Intel Rumored To Be Working With AMD On A Future iGPU

A decade ago, it would have sounded outlandish to suggest that Intel should go to AMD for its graphics needs, but over the past couple of years, many rumors have floated around the Web suggesting that it could in fact happen. Those rumors are not settling down; [H]ard|OCP‘s Kyle Bennett has just saw to that.

Some 60 pages into a discussion thread (via: TweakTown) revolving around AMD’s ATI legacy, Bennett chimed to say that the “licensing deal between AMD and Intel is signed and done for putting AMD GPU tech into Intel’s iGPU.”

That’s quite a bold statement, and one that has some substance to it. We’re not sure how Bennett found this out, but it’s not like him to put his reputation on the line for a rumor that couldn’t prove true, so I imagine at this point some folks at Intel are frothing at the mouths.

So what would this mean for Intel? Well, while its graphics solutions are not poor by today’s standards, given their target markets, they still leave a bit to be desired versus AMD’s solutions. That’s largely thanks to the fact that AMD has an incredible amount of experience with graphics, having designed not just iGPUs, but the entire gamut of desktop GPUs, too.

If Intel does in fact enter into a license agreement with AMD for graphics, it’ll be a monumental shift in how the company handles its own processor lines, as it’d in effect be leasing out the work of an integral part of the processor to a competitor. However, as consumers, this could mean that we get the best of both worlds: a top-rate CPU, and top-rate iGPU, combined. Although it could be smart to look at it from another angle: Intel might not license the entirety of the GPU, but instead just take bits and pieces of AMD’s IP and drizzle it over its current solution. That’d still be an impressive move.

If I was a betting man, I’d wager that this rumor is true, although if it is, there are going to be a ton of questions that need answering. With Zen soon to launch, and Radeon’s Vega architecture to come not long after, and now this news, 2017 is quickly shaping up to become one hell of a year for the red team.