In the ever-evolving landscape of virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), Intel introduces a game-changing solution to a prevalent pain point – the burden of GPU licensing fees. As businesses increasingly rely on VDI systems to provide cost-effective access to vital applications and services from remote locations, the demand for GPU-powered virtual desktops is soaring. However, the associated licensing costs have been a significant barrier. Enter Intel’s Flex GPU family, designed to revolutionize the VDI landscape.
Engineered specifically for VMware ESXi environments and seamlessly integrated with the VMware Horizon connection manager, Intel’s Flex GPUs are here to offer a refreshing perspective – the absence of hidden virtualization licensing fees.
Intel presents two configurations of these license fee-free Flex GPUs, tailored to cater to diverse VDI needs. The Intel Data Center GPU Flex 140, a 75W single-width PCIe Gen 4 add-in, boasts 12GB GDDR memory and a peak computing power of 8 TFLOPS. On the other hand, the Intel Data Center GPU Flex 170, with a power rating of 150W and 16GB of memory, surges to 16 TFLOPS.
The Flex 140 is equipped to support up to 12 VDI sessions per GPU, while the Flex 170 elevates this capacity to 16, as validated by Intel’s rigorous testing procedures.
But the Flex GPUs don’t stop there. They also introduce ray tracing, a cutting-edge graphics technology, and a groundbreaking feature – a built-in AV1 encoder, making them the world’s first GPUs with this capability. This encoder significantly enhances image efficiency in AVC and HEVC formats, translating into a remarkable 30% improvement in bandwidth utilization.
A crucial development worth noting is VMware’s commitment to supporting Flex GPUs within its VMware Horizon VDI service. Intel made this announcement at its Intel Innovation 2023 event, signifying a substantial stride toward an era where VDI GPU licensing fees will no longer pose a barrier to organizations looking to empower remote workers with resource-intensive virtual desktop solutions.
