Two competitors in the microelectronics market decided to join their forces and produce something the world hasn’t seen before. Intel and AMD united to create a processor based on Intel CPU and AMD GPU with HBM2 memory on a single chip. The creators believe that such hybrid will become an excellent solution for gaming laptops, which will allow them to be lighter and thinner.
Intel-AMD hybrids are conceived as the next step of evolution for mobile processors Intel Core H-series. Current Intel Core H has about 45Wt heat generation; they are based on Kaby Lake design and come with GT2 graphics chip. With the appearance of built-in Radeon graphics, Intel will have an access to a more advanced solution, which can be used in gaming laptops without the need of adding a discrete graphics chip. However, it is promised that the hybrid will operate as a monolithic chip and support all associated functions such as energy saving.
The current review is quite sketchy and no specific information is yet available. Yet, Intel said that it won’t be the cheapest solution, so there will be no direct rivalry with AMD Raven Ridge, which is designed for low-cost computers. It is expected that we will see the first hybrids on the market in the first quarter of 2018.