Just 24 hours after leaving AMD, Intel hires Raja Koduri as lead GPU architect

[William Gayde]

The computer graphics industry has had a very interesting few days. On Monday, Intel and AMD announced a deal to integrate AMD GPUs with Intel SoC's. The next day, Raja Koduri, the head of the Radeon Technologies Group at AMD left the company abruptly. Today we can connect the dots and find out the real reason why.

Intel has hired Raja Koduri to be their very own GPU chief architect.

Koduri's official position will be a Senior VP where he will oversee Intel's Core and Visual Computing Group. He has no shortage of experience, too. Previously Koduri worked as AMD's director of graphics architecture, manager of AMD's graphics business line, and director of graphics architecture at Apple.

The press release from Intel reads:

"Raja is one of the most experienced, innovative and respected graphics and system architecture visionaries in the industry and the latest example of top technical talent to join Intel. We have exciting plans to aggressively expand our computing and graphics capabilities and build on our very strong and broad differentiated IP foundation. With Raja at the helm of our Core and Visual Computing Group, we will add to our portfolio of unmatched capabilities, advance our strategy to lead in computing and graphics, and ultimately be the driving force of the data revolution"

One of Koduri's first tasks will be bringing GPU and advanced computing technology to edge devices like IoT sensors. It appears Intel is looking to add neural network capability to these devices. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Intel is looking to once again enter the discrete GPU market.

Intel's current GPU line is pretty limited. They have integrated graphics with some of their CPUs at the low end, and massively powerful compute cards like the Xeon Phi. Koduri will also be tasked with expanding the middle market to create more a affordable line of consumer graphics cards.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/71802-24-hours-after-leaving-amd-intel-hires-raja.html

 

[psycros]

So the whole partnership on APUs was a Trojan horse to let them cozy up to this guy, eh? Clever. I guess using AMD as your sole integrated graphics solution *would* be tantamount to admitting defeat. Eagerly awaiting Intel's brand new line of TNR (Totally Not Radeon) CPUs.

 

[torchyear]

Puzzling. Didn't AMD just make a big announcement about Ryzen APUs last week? Why shoot themselves in the foot with the Intel iGPU collab?

 

[Evernessince]

So the whole partnership on APUs was a Trojan horse to let them cozy up to this guy, eh? Clever. I guess using AMD as your sole integrated graphics solution *would* be tantamount to admitting defeat. Eagerly awaiting Intel's brand new line of TNR (Totally Not Radeon) CPUs.

I'd just like to point out that Raja has always been more of a driver kind of guy. If you look at his past achievements they are mostly driver related, not hardware. If you look at Fiji and Vega, when he did design hardware it hasn't been good.

 

[cliffordcooley]

Why shoot themselves in the foot with the Intel iGPU collab?

Why would you consider it shooting themselves in the foot? When AMD will be profiting on every Intel CPU that has AMD graphics integrated.

 

[torchyear]

Why shoot themselves in the foot with the Intel iGPU collab?

Why would you consider it shooting themselves in the foot? When AMD will be profiting on every Intel CPU that has AMD graphics integrated.

It would work against them if the hypothetical Intel-AMD APUs directly compete with their own in-house APUs. (Otherwise it wouldn't be an issue if it's for a commodity that doesn't overlap, like the mentioned IoT chips, or if there's some other accounting trickery)

 

[cliffordcooley]

If AMDs market wasn't so small I might would agree. Perhaps the introduction of Ryzen APUs have increased their share, and I'm not giving them enough credit. But at the moment I can only see this marriage as a good thing for AMD. I mean why woudn't it be a good thing if every Intel portable had AMD graphics? And if you think about AMD advertising for the future. What better way is there than using Intel to do it?

 

[Potato Judge]

So it's going to be AMD gpus with a coat of blue paint. XD

 

[Kenrick]

That was so obvious. He should have done that ages ago. I wonder if one man can change entirely Intel's landscape in discrete GPU?

 

[erickmendes]

Why shoot themselves in the foot with the Intel iGPU collab?

Why would you consider it shooting themselves in the foot? When AMD will be profiting on every Intel CPU that has AMD graphics integrated.

