Fusion: The Return of the Co-processor or Just a New Home for the IGP?

[ShaidarHaran]

With the recent unveiling that AMD's Fusion will have an R8xx-generation GPU onboard, given enough ALUs and the proper software tools.

Alternately, will CUDA or LRB make Fusion obsolete before it launches?

 

[ninelven]

For the immediate future, it is just a new home for the IGP.

Long term, it is practically impossible to speculate...

 

[hoom]

It seems that Fusion is just an IGP at the moment but back when launched, I was imagining a closer integration with the CPU...

Say, something like a bunch of x86 CPUs, each attached to 16 wide Vector units

 

[Tchock]

It seems that Fusion is just an IGP at the moment but back when launched, I was imagining a closer integration with the CPU...

Say, something like a bunch of x86 CPUs, each attached to 16 wide Vector units

How eeebil.

The first gen Fusion's less primitive than what we assume, though. Memory interface should be unified with the CPU, might have fast, direct access to the CPU (simplest way to connect), so efficiency should be up vs prior IGPs.


@Shaidar
CUDA can't kill anything. LRB might, but I'm not sure the initial focus would be welcome for mass adoption either way.

Fusion's "APU" implementation would probably need a generation or 2 of refinement to be feasible and provide a sizable benefit for the enduser.

 

[ShaidarHaran]

It seems that Fusion is just an IGP at the moment but back when launched, I was imagining a closer integration with the CPU...

Say, something like a bunch of x86 CPUs, each attached to 16 wide Vector units

I was hoping for something similar as well. Perhaps Intel will pull this off with their LRBx86-64 integration.