Despite Competing! Nvidia Starts Eyeing Intel To Build GPUs

Nvidia is eyeing Intel for GPU manufacture in the future. (photo: doc. Intel)

JAKARTA - Nvidia seems to be eyeing Intel for GPU manufacture in the future. Seen when Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang considered using Intel's foundry to make some of its chips.

In fact, Intel is now a direct competitor to Nvidia both in terms of CPU and GPU, but Huang also explained that Intel and AMD have known Nvidia's secret roadmap for years, so he's not afraid to share more information.

"Our strategy is to expand our supply base with diversity and redundancy at every layer. At the chip layer, at the substrate layer, at the system layer, at every layer. We have diversified the number of nodes, we have diversified the number of castings, and Intel is our partner who very good. They are interested in us using their foundry, and we are very interested in exploring it," said Huang.

Huang explained that operating as a foundry was very different from operating as a standard product-oriented company like Intel.

"I was encouraged by the work being done at Intel, I think this is the direction they should be going, and we were interested to see their process technology. We have a long relationship with Intel, we work with them all over the world. Many different areas, every PC, every laptop, every PC, supercomputer, we collaborate." said Huang.

Huang said that using Intel as a foundry service partner would still take a long time. Because, there are many aspects that must be prepared in advance.

“Discussion casting takes a long time, and it's not just about desire. We must harmonize technology, business models must be aligned, capacities must be harmonized, operating processes and the nature of the two companies must be harmonized," Huang explained.

In addition, according to Huang it is really about supply chain integration. The partnership with TSMC and Samsung in recent years is something that took years too to cultivate.

"So we're very open-minded to considering Intel, and I'm happy with the effort they're putting in," said Huang.

Launching Tom's Hardware, Thursday, March 24, it is known, Intel is now making GPUs, and Nvidia is now making GPUs, meaning that the two companies will now compete directly in several market segments. What's more, Intel already knows Nvidia's roadmap.

"We have worked closely with Intel, sharing with them our roadmap long before we shared it publicly, for years. Secrets for years. Even AMD has known our secrets for years," said Huang.

"But we are sophisticated and mature enough to realize that we have to collaborate. We share a roadmap, of course, under secrecy and very selective communication channels. The industry is just learning how to work that way."

On the one hand, Nvidia does compete with many companies, but it is also heavily partnered with and dependent on them.

"As I mentioned, if it weren't for the AMD CPUs in DGX, we couldn't ship the DGX. If it weren't for the Intel CPUs and all the hyperscalers connected to our HGX, we wouldn't be able to ship HGX. And if it weren't for the Intel CPUs in the Omniverse computers. we will come, we will not be able to do digital twin simulations that rely heavily on singles," said Huang.

Lastly, Huang said there is nothing to be afraid of when Nvidia is dealing with its partners, let alone being paranoid.

"It turns out that paranoia is just paranoia. There's nothing to be afraid of. We try to rely on them, tell them we rely on them, trust them, and tell them we trust them. So far it's been going pretty well," Huang concluded.