London, Dec 07 (PRINTWORDS NEWS) –
Intel is known for offering integrated graphic solutions with its motherboards that give the budget conscious users an alternative to using expensive discrete graphic cards. Its Intel Extreme Graphics Chip included with the earlier generation motherboards meant for the P4 CPUs proved to be a hit among average computer users. To cope up with the competition from graphics card makers ATI and Nvidia, Intel upgraded it to the GMA series with the release of its Core based CPUs. While the GMA 3100 and 4500 Series offer much better performance than their predecessors they are clearly no match for the graphic cards made by Nvidia and AMD.
Intel announced an ambitious project codenamed Larabee that was supposed to introduce its first version of standalone graphic processing units. Intel has ambitious roadmaps for the next year with several multi core CPUs slated to hit the market. However, the chip maker has decided to put the critical Larabee project in back burner citing developmental setbacks. The industry insiders feel that it has been delayed due to the serious legal problems the company has got embroiled in.
In recent times Intel had to go through a series of legal hassles and antitrust cases. It had to pacify rival AMD by churning out a whopping $1.25 billion to bury a long pending legal battle. However, it has other legal issues to take care of. Intel entered a pact with Nvidia 5 years back where both the companies agreed to work jointly and share patents. However, a lot has changed in the IT industry in these years and they are no longer on friendly terms.
Intel sued Nvidia for infringing on its patented designs related to motherboard design and technology. Nvidia retaliated by counter suing Intel. As a result Intel will not be able to use Nvidia’s expertise in making standalone graphic chipsets. That may have played a role behind the postponement of Larabee project. As the industry insiders guess, the entity that stands to gain from the newly formed rivalry of Intel and Nvidia is AMD. Not only it has earned a hefty sum from Intel but Larabee’s uncertain future will allow it to concentrate on its ATI Graphic chips development with only Nvidia left in the battle ground.
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