IMG confirm that Intel is using SGX

Intel and Nokia Announce Strategic Relationship
Full press release here:-
http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/20090623corp_b.htm?iid=pr1_releasepri_20090623rb

Vague and aspirational, but if any end product comes from it, it'll probably be good for IMG. The losers are likely to be ARM and possibly Symbian.

NOKIA has always been trying to not depend on only one supplier. If NOKIA is truly looking into entering markets above smartphones it could very well be that Intel is a lot closer in having SoCs ready with SGX54x integrated than TI's OMAP4.
 
By-the-By, Intel just bought ANOTHER 4.85M shares in IMG, they now own just over 16% of IMG.
Why the hell is Intel doing this? Right now they really don't take advantage of IMG hardware and for the future they are working on their own GPUs (plus SIMD Accelerator etc.).
 
the IMG Financial Highlights are out http://www.imgtec.com/corporate/newsdetail.asp?NewsID=472

Pre-tax profit* jumps 56% to £5m and chip unit volume up 83% to 86m

* 12 major agreements involving over 25 silicon IP core licences
o Strategically and financially important deals with Apple, Intel, MediaTek, NXP, Samsung, Sigma Designs, SiRF, and Toumaz as well as a significant agreement with a second major international OEM
 
NOKIA has always been trying to not depend on only one supplier. If NOKIA is truly looking into entering markets above smartphones it could very well be that Intel is a lot closer in having SoCs ready with SGX54x integrated than TI's OMAP4.
Indeed, Nokia always try to get different suppliers. The problem with going with Intel is that only Intel controls Atom core. With ARM at least they can put ST vs TI vs Samsung vs etc.
 
The number of suppliers, platforms, and OSes at Nokia is really spiraling out of control. Even with their massive scale, I don't buy that they can justify this insane lack of focus. Sorry for being such a party pooper, but it reminds me of one thing and one thing only: Motorola, exactly three years ago. It is noteworthy that according to Qualcomm, Nokia is now behind Samsung for 3G phones. So it would seem much of their current power comes from their amazing position (well earned, IMO) in emerging markets and 2G phones in general.

Regarding IMG: Very impressive, good to see it's all finally paying off :) (not saying it wasn't before, but it'd be hard to argue that these results and especially these forecasts and statements aren't the future aren't extremely positive)
 
Why the hell is Intel doing this? Right now they really don't take advantage of IMG hardware and for the future they are working on their own GPUs (plus SIMD Accelerator etc.).


Havn't seen anything to suggest that Larabee can address the power/performance/die space in the way that IMG can. Have seen anything to the contrary either, but perhaps thats the issue. Also

Finanicials from IMG today suggest a move into Laptop and PC space with intel (previously only netbook and mids were referred to).

This would encourage me in the belief that pinetrail does indeed have SGX graphics, and that a nehalem based variant will have on chip/die SGX too.
 
Why the hell is Intel doing this? Right now they really don't take advantage of IMG hardware and for the future they are working on their own GPUs (plus SIMD Accelerator etc.).

In what regard isn't Intel taking advantage of IMG's IP?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerVR

see the list of devices for the GMA500/Poulsbo alone.

And that's not even taking into account any upcoming SoCs with >SGX535 as found in Poulsbo.

Yes they're working on "high end" GPUs with LRB but Intel would be extremely dumb if they'd try to embed even one LRB core with its current power consumption and die area into an SoC and that SIMD accelerator has been defined to be a graphics core per se or just an advanced multimedia accelerator?


Just for the record's sake from IMG's final results:

Mobile Computing (MID, UMPC, Netbook devices) - Imagination’s partnership with Intel in the personal computing/UMPC and MID segment has progressed to plan with shipment of the Intel® Atom™ Z range of products that deploy Imagination’s graphics and video technologies. This solution
has already secured many OEM design wins with over 70 products shipping or announced. The partnership with Intel continues strong and with a wider co-operation scope with several significant projects underway.
 
Indeed, Nokia always try to get different suppliers. The problem with going with Intel is that only Intel controls Atom core. With ARM at least they can put ST vs TI vs Samsung vs etc.

Yes but as I said assuming that NOKIA truly wants an SoC for a bigger device than a smartphone and Intel probably being faster done with something more powerful than OMAP3/SGX530, Intel would be the more obvious choice since it'll still take some more time for OMAP4 from TI as an example.
 
