Intel prepping code for multi-GPU configurations with Xe and IGP

Phoronix reports Intel finished some more code for next month's release of the Linux 5.5 kernel. Besides continued work on the Tiger Lake Gen12 and Xe graphics, the site also spotted code that enables certain multi-GPU functionalities. There are some bits of code that show support for multi-GPU cases where a user has both an Intel IGP and a discrete Xe card:

We have seen random kernel patches previously that cite Intel multi-GPU systems where there may be Intel integrated graphics but also the possibility of discrete Intel graphics, which obviously isn't possible right now but will soon be the case with the "Xe Graphics" adapters expected to launch in 2020. The latest on the Intel multi-GPU front is a perf PMU (Processor Monitoring Unit) bit of code for handling the Intel iGPU+discrete use-case. Nothing too exciting by itself, but just another example showing Intel getting ready for their multi-GPU future capabilities.

At this point, it's unknown whether Intel plans to offer something similar to SLI and CrossFire. NVIDIA and AMD have pretty much given up on those technologies so it would be weird to see a big multi-GPU push from Intel. Features for the combined use of integrated and discrete graphics do make a lot of sense though.