Nvidia's graphics processing units, or GPUs, are critical to generative AI platforms like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Bard. The company has historically been a leader in the so-called "discrete" or standalone GPU field, but until recently, many consumers thought of GPUs as primarily used for intensive gaming.
The advent of crypto mining and AI has upended that belief, and GPU manufacturers and suppliers, including Nvidia, AMD and TSMC, have seen share prices rise significantly over the last few months. By contrast, Intel, which struggled with inventory issues and development challenges, has been historically focused on the chip market for central processing units, or CPUs. The company hasn't shared, comparatively, in the wave of investor interest.