Skip to main content

Nvidia Suspends Work on Chipsets for Intel Processors

The legal feud between giant chipmaker Intel and graphics developer Nvidia looks to be taking another ugly turn, as Nvidia says it has suspended development of chipsets for Intel’s current “Nehalem” architecture and future microprocessors based on a similar architecture. The move is a chancy step for Nvidia, which may be hoping to apply pressure on Intel from customers demanding to use Nvidia technology with Intel processors. But it also may mean hard times ahead for Nvidia’s chipset business, which looks to be on track to generate almost a billion dollars in revenue this year.

Nvidia Quadro NVS 5800
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Nvidia’s decision stems from a long-running legal squabble between the two companies: Intel claims that a four-year-old licensing agreement does not apply to Intel processors, like the Nehalem line, that feature integrated memory controller and a new Direct Media Interface (DMI) bus. Nvidia claims the licensing agreement does cover DMI and integrated memory controllers. The companies are suing each other, but until a court interprets the license agreement or the companies come to some sort of settlement, Nvidia feels they cannot invest in developing and marketing chipsets for Intel’s current and forthcoming DMI CPUs.

Recommended Videos

Intel isn’t seeking any damages in its suit, but rather a ruling that Nvidia does not have licenses to the DMI and integrated controller technologies (which did not exist when the agreement was signed). Nvidia suit alleges breach of contract, and thus wants the court to terminate Intel’s licenses to Nvidia patents technology, including 3D rendering and GPU technologies.

If the licensing agreement is terminated or the court rules Nvidia does not have a license to develop chipsets for DMI CPUs, Nvidia may face being locked out of creating graphics solutions for Intel platforms. Similarly, Intel’s chief rival AMD has its own high-performance graphics developer in house—the famously acquired-and-written-down ATI. Although the company is developing its own CPU lines, mobile architectures, and even venturing into supercomputing, the company faces being cut out of a substantial portion of its business in traditional desktop and notebook computing.

The case is likely to go before a Delaware court next year.

Geoff Duncan
Former Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
Tariffs tanking the dollar are helping GPU prices in Europe
Several AMD RX 9000 series graphics cards.

Graphics card prices have been insane for most of this year making it hard to find anything in stock, let alone at a fair price. In Europe though, we're starting to see prices fall to more affordable levels, and it's not just because Nvidia and AMD are launching more entry-level cards. The Trump tariffs and poor economic management are tanking the value of the dollar, making GPUs much cheaper for everyone outside the US.

We all want a strong dollar, but...

Read more
Nvidia rolls out yet another Hotfix driver to tackle RTX 50-series issues
Nvidia RTX 5080 render

Nvidia has released a new GeForce Hotfix driver, version 576.26, aiming to fix a fresh batch of bugs affecting its latest RTX 50-series graphics cards. This fix comes shortly after recent patches, indicating Nvidia's ongoing efforts to refine the experience for early users of its latest GPU lineup.

The 576.26 driver update is said to address several issues across both games and display configurations. One notable fix resolves a crash in Black Myth: Wukong, specifically during the character’s transformation sequence. Nvidia has also patched display flickering in Resident Evil 4 Remake, a problem that had been affecting gameplay immersion for some users. Additionally, the update tackles a problem with DisplayPort 2.1 mode when HDR is enabled on certain LG UltraGear monitors, where the display would fail to wake after the monitor entered standby.

Read more
Watch this PC modder turn an Intel heatspreader into the coolest water block ever
Intel CPUs with CNC-machined heat-spreaders for waterbook cooling experiment

In one of the most inventive PC mods we've seen this year, Chinese YouTuber octppus has pulled off a wild engineering feat by transforming the heatspreader (IHS) of an Intel Core i9-14900KS into a fully functioning water block.

Instead of strapping a conventional cooler onto the processor, the YouTuber took matters into his own hands (and his CNC machine). By precisely carving a network of microchannels directly into the CPU’s integrated IHS, he allowed coolant to flow right across the surface that matters most, the processor die itself. 

Read more