUs, especially since AMD/nVidia are so comfortable in that market. 

[manikyath]

1 minute ago, IMPERIUS said:

probably because they're fine with making the cpus with their integrated graphics

well.. ever wondered why fiat doesnt make airplanes? kinda the same deal here

[manikyath]

1 minute ago, Simon771 said:

 

 

Yeah I know they have those Intel HD graphics ... I'm talking about serious GPUs for gaming at 1440p and 4K, that could compare with newest Nvidia and AMD cards.

because that is not their market, it is not worth the R&D, nor the production to start pushing intel graphics cards to market. mind you, most likely the majority of intel's profit margin isnt even in the home

[Benergy]

3 minutes ago, manikyath said:

well.. ever wondered why fiat doesnt make airplanes? kinda the same deal here

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_Aviazione

Sorry to be that guy. They made a lot of WWII planes.

[manikyath]

1 minute ago, Benergy said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_G.55

Sorry to be that guy. They made a lot of WWII planes.

but do they *still* make planes?

[Benergy]

1 minute ago, manikyath said:

but do they *still* make planes?

Business stopped in 1990, so no, but Intel have never started making discrete GPUs.

 

They are doing too well in their niche of 'people who don't play AAA games'  integrated graphics

[Deoros]

That's like asking why doesn't NVIDIA make CPU'S. It's not what they specialize in.

[manikyath]

1 minute ago, Benergy said:

Business stopped in 1990, so no, but Intel have never started making discrete GPUs.

 

They are doing too well in their niche of 'people who don't play AAA games'  integrated graphics

and in servers:

 

you're not gonna deny a $5000 cpu matters to them more than a $300 one, and certainly if there's 4 of those going into a single server of which there are potentially hundreds in a datacenter

[manikyath]

2 minutes ago, Deoros said:

That's like asking why doesn't NVIDIA make CPU'S. It's not what they specialize in.

yo man, why doesnt pepsi make jet fuel?

[Yummychickenblue]

5 minutes ago, Deoros said:

That's like asking why doesn't NVIDIA make CPU'S. It's not what they specialize in.

Actually Nvidia probably would make desktop CPUs if they had the proper x86 licenses. They make their Tegra CPUs after all.

[Benergy]

3 minutes ago, manikyath said:

and in servers:

 

 

you're not gonna deny a $5000 cpu matters to them more than a $300 one, and certainly if there's 4 of those going into a single server of which there are potentially hundreds in a datacenter

I obviously don't have access to the actual figures, but if you compared the number of datacenter targeted Xeons sold to all consumer CPUs sold I'd say the £300 ones are pretty important too

 

Especially considering the vast majority of business would have only one or a few servers (if any).

[Simon771]

Well I know it's not their market, but they could make it so.

However @Deoros got me with: 

Quote

That's like asking why doesn't NVIDIA make CPU'S. It's not what they specialize in.

 

I guess we just can't expect GPUs from Intel.

But on the other hand, Nvidia would need to do it's own motherboard and socket.

While Intel just need to make PCB for GPU  Probbably easier  

[Benergy]

8 minutes ago, Deoros said:

That's like asking why doesn't NVIDIA make CPU'S. It's not what they specialize in.

Sorry to be that guy again, but,  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tegra

(To clarify, it's a SoC that uses an ARM CPU, but it's manufactured by nVidia)

[Zodiark1593]

There would be far less profit in going dGPU vs selling small die CPUs. In addition, their architecture is targeted toward efficiency. It's probable it doesn't even scale well enough to warrant investing an entire die on it.

[manikyath]

5 minutes ago, Benergy said:

I obviously don't have access to the actual figures, but if you compared the number of datacenter targeted Xeons sold to all consumer CPUs sold I'd say the £300 ones are pretty important too

 

Especially considering the vast majority of business would have only one or a few servers (if any).

until you realise this screenshot has over 8000 CPUs in it: (these specifc one are via x86 chips tho.)

[Benergy]

1 minute ago, manikyath said:

until you realise this screenshot has over 8000 CPUs in it: (these specifc one are via x86 chips tho.)

 

Indeed, datacenters have a lot of hardware packed in.

However, Steam for example has 125 million users, I'd say at least 80% of which use a desktop PC and so a consumer grade CPU.

Google probably has the most datacenters at 12, so yeah. 

[Deoros]

I would like to add while yes NVIDIA does have a CPU I still think in general companies who specialize in say carpentry don't all the sudden specialize in bike manufacturing. I hope I am making sense if not feel free to tell me.

[GoodBytes]

Intel tried to make a dedicated graphics solution in the past... it was a massive failure costing the company a fortune, and was not even at stages to be released. The company does make integrated graphics, but as you can see with their abilities, and driver quality, they see it as a "free solution", despite paying it in the price of the CPU.

 

Now, it isn't because Intel sucks per say, but most engineers interested in the field all apply and work at Nvidia or AMD. So Intel needs to really make it compelling for knowledge people to apply to them. Also, engineering is in high demand (well senior position with specific expertise, to be specific.. so that mean get an engineer, have it work in the company for years upon years, to be really into it, and develop the needed expertise, because it is so complex it isn't something you can learn from a book.

 

If you look at Nvidia early days of GPU design, they are total crap, like seriously crap. But they started to be better with the Riva TNT 1, and really shined since they got the experts 3dfx company, when they bought them.

 

So for Intel to make a GPU, they would need substance amount of money, for many many years, not only in trying to get talented people, and experts (basically stealing them from Nvidia and AMD, and training junior ones to experts (years of work)), but also making a GPU that is compelling, and make a name for themselves. Not easy, and super costly. A move that the company is not willing to take.

 

[Sors]

1 hour ago, Benergy said:

but Intel have never started making discrete GPUs.

Umm... yeah and not to be that guy either, but Intel DID made GPUs, I had one of them.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel740

 

I think at the time I was playing Return to castle wolfenstein with that GPU.
 

[NumLock21]

They had a AGP video card the Intel i740.

And here's something to read about

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larrabee_(microarchitecture)