Intel cancels Larrabee GPGPU-chip

Intel has spent several years developing the Larrabee GPGPU-chip that was initially set for release in 2008. The multifunctional chip based on the x86 instruction set was to serve both as a parallel computing processor as well as a graphics card. Earlier this year, it already became known that the performance of the chip as GPU are to be compared to nVidia's GTX 285 card. During the last IDF, two demonstrations of the Larrabee chip were also given.

The last launch date of the chip was officially planned for the first quarter of 2010, but several rumors already mentioned the permanent cancellation of the Larrabee chip. Intel has since officially confirmed this. Though the graphics card is cancelled, the Larrabee project will remain in existence. It will continue the development of software and the SDK package.


Though the exact reason for cancellation remains unknown, it's likely that Intel was falling behind schedule with the development of the chip and matching software. If Intel were to continue the launch of the Larrabee, the card was to compete with nVidia's Fermi GTX 300 and AMD's Radeon HD5000 series, both significantly faster than the GTX 285 that the Larrabee was to be on par with.

The disappointing performance of the chip is not just caused by the delay of the chip itself, but also by the problematic development of the matching software. Though Intel has a lot of experience when it comes to developing x86 software to program the chip, the company isn't very used to graphics drivers. The multifunctional chip was also to retain backwards-compatibility with older drivers such as DirectX 9.0, while also being prepared for the future DirectX 12 version, making drivers difficult to program.

Intel initially planned to release the Larrabee as one of the fastest graphics cards at launch that could also be used for GPGPU applications. Since this won't be achieved in 2010, the graphics card was cancelled altogether. Though the first Larrabee chip will not see the daylight, the project will still continue, making it possible that Intel will release a more powreful Larrabee graphics card at a later point in time