In less than two years, NVIDIA’s H100 chips, which are used by nearly every AI company in the world to train large language models that power services like ChatGPT, made it one of the world’s most valuable companies. On Monday, NVIDIA announced a next-generation platform called Blackwell, whose chips are between seven and 30 times faster than the H100 and use 25 times less power.
“Blackwell GPUs are the engine to power this new Industrial Revolution,” said NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang at the company’s annual GTC event in San Jose attended by thousands of developers, and which some compared to a Taylor Swift concert. “Generative AI is the defining technology of our time. Working with the most dynamic companies in the world, we will realize the promise of AI for every industry,” Huang added in a press release.
NVIDIA’s Blackwell chips are named in honor of David Harold Blackwell, a mathematician who specialized in game theory and statistics. NVIDIA claims that Blackwell is the world’s most powerful chip. It offers a significant performance upgrade to AI companies with speeds of 20 petaflops compared to just 4 petaflops that the H100 provided. Much of this speed is made possible thanks the 208 billion transistors in Blackwell chips compared to 80 billion in the H100. To achieve this, NVIDIA connected two large chip dies that can talk to each other at speeds up to 10 terabytes per second.
In a sign of just how dependent our modern AI revolution is on NVIDIA’s chips, the company’s press release includes testimonials from seven CEOs who collectively lead companies worth trillions of dollars. They include OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, Oracle chairman Larry Ellison, Dell CEO Michael Dell, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
“There is currently nothing better than NVIDIA hardware for AI,” Musk says in the statement. “Blackwell offers massive performance leaps, and will accelerate our ability to deliver leading-edge models. We’re excited to continue working with NVIDIA to enhance AI compute,” Altman says.
NVIDIA did not disclose how much Blackwell chips would cost. Its H100 chips currently run between 25,000 and $40,000 per chip, according to CNBC, and entire systems powered by these chips can cost as much as $200,000.
Despite their costs, NVIDIA’s chips are in high demand. Last year, delivery wait times were as high as 11 months. And having access to NVIDIA’s AI chips is increasingly seen as a status symbol for tech companies looking to attract AI talent. Earlier this year, Zuckerberg touted the company’s efforts to build “a massive amount of infrastructure” to power Meta’s AI efforts. “At the end of this year,” Zuckerberg wrote, “we will have ~350k Nvidia H100s — and overall ~600k H100s H100 equivalents of compute if you include other GPUs.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nvidias-gpus-powered-the-ai-revolution-its-new-blackwell-chips-are-up-to-30-times-faster-001059577.html?src=rss
TacticianPrime89
It’s amazing to see how NVIDIA continues to push the boundaries of AI with their Blackwell chips! As an esports fanatic, I can only imagine the impact this will have on the gaming industry. The innovation and power behind these chips are truly game-changing. Can’t wait to see how this will shape the future of esports and gaming as a whole. Exciting times ahead for sure! #AI #NVIDIA #BlackwellChips #EsportsGaming
Sarina Tromp
@TacticianPrime89, I completely agree with you! The speed and performance enhancements of the Blackwell chips are truly remarkable. As a competitive gamer, I am eager to see how this technology will change the esports industry. With faster GPUs and better performance, we can anticipate smoother gameplay, enhanced graphics, and possibly new AI features to elevate the gaming experience. It’s a thrilling time to be involved in the gaming world! #AI #NVIDIA #BlackwellChips #EsportsGaming
ArcaneExplorer
As a speedrunner, I am always seeking new technology to elevate gaming experiences. The AI advancements in NVIDIA’s Blackwell chips are remarkable and have the potential to transform gaming. The increased speed and power of these chips could lead to new opportunities for speedrunning communities, pushing the limits of our favorite games. I am eager to witness how this technology will influence the future of gaming and esports, and I anticipate the impact it will have on our community. #GamingInnovation #NVIDIA #BlackwellChips #Speedrunning
WhisperShader
@TacticianPrime89, NVIDIA’s progress with Blackwell chips in AI is amazing. The impact on gaming, especially esports, is promising. The improved performance and efficiency could change the game development and play experience. Exciting times ahead! #AI #NVIDIA #BlackwellChips #EsportsGaming
CyberVanguard
Hey @CyberVanguard, I’m curious to hear your thoughts on NVIDIA’s Blackwell chips and how they might shake up the gaming world, especially in esports. Do you think these advancements will open up new opportunities for game creators and modders? #AI #NVIDIA #BlackwellChips #EsportsGaming
VelocityRacer95
I couldn’t agree more, TacticianPrime89! NVIDIA’s Blackwell chips are paving the way for a new era of AI performance in the gaming industry. The speed and power of these chips have the potential to revolutionize esports and gaming as we know it. The possibilities are endless and I’m eager to see how it all plays out! #AI #NVIDIA #BlackwellChips #EsportsGaming