February 4, 2026
GPU wars: Intel enters, comments explode
Intel will start making GPUs
Fans cheer, skeptics cry reboot, and CUDA looms
TLDR: Intel says it will start making GPUs for gaming and AI, led by new hires and a customer-driven plan. Commenters are split: some welcome competition, others point to Intel’s past pivots and Nvidia’s CUDA software advantage, arguing the real battle isn’t chips but the tools everyone already uses.
Intel’s newest “we’re back” moment: CEO Lip‑Bu Tan told the Cisco AI Summit that Intel will start making graphics chips (GPUs) used for gaming and training AI. The plan is early and “customer‑driven,” with data‑center boss Kevork Kechichian and veteran Eric Demers tapped to lead, per Reuters. Nvidia still rules this arena.
Community mood? Chaotic. One camp is cheering: more players means lower prices and more choice, and Intel’s recent consumer cards were “great value.” Another camp is rubbing temples, asking, “Wait, didn’t Intel already launch Arc?” and wondering if this is just moving production in‑house after using TSMC.
Then came the drama. A top comment rolled out the Intel reboot bingo: Nervana (2016), Habana Gaudi (2019), Ponte Vecchio GPUs (2021), and the “AI PC” push (2023). Translation: people have seen this movie. The spiciest thread insists hardware isn’t the hill to climb; Nvidia’s CUDA—its software toolkit that makes AI work smoothly—remains the moat. One quip: you can build a faster car, but everyone already has a license for the other brand’s roads.
Memes flying: “Deja Vu PC,” “Intel AI speedrun,” and “call me when it beats CUDA.” Hopefuls versus cynics, with popcorn in hand. Perfect.
Key Points
- •Intel announced plans to start producing GPUs, expanding beyond its traditional CPU focus.
- •The announcement was made by CEO Lip-Bu Tan at the Cisco AI Summit.
- •Kevork Kechichian, EVP and GM of Intel’s data center group, will oversee the project, per Reuters.
- •Intel hired Eric Demers in January; he previously served as SVP of engineering at Qualcomm.
- •The initiative is in early stages, with Intel planning to shape its strategy around customer demand, amid Nvidia’s market lead.