Raja Koduri, Senior Vice President of Intel’s Architecture, Graphics, and Software division, has declared 2021 to be the golden age of the GPU.
2021: The Year of the GPU
In a tweet, Raja Koduri referenced AMD, Nvidia, and (of course) Intel, when stating that he is eager to see what each respective developer’s 2021 holds.
What started out as a sneak peek at Intel’s XG310 Server GPU, soon turned into Koduri triumphantly stating that 2021 will be a GPU Golden Age.
A100, Xe LP, RTX 3X, Navi2, MI100, M1 – moved the GPU bar significantly forward, all the way from devices through edge to the data center. Can’t wait to see what developers will do with all of this performance + Xe HP/HPG/HPC in 2021 and beyond – GPU Golden Age…
— Raja Koduri (@Rajaontheedge) December 8, 2020
Raja appears to speak fondly of his rivals, too. He isn’t hesitant to mention Nvidia’s A100 GPU, or the Navi2 GPU from AMD, hinting that he considers the three to be the biggest players on the GPU field as we head into the New Year.
What Does Intel Have Planned for 2021?
As mentioned, the original post was a quick look at the forthcoming Intel XG310 Server GPU.
This is a high-performance GPU which Intel intends for use with a data center, as opposed to being fitted inside of a single gaming PC like you or I may have.
So, in terms of gaming PC GPUs, what does 2021 look like for Intel? (Hopefully, you can wave goodbye to overclocking your GPU).
Well, we have the confirmed Xe-HPG gaming architecture coming next year. Intel has touted this as the GPU to rival AMD and Nvidia chips, so that is something exciting to look forward to for PC gamers.
You might wonder what this means for you in real terms. What will you actually see from the improved GPU? Well, hardware ray-tracing for a start.
Don’t forget, the AMD Big Navi and RTX 3080 both support hardware ray-tracing. So does the PlayStation 5, which released in November 2020.
This means that Intel really needs to keep up with the competition and it is great to see it plans to ride the current wave of GPU development alongside AMD and Nvidia.
Will 2021 Really Be the Golden Age of the GPU?
It makes sense to say that. Advances in tech have brought PC gaming on leaps and bounds. We only need to look at what AMD and Nvidia have both achieved up to now to be see those benefits.
2021 and, therefore, the release of the next Intel gaming architecture are both looming on the horizon. Alongside AMD and Nvidia, will we now see the holy trinity of GPU development completed?
We’ll have to wait and see. COVID-19 supply chain and logistics failures ensured that GPU stocks were low this year. And don’t get us started on the scalpers….
Hopefully 2021 will be the year we see tech manufacture rising like the proverbial phoenix from the flames, and supply meeting demand across the board.