In what regard isn't Intel taking advantage of IMG's IP?
What I meant is that they only use SGX in an Atom version that sells very little compared to the other Atoms with Intel GPUs (which Intel is keeping around another year). And the SGX that they are selling are so badly supported that it's not even worth mentioning (drivers that are just good enough to run windows compared to what the SGX could really do).
 
What I meant is that they only use SGX in an Atom version that sells very little compared to the other Atoms with Intel GPUs (which Intel is keeping around another year). And the SGX that they are selling are so badly supported that it's not even worth mentioning (drivers that are just good enough to run windows compared to what the SGX could really do).

SGX is also used in Canmore CE3100. It will also feature in Moorestown and Medfield, likely pinetrail, and possibly a Nehalem variant.

MBX has previously featured in the CE2110 and the 2700G (now sold to Marvell)

The Intel/IMG relation is only at the beginning, putting AI into small platforms only started a year or so ago.

The latest Win7/Vista drivers apparantly are being MUCH better received in some quarters.
 
What I meant is that they only use SGX in an Atom version that sells very little compared to the other Atoms with Intel GPUs (which Intel is keeping around another year).

And in which other coming SoCs are they going to deploy further SGX variants?

And the SGX that they are selling are so badly supported that it's not even worth mentioning (drivers that are just good enough to run windows compared to what the SGX could really do).

That's something to blame Intel for; drivers are being supplied for Intel from Tungsten graphics while PowerVR has reference drivers for their IP that show far higher performance. Word has it that Tungsten isn't using the onboard firmware of the chip and it naturally falls back to software rendering.

How well do you know actually Intel and their driver quality for their own IGPs on the other hand? In other words it isn't a problem that's exclusive to SGX or any other graphics processor up to now sold from Intel. It's a problem that's there for years and it has absolutely nothing to do with what Intel will continue to use in future SoCs or if Intel choses to invest in Imagination Technologies.

One step further when Intel LRB's long chain of delays finally ends and the GPU finally hits shelves I honestly hope they will have changed their philosophy.
 
the IMG Financial Highlights are out http://www.imgtec.com/corporate/newsdetail.asp?NewsID=472

Pre-tax profit* jumps 56% to £5m and chip unit volume up 83% to 86m

* 12 major agreements involving over 25 silicon IP core licences
o Strategically and financially important deals with Apple, Intel, MediaTek, NXP, Samsung, Sigma Designs, SiRF, and Toumaz as well as a significant agreement with a second major international OEM

SEGA?

There are rumours going around that SEGA may be working on a handheld.
 
How well do you know actually Intel and their driver quality for their own IGPs on the other hand? In other words it isn't a problem that's exclusive to SGX or any other graphics processor up to now sold from Intel. It's a problem that's there for years and it has absolutely nothing to do with what Intel will continue to use in future SoCs or if Intel choses to invest in Imagination Technologies.
intel have different departments providing support for different intel GPUs. for instance, their current (oss) support for the gma4500 line (g45 & co) is outstanding - it's among the poster drivers in the DRI2 tree. in contrast, last time i checked gma500, it was more-or-less left on auto-pilot (read: was using a premordial tungsten edge for the 3d part).

i'm glad to see intel being so committed to using the SGX architecture, but their left and right hands need to work toward the common goal before you call intel's SGX integrations a viable product.
 
SEGA?

There are rumours going around that SEGA may be working on a handheld.

Sega could be working on something, but the RNS from IMG stated the licence was from a "major international consumer electronics company". Given that Sega havn't made any hardware in years, I don't think you could describe them as such.

Think Sony.
 
By-the-By, Intel just bought ANOTHER 4.85M shares in IMG, they now own just over 16% of IMG.
And there it is:
Apple Inc. is subscribing for 2,200,000 new shares of Imagination Technologies Group plc (LSE: IMG) at £ 1.4275 per share, the mid market close price on 25 June 2009, subject only to listing and admission of the new shares. Apple is a licensee of Imagination's technology. Following the share placement and recent share purchases that Apple has notified IMG that it has made in the open market, Apple will have an ownership interest of 9.5%.
http://www.imgtec.com/corporate/newsdetail.asp?NewsID=473

I thought Apple would buy more, but better than nothing :)
 
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