Intel's Crescent Island AI GPU targets Nvidia and AMD with 480GB LPDDR5X plan

Intel says it plans to ship its Crescent Island data-center AI GPU in 2026, positioning it against Nvidia and AMD by focusing on lower memory costs and reduced power needs. The design uses up to 480GB of LPDDR5X and is intended for air-cooled racks, with customer sampling slated for the second half of 2026. The company also links the inference-focused chip push to demand from bitcoin miners shifting data centers toward AI compute.