With Intel's cross-licensing deal with Nvidia terminating on March 2017, Intel is now in need of someone who can provide them the technology to prop up the graphics side of their processors. There are circulating rumors that Intel is now striking a deal with its bitter rival AMD to provide them the tech required for Intel's GPU.
This news is unthinkable to many like cats and dogs living in the same house. However, looking further into the deal, it seems fairly understandable on where they are going. It is just like Samsung making the components for iPhone. As long as it is beneficial to both companies, different parts of rival companies can work together in a common goal.
According to PC Games N, the deal was first heard when Chief Editor of computer gaming site HardOCP, Kyle Bennett posted in their forum: "The licensing deal between AMD and Intel is signed and done for putting AMD GPU tech into Intel's iGPU." Considering that Intel has spent of almost 1.5 billion for the Nvidia deal, it seems that Intel is itching to end their contract with Nvidia and is now approaching AMD which is logical, because who else can you turn on to if not Nvidia for GPU tech.
"AMD's GPU technology would be used as part of Intel's integrated GPU (iGPU), but as several outlets have noted, the deal makes sense for other reasons," said Bennett. Though there is no other information supporting Bennett's claim of the deal, a lot of people from the computer community trusts Bennett because he's been in the business for decades and is known to have excellent contacts within AMD, Nvidia and Intel.
However, some reports say that we can't expect Intel to remain this way as this continued cross-licensing deal will make Intel dependent into a competitor company over a very important PC technology. This deal will never end with partnership and much support between the two rivals, they are just teaming up for mutual benefits and that's all.
