Intel准备开发高端独立显卡，将Raja Koduri招致麾下

本文地址：http://www.moepc.net/?post=3537

前天，Intel宣布将于AMD合作开发一款处理器。昨天，AMD RTG头头Raja Koduri宣布辞职。AMD还没凉，今天他就跳槽去了Intel。这次他的任务可谓非常重大：Intel将开发属于自己的高端独立GPU。

Raja将在Intel担任首席GPU架构师兼GM，以及刚成立的核心与视觉计算集团（Core and Visual Computing group）的SVP，12月正式上任。【可以说和他在RTG的地位相当，这个新部门就是为他而设的。】他的任务将是大幅拓展Intel的图形业务，尤其是让Intel重新进入独显领域。Raja在GPU领域有着很长的领导历史，两次管理AMD图形业务，其间还去了苹果GPU团队当主管。

比起Raja加入Intel，他为Intel要做的事才更加劲爆。Intel与此同时还宣布GPU将采取自上到下的全新战略。“下”到物联网级别设备，这个领域离不开深度学习，Intel有Atom等处理器、独立设计的Movidius神经计算引擎，算是有所建树。

让PC发烧友和整个业界更兴奋的应该是“上”的部分 – Intel准备重返独立GPU市场。此前他们有过两次尝试：上古时代的i740，和2005-2010年的Larrabee。虽然Intel付诸这么多努力却最终未果，但他们依然在继续开发自家的GPU架构和类GPU架构，前者指现在的集显，后者则是集中于大规模并行计算的Xeon Phi家族。

难以忽视的真相：Intel Larrabee的背后故事【Part1】

http://www.moepc.net/?post=2183

尽管Intel有着Xeon Phi这样类似GPU的设计，但实际上他们并没有GT4集显以上规格的GPU解决方案。也就是说中端以上没有Intel集显的存在。请来Raja后Intel的新方向将是完全独立的GPU – “覆盖计算领域的丰富产品线”。

很明显，Intel的GPU将面向计算和显示两个领域。计算领域Intel用Xeon Phi和NVIDIA斗了好几年了，现在感觉没有预期的结果好；而显示将是需要开辟的新领域。Intel明确指出是“图形解决方案”，所以不会是第二个Xeon Phi。

本文地址：http://www.moepc.net/?post=3537

NVIDIA现在正春风得意；自家技术互补的很好，但NV还眼馋Intel高利润的服务器计算市场，Intel也想从NV正大赚特赚的HPC和深度学习领域分一杯羹。NV已经开始用NVLink之类的技术摆脱Intel，Intel开发高端显卡也不会让NV坐得安稳。

再讲开来，这是Intel一次方向的转变，同时也暗示他们只做集显的策略不是那么成功。很长一段时间Intel对集显都很保守，一直只有GT2配置。直到13年的Haswell才引入GT3和GT4。这两款由于高昂的价格仅限个别厂商 – 苹果采用。所以十年来Intel一直只有非常低端GPU，以及寥寥无几的较高性能GT3/4版本。

除开对NV的威胁，Intel此举将把AMD放在很尴尬的位置。AMD一直以来优于Intel的就是GPU技术。去年的Zen架构追上了Intel，但仍有距离。当今成熟的PC市场倾向于两重格局 – CPU有Intel和AMD，GPU有NVIDIA和AMD – 所以Intel进入独显领域将会影响后两个的平衡。当然，AMD比Intel经验丰富得多，但Intel有钱，有自家技术领先的晶圆厂，这两个正是AMD一直缺少的。也不是说AMD完蛋了，只是Intel对GPU的投入和Raja跳槽会让AMD处境更困难。

采用Polaris架构的新处理器

技术上的主要问题将是：Intel会用哪种架构打造独显。尽管性能?，但他们的Gen 9.5集显在功能特性方面是非常先进的。在Vega发布前，它可能算是最先进的PC GPU架构，甚至比NV的Pascal支持特性还要高级。所以Gen9.5已经打下了坚实的基础。

如果用现有集显架构，问题是能否把它堆成高性能GPU。架构的拓展效率在设计上非常重要，却被很多人忽略；设计一款能做到400mm2+，包含多个单元的架构是很难的 – 相对来讲设计更小的GPU就更容易。不是说Gen9.5不能做得更大，只是公开的设计里它最多只到GT4，在GPU世界里还算是个头小的。【传闻称Tiger Lake为Gen.12集显，Ice Lake为Gen.11集显。】

