Intel thought it wise to work with former rival AMD, and the result is the 8th-generation Kaby Lake-G CPU. The G stands for AMD GPU.
You read it right. The Intel-AMD partnership will soon see the retailing of Intel Core chips embedded with AMD graphics, specifically the Radeon RX Vega M. The fresh collaboration is envisioned to produce slimmed down notebooks with considerable punch and personal computers in small form-factors but still packing significant power.
The souped up chip, when it becomes available, will see implementation on both the PC and Mac platforms, as well as mobile devices, Intel said.
Immediate Benefits
The Kaby Lake G-series chip construction will custom-pair Intel's Core CPU with the Vega M graphics, linked via the eight-lane PCI Express Gen 3 interface. Part of the processor package is 4 GB of High Bandwidth Memory Gen 2 (HBM2), which Intel said is tapped into the graphics processor through the company's proprietary Embedded Multi-Die Interconnect Bridge (EMIB) technology.
The performance boost is given, but more notable is that the technology will render the use of discrete GPU optional in many cases while gaining some advantages. One is Kaby Lake-G will afford more precious space for device manufacturers to operate with.
"With this space savings, OEMs have more freedom and flexibility to create innovative thin and light devices," Intel said on its press release.
The U.S.-based chipmaker claimed that with the new chip, OEMs gain nearly a half of a device's operating room as opposed to the use of discrete GPUs. This translates to smaller and slimmer notebooks and larger battery packs. The latter benefit, it goes without saying, will deliver longer battery hours in a single charge.
According to Intel, a four-hour laptop use will be bumped by up to eight hours with the added bonus of using a sexier mobile device. Likewise, there will be no compromise on processing capabilities.
Intel will sell the Kaby Lake-G in two main configurations. The lower-spec model will have the RX Vega M GL GPU with the quad-core CPU boasting clock speed of 4.1GHz. This flavor will be in wide deployment for mobile devices.
The more capable Kaby Lake-G variant will come out with an RX Vega M GH GPU and a 4.2GHz chip, also in 4-core. Intel will sell this chip unlocked, which is in line with its statement that the 8th-gen processing chip will be a draw for gamers, content creators, and PC enthusiasts.
Intel has so far withheld information on when the Kaby Lake-G release date is, but reports point to Q1 2018 availability. Similarly, the pricing remains unknown at this time.
The Reason Intel Worked With AMD
Intel collaborating with erstwhile nemesis AMD came as a surprise but the partnership only points to one thing, which is to potentially defeat the current king of GPUs. Judging on the specs provided by Intel to the public, it was clear the Kaby Lake-G is an attempt to shoot down NVIDIA.
