Raja Koduri

Lore & Background

Raja Koduri began his career at S3 Graphics in 1996, then moved to ATI Technologies in 2001 as director of advanced technology development. After AMD acquired ATI in 2006, he served as chief technology officer for graphics at AMD until 2009, contributing to GPU architectures from DirectX 3 through DirectX 11. He then worked at Apple Inc. on graphics hardware, enabling the transition to high-resolution Retina displays for Mac computers. He returned to AMD in 2013 as a vice president in Visual Computing, covering both GPU hardware and software. In 2015, AMD reorganized its graphics division, promoting Koduri to senior vice president and chief architect of the newly formed Radeon Technologies Group, reporting directly to CEO Lisa Su. He led the architecture transformation with Polaris, Vega, and Navi architectures used in PCs, Macs, and game consoles (Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation). In September 2017, Koduri announced a sabbatical, citing the difficult Vega development cycle, but resigned from AMD in November 2017. Intel then appointed him chief architect and senior vice president of the Core and Visual Computing Group, focusing on high-end discrete GPUs. His work led to the August 2021 announcement of Intel's Arc series of consumer GPUs, with the first 'Alchemist' GPUs expected in Q1 2022. In March 2023, he announced he would leave Intel's graphics division to join an AI-focused software startup called Oxmiq Labs.

Reader's Guide

Raja Koduri's significance lies in his architectural leadership across three major graphics hardware companies. At AMD, he oversaw the Radeon Technologies Group's transformation through the Polaris, Vega, and Navi architectures, which were deployed in PCs, Macs, and game consoles such as Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation. His return to AMD in 2013 expanded his role to include both GPU hardware and software, a shift from his earlier focus solely on hardware. At Intel, he was appointed to develop high-end discrete GPUs, culminating in the Arc series announced in August 2021, intended to compete with offerings from AMD and Nvidia. His departure from Intel in March 2023 to an AI-focused startup reflects a pivot toward emerging technology. Additionally, his role as an investor and advisor at Makuta VFX contributed to raising visual effects quality in Indian cinema, notably in films like Eega and the Baahubali series. His career illustrates the evolution of GPU architecture from DirectX 3 through modern discrete graphics.

Did You Know?

• Raja Koduri is a cousin of noted film director S. S. Rajamouli.
• He earned a Master of Technology degree from IIT Kharagpur.
• He led the architecture transformation of AMD's Radeon Technology Group with Polaris, Vega, and Navi architectures.
• He announced his resignation from AMD in November 2017, and Intel announced his appointment the following day.