And the Pressure Mounted on Graphics Processor Manufacturers

Swaying Reports

Competition has recently become fiercest among computer processors between AMD and Intel, as the reports of numbers sway and tilt between them with all lightness and delicacy. At times the upper hand goes to AMD by a large margin, and sometimes to Intel. But this is not our topic, for just as the competition is fierce between Intel and AMD, the latter is in an even more ferocious and intense competition with the giant of graphics processors, Nvidia, which has spared no effort in responding to all attacks. Here too, the competition reports have begun to sway for the first time in a long time, and this bodes well for this important, sensitive industry upon which much is built, as is the case now.

An Introduction to Graphics Processors and Their Uses

Some may not know the role and extent of the importance of graphics processors and how they will contribute directly and indirectly to the coming stage of computing, virtual, augmented, and hybrid worlds, as well as the development of films, games, engineering, photography, geographic systems, military and security systems, and a great deal more. These processors are responsible for converting all this enormous amount of information, in its full precision and with the detail of its data, into a visual world that includes all the details with the most precise sizes, colors, and motion. If we look at these technologies just 10 years ago, we find that a great deal has changed and developed in these technologies.

What Distinguishes These Processors?

The uses of graphics processors in electronic games naturally require an enormous number of small cores that process a huge amount of data at the same time, and the number of cores may reach more than 3,500 cores, while computer processors (CPUs) in Intel today do not exceed 48 cores, while in AMD they reach 64 cores and perhaps more in the newer versions of both. But there is a vast difference between these numbers and the number of cores in graphics processors, because each of them has a task different from the other—let us imagine: the central data processor can be classified as the manager, and the graphics processor, due to its many cores and the amount of data it can execute, can be classified as the employees.

Modern Uses

These processors have moved from being an additional piece for running electronic games on computers to being essential processors in analyzing data, massive numbers, and complex, lengthy computational operations, as well as machine learning systems, artificial intelligence, and the virtual and augmented world. Among these is monitoring routine changes in security systems using the most complex machine-learning algorithms, through which it detects whether anything abnormal has occurred, such as a car driving in the wrong direction, the occurrence of a brawl, a traffic accident, someone falling down the stairs, or simply leaving a bag, parking incorrectly, and other related matters.

Other Applications

Among the important applications in the use of graphics processors are the self-driving of cars and machines in general, as well as computer vision, the analysis and recognition of sounds, the analysis of chronic diseases and medicines, the processing and streaming of videos, video analysis and editing, three-dimensional systems and animation, and the creation of games and virtual worlds.

Intel's Entry into the Battlefield Between AMD and Nvidia

Demand is continuously increasing for graphics processors, and Intel recently entered timidly with its first graphics processor. Unfortunately, in my opinion, I see it as a late entry and far below the required level. But to take notice late is better than wandering forever, and I believe their situation will improve soon, as we hope, given the many changes that have occurred with them administratively. What is truly annoying is the domination of an official over the company who bleeds and destroys it with his decisions, as happened with several giant technology companies, and this is what annoys technologists the most.

A Close Look at the Latest Processors

The arena was empty for Nvidia, and it was in fact competing with itself, asking what it should add in the coming year so that people would buy its devices anew. But the constancy of a state is impossible, and here we see AMD returning strongly with several processors that we can easily recommend, given the difference in price and the very strong performance, such as the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, which outperforms several Nvidia processors, including the RTX 2060 super, according to experiments from "Tom's Hardware" and many others, until the latter realized that play and comfort were gone and that the time had come for resolve, taking measures and precautions and releasing a surprise update for the devices and the series as a whole in an attempt to rein in AMD, and it managed to do so in its most powerful processors such as the 2080 and the new super processors such as the 3080, into which many boosts in power were pumped and its price reduced, in fierce and direct competition. AMD is now preparing to respond with its anticipated processor, the RX 6900 XT, with ray tracing technology, which will undoubtedly be something distinctive that increases the intensity of competition and opens several fields away from monopoly.

Graphics Processors on Demand

The number of websites that provide the possibility of cloud computing for statistical data and others that rely on an enormous amount of information requiring the availability of a series of graphics processors to execute the task has increased. Undoubtedly, the prices are very high, given that these parts are high-priced, and providing them for such work is costly for the providers of such services. Unfortunately, such services are not available locally despite their importance.