Intel自主架构集显，配置最高只到过GT4

另外还有时间问题。Intel今天没有提到高端显卡的发布时间。如果要让Raja从头做起重新设计一款GPU，至少要4年以上的时间，最早最早也是2022年发布。也可能很早之前Intel就在内部开始了设计，那就会快多了。看NV在仅仅数年里做到的提升水平，Intel当然想抓紧，可能会采取双线策略，先发布基于集显架构的大号GPU，然后新架构跟进。

读完上面这些原因，不难看出为什么Intel选了Raja。他在AMD内外有着丰富经验，特别是AMD和苹果的集显方面。但另一方面，虽然苹果的显示性能在Raja领导下突飞猛进，但他在AMD的最新架构结果不尽人意。Vega架构还没有兑现当初承诺的所有功能，这种规模的项目无论成败，永远不会是一个人的责任，Intel的发布当然会比这次要好。【理由上面已经说过…】对于有着巨量资源的Intel，这不会是什么难事。

对于Intel和Raja，这只是开始的第一步。Intel通过聘请Raja这样的老将和今天的发布，传达了明显的信号：Intel想成为GPU领域的主角之一。对于Intel这样的市场领导者很合乎逻辑；但缺少独立GPU的经验又让人觉得太有野心。期待专注于GPU的Intel能给我们带来什么吧。

【AMD的回应：

AMD sent the following statement when asked for comment on Intel’s new hire:

“We have a very strong graphics team and will continue our focus on building great products. We also have industry-leading graphics IP and, if necessary, will vigorously defend it.”

“我们拥有很强的图形研发团队，并将继续打造好的产品。我们也有业界领先的图形IP，若有必要，将尽力保护。”】

本文地址：http://www.moepc.net/?post=3537

新闻稿原文：

Raja Koduri Joins Intel as Chief Architect to Drive Unified Vision across Cores and Visual Computing

Intel to Expand Strategy to Deliver High-End, Discrete Graphics Solutions

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 8, 2017 ? Intel today announced the appointment of Raja Koduri as Intel chief architect, senior vice president of the newly formed Core and Visual Computing Group, and general manager of a new initiative to drive edge computing solutions. In this position, Koduri will expand Intel’s leading position in integrated graphics for the PC market with high-end discrete graphics solutions for a broad range of computing segments.

Billions of users today enjoy computing experiences powered by Intel’s leading cores and visual computing IP. Going forward under Koduri’s leadership, the company will unify and expand differentiated IP across computing, graphics, media, imaging and machine intelligence capabilities for the client and data center segments, artificial intelligence, and emerging opportunities like edge computing.
“Raja is one of the most experienced, innovative and respected graphics and system architecture visionaries in the industry and the latest example of top technical talent to join Intel,” said Dr. Murthy Renduchintala, Intel’s chief engineering officer and group president of the Client and Internet of Things Businesses and System Architecture. “We have exciting plans to aggressively expand our computing and graphics capabilities and build on our very strong and broad differentiated IP foundation. With Raja at the helm of our Core and Visual Computing Group, we will add to our portfolio of unmatched capabilities, advance our strategy to lead in computing and graphics, and ultimately be the driving force of the data revolution.”

Koduri brings to Intel more than 25 years of experience in visual and accelerated computing advances across a broad range of platforms, including PCs, game consoles, professional workstations and consumer devices. His deep technical expertise spans graphics hardware, software and system architecture.

“I have admired Intel as a technology leader and have had fruitful collaborations with the company over the years,” Koduri said. “I am incredibly excited to join the Intel team and have the opportunity to drive a unified architecture vision across its world-leading IP portfolio that help’s accelerate the data revolution.”

Koduri, 49, joins Intel from AMD, where he most recently served as senior vice president and chief architect of the Radeon Technologies Group. In this role, he was responsible for overseeing all aspects of graphics technologies used in AMD’s APU, discrete GPU, semi-custom and GPU compute products. Prior to AMD, Koduri served as director of graphics architecture at Apple Inc., where he helped establish a leadership graphics sub-system for the Mac product family and led the transition to Retina computer displays.

Koduri will officially start in his new role at Intel in early December.

本文地址：http://www.moepc.net/?post=3537

via：https://www.anandtech.com/show/12017/intel-to-develop-discrete-gpus-hires-raja-koduri-as-chief-architect

by Ryan Smith

MOEPC.NET编译，转载请保留出处。