At the opening of Saarland University’s Visual Computing Institute, Intel revealed few details about its upcoming Larrabee graphics processor. Larrabee will use 32 x86 processor cores, each of these cores will have its own vector math unit allowing them to process very specialized tasks very efficiently. The design of the new Larrabee graphics processor will also have a pool of cache and memory interface on their edges for giving faster access to the system.

Intel will be moving away from the highly parallel design of present graphics processors by adopting x86 cores for Larrabee. Intel has previously said that they are using the X86 cores to overcome the flexibility problems faces by today’s dedicated graphics chips. The use of x86 cores will give developers a highly programmable graphics architecture that will not only improve graphical capabilities of the system, but also general computing capabilities. Intel initially planned to launch the Larrabee graphics processor in late 2009, but now they are targeting first half of 2010, according to Intel’s Joseph Schultz.

When Intel launches Larrabee, it will join the highly competitive dedicated graphics card market dominated by NVIDIA and ATI. It will be interesting to see what performance improvement Intel brings to the table.
[Via Electronista]