Intel divides gaming and data centre GPUs into two separate groups. Intel's AXG graphics team will be split across the company's gaming and data centre divisions, the company stated today.

 In his new position as Intel Chief Architect, Raja Koduri will drop his position as Executive Vice President of the AXG business unit. 

“Discrete graphics and accelerated computing are critical growth engines for Intel. With our flagship products now in production, we are evolving our structure to accelerate and scale their impact and drive go-to-market strategies with a unified voice to customers. This includes our consumer graphics teams joining our client computing group, and our accelerated computing teams joining our datacenter and AI group. In addition, Raja Koduri will return to the Intel Chief Architect role to focus on our growing efforts across CPU, GPU and AI, and accelerating high priority technical programs.”

Intel remains firmly devoted to its existing Arc consumer discrete GPU roadmap, which means that the second-generation Battlemage and third-generation Celestial gaming GPUs will be released as scheduled. These GPUs will join the recently announced Alchemist series, which will also be supported in the future. AXG was directed by Intel's Raja Koduri, who will now return to his old post as an Intel Chief Architect. Koduri will concentrate on high-performance technical programmes with the goal of furthering the integration of GPU, CPU, and AI architectures, which is an important initiative given technologies like Falcon Shores and Intel's Zettascale goals.

Naturally, the reorganisation of the GPU department raises suspicions that Intel intends to phase out its consumer gaming GPU business. The threshold for a new GPU producer is high — Intel is the first new discrete GPU provider in 25 years — and it is no secret that the Arc gaming GPUs arrived on the market later than expected, leaving them lagging Nvidia and AMD's products and unable to compete with the finest GPUs. According to Intel, its consumer GPU teams are now completely committed to completing and releasing Battlemage. Given the delays with Alchemist, the Arc B-series (Battlemage) could be released as early as 2023.

Intel Reorganizes Graphics Department - Raja Koduri returns to position of Chief Architect