Back in mid-1990s, when Intel introduced the MMX technology, they claimed 3D accelerators won't be needed, because of the wonders their processors were capable. Well, back in the day, 3dfx proved them wrong, but it seems they didn't quite get the lesson. Now, Intel claims that discrete graphics cards are near the end, once again!


At the Shanghai Intel Developer Forum, Ron Fosner, said multi-core CPUs will end the multi-GPU race, and most people "probably won't need" discrete graphics cards in the not-so-distant future. Ron Fosner is an Intel Graphics and Gaming Technologist, as well as a former video game programmer.

In a demo presented recently, Intel has shown that their upcoming Nehalem processor is capable of rendering impressive graphics in real time, by using eight threads, all the work being the task of the CPU. From now on, Intel says we may get back to the roots, and all the work will be done by the CPUs, just like in the 1980s.

So, should we prepare to move from the "multi-GPU madness" to the "multi-core madness?" After all, both are present already in our lives, and I don't think Intel would say that we won't need graphics cards in the future, if their discrete graphics card business would have been a success so far...or am I wrong here?