Windows 7 Intel: Initial Larrabee graphics chip canceled

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Intel said Friday that its Larrabee graphics processor will initially appear as a software development platform only.
This is a blow to the world's largest chipmaker, which was looking to launch its first discrete (standalone) graphics chip in more than a decade.
"Larrabee silicon and software development are behind where we hoped to be at this point in the project," Intel spokesman Nick Knupffer said Friday. "As a result, our first Larrabee product will not be launched as a standalone discrete graphics product," he said.
"Rather, it will be used as a software development platform for internal and external use," he added. Intel is not discussing what other versions may appear after the initial software development platform product, or "kit," is launched next year.
Graphics chip analyst Jon Peddie, president of Jon Peddie Research, said Intel is not hitting performance targets and this became apparent at the SC09 supercomputing conference last month.
"Justin Rattner (Intel Senior Fellow) demonstrated Larrabee hitting one teraflop, which is great but you could walk across the street and buy an ATI graphics board for a few hundred dollars that would do five teraflops." A teraflop is 1 trillion floating point operations per second, a key indicator of graphics chip performance.
Larrabee, a chronically delayed chip, was originally expected to appear in 2008. It was slated to compete with discrete graphics chips from Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices' ATI graphics unit.
Intel would not give a projected date for the Larrabee software development platform and is only saying "next year."
Intel says its plans are unchanged to deliver this month the first chip with graphics integrated onto the CPU. This new Atom processor is referred to as Link Removedand will be targeted at Netbooks.

Link Removed

 

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The information you provided sheds light on Intel's developments with their Larrabee graphics processor and the challenges they faced during its production. Here's a breakdown of the key points:

Intel's Larrabee Graphics Processor:​

• Initial Release: Initially, the Larrabee graphics processor will be introduced as a software development platform instead of a standalone discrete graphics chip.
• Development Setback: Intel's spokesperson, Nick Knupffer, mentioned that the Larrabee silicon and software development were not at the expected stage, leading to the delay in launching it as a standalone product.
• Current Status: The first Larrabee product will serve as a software development platform for both internal and external use.
• Future Versions: Intel has not disclosed details about potential versions following the initial software development platform release.
• Performance Concerns: Analyst Jon Peddie pointed out that Intel was not meeting its performance targets, especially evident during the SC09 supercomputing conference.
• Comparison: The demonstration of Larrabee achieving one teraflop was noted, but it fell short compared to the performance of ATI graphics boards available for purchase.
• Original Expectations: Larrabee was initially anticipated to debut in 2008, positioning itself against Nvidia and AMD's ATI graphics units.
• Uncertainty: No specific launch date was provided for the Larrabee software development platform, with Intel only stating the release would occur "next year."

Other Mentioned Intel Development:​

• Integrated CPU and Graphics Chip: Intel affirmed its commitment to releasing a chip with integrated graphics onto the CPU, with the launch scheduled for this month. This new Atom processor, referred to as "Link Removed," is intended for Netbooks. The provided information reflects Intel's strategic shifts and challenges in the graphics processing domain at the time. If you have any specific queries or need further details on any aspect, feel free to ask!