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Intel’s surprise deal with Nvidia on integrated graphics raises questions about whether we’ll continue to see Intel’s graphics tech in future laptop chips.
For more than a decade, Intel has shipped CPUs with its own integrated graphics, especially for laptops, evolving from basic HD Graphics into Iris Xe and eventually the Arc brand. Despite the Nvidia partnership, it looks like Intel’s consumer graphics lineup isn’t going anywhere
“We’re not discussing specific roadmaps at this time, but the collaboration [with Nvidia] is complementary to Intel’s roadmap and Intel will continue to have GPU product offerings,” the company told HotHardware.
No timeline was offered for when Intel will start offering CPUs with built-in Nvidia graphics. But the partnership’s scope will be ambitious. The companies plan on developing “multiple generations” of custom PC chips, in addition to data center products, fusing their chip technologies together.
Although Nvidia has long offered discrete GPUs for laptops, the partnership will bake the company’s graphics tech into Intel CPUs, likely meant for thinner and lighter laptops and possibly other device types.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang expects the deal to pave the way for “essentially a new class of integrated graphics laptops that the world has never seen before,” he said in a Thursday press conference. “That segment of the market is really quite rich, and it’s really quite large, and it’s underserved today.”
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However, the chips might be pricey. Huang said that as part of the deal, Nvidia will sell its graphics RTX “chiplets” to Intel, which would add costs to the new chips. So, it’s possible Intel will use its own integrated graphics tech on one class of laptop processors and Nvidia’s more powerful GPU chiplets on another.
As PCMag’s Brian Westover writes, the Nvidia-Intel CPUs will likely represent a new “middle kind” of processor for mobile notebooks that slides in under traditional laptops powered by discrete GPUs. This might lead to more powerful thin and light laptops and even better mini PCs, which usually have no room for a dedicated GPU chip. But only time will tell.
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About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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