It would work against them if the hypothetical Intel-AMD APUs directly compete with their own in-house APUs. (Otherwise it wouldn't be an issue if it's for a commodity that doesn't overlap, like the mentioned IoT chips, or if there's some other accounting trickery)

If AMD sells more GPUs integrated on Intel CPUs, AMD ends up winning somehow. This Intel-AMD partnership could lead to AMD dominating the integrated (on-die) GPU market, at least in the x86 front. Mali and the other I forgot dominates the mobile socs. I believe Intel and AMD is starting to get worried about the mobile socs (Snapdragon is getting over 9000).

 

[Ainominako]

AMD is over . But new Intel's APU maybe until 2021, when 7nm is already prepared. I guess.

 

[Rockstarrrr]

If only Intel would get into GPU market seriously.. Someone needs to challenge nVidia and that is not AMD. Hence the longest period between two GPU generation in history of graphics card industry. nVidia milked Maxwell and Pascal to the max.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

His move has been brewing for months now but I always though there was some sort of "gentleman's agreement" between competitors that you don't poach each others more valuable staff. It looks like Intel are unaware of it much like the Nazi's were unaware of the Geneva Convention treaty that they agreed to and signed. The problem with this is that AMD just does't have the heavy artillery Intel does and they're not in any position to launch a counter offensive.

 

[Vulcanproject]

I am inclined to think this is a move to smooth future AMD graphics collaborations between Intel and AMD. You know, we'll approach a top Radeon guy and employ him to head up these sort of collaborations. He can look at our IGP performance.

However in my dreams it's actually a precursor to intel moving into the discrete GPU market. Intel have tried in the distant past, I remember the rumours of them considering buying Nvidia as a response to AMD snaffling up ATi.

Then the infamous Larrabee debacle we heard so much about 10 years ago. There was always a desire to enter the market but never with a sustained push. Maybe this can be the start of something new?

 

[Uncle Al]

I'm surprised it took 24 hours instead of just 2.4 minutes (time for the ink to dry on the new contract).

 

[wiyosaya]

Typically, an employee of any tech company would have to sign an NDA which would prohibit them from disclosing and using any knowledge gained at the company they are leaving in a similar job at the company they are going to. I would imagine that this applies here. The only exception to this, at least as I see it, might be if there is some sort of licensing agreement between Intel and AMD where Intel could use AMD's tech in their products. Otherwise, any tech drained out of this guy's head at Intel would be instantly up for patent dispute.

That this is a sudden move from AMD leaving Lisa Su in charge is not really surprising given that the recent AMD graphics releases have not been competitive with nVidia. Lisa Su is by all rights a technical wizard, and I am guessing that she was not at all happy with the work coming out of this guy. Of course, this is speculation on my part and we may never know for sure.

In light of the above, Intel hiring him may be their bane if they expect that he is going to be a genius behind some new graphics tech coming out of Intel that is not based on AMD tech. This guy does not have a great track record at AMD, and there is nothing to ensure that his work product will be any better at Intel.

The future will determine whether this is another smart move by AMD. It might be as good for the graphics division as hiring Lisa Su as CEO was for AMD's CPUs.

 

[Footlong]

I'm surprised by the fact that AMD has no competing clause in their contract. When key a person leaves such a huge company it end up taking it's know-how, so they create clauses in their contract that do not allow them to work for their rival for a certain limit of time (usually 1-2 years). The counter part is that they can't be fired without a golden parachute.

 

[Gars]

And where is d/z

talking for the ground changes (this one smells)
ive told you, that the all the rizen is fad to smug intel
intel just pays for that, they cant just buy it, they need a lil bit of conc

the main loser is nvidia and consumers

 

[ddferrari]

And where is d/z

talking for the ground changes (this one smells)
ive told you, that the all the rizen is fad to smug intel
intel just pays for that, they cant just buy it, they need a lil bit of conc

the main loser is nvidia and consumers

UHHHH, WHAT??

 

[JaymondoGB]

Puzzling. Didn't AMD just make a big announcement about Ryzen APUs last week? Why shoot themselves in the foot with the Intel iGPU collab?

AMD response was that these are not competing products.