Nvidia: Nevermind x86, The Future of Supercomputing Is ARM

[beer]

ARM’s built its business around power-efficient chips that are perfect for mobile applications (like tablets and smartphones), but that pedigree could transfer over to another technical arena as well, one that has traditionally been dominated by Intel and AMD: high-powered computing. In fact, Sumit Gupta, who serves as the senior manager of Nvidia’s Tesla GPU Computing HPC business, says that ARM chips are “inherently much more energy efficient than an x86 CPU” – and that fact makes Nvidia feel that the future of supercomputing lies in ARM.

Gupta points out some interesting things to consider. Intel and the x86 architecture arose from computers plugged into sockets, so power wasn’t a major consideration until recently – improving performance in Windows (and other OSes) was. “It’s a terrific processor for everyday computing,” Gupta says. “Not the right device as we go to high performance computing,” which involves less random inputs and much more power consumption. ARM’s power-efficient CPUs, apparently, are the right devices, at least in Nvidia’s eyes – especially when they’re supplemented by Nvidia CUDA GPUs (like the Barcelona Supercomputing Center), of course.

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[Snowdrop]

I'm confused... So future supercomputers will benefit more from using an ARM processor than a x86 processor? :wtf: Shouldn't it be energy is not an issue when it comes to performance?

Since x86 processors have speculative computing and branch prediction, it works better for everyday computing/gaming, I get that point. But OK, drop the processing of random stuff that may be used, and focus more on processing compiled stuff... what's difference between ARM and x86? ARM atm is way slower due to the fact that it bothers with energy consumption. From what I know, supercomputers should be supplied with enough power right? :unsure:

[PrEzi]

What really hurts NV is that they don't have an x86 license (they have tried to obtain one several times without success), so they needed to move on to ARM. And if something is part of your business you are glorifying it above the competition, right ? This is normal I think, but it is pretty silly that they cover it in marketing blabber that much.

[CODYQX4]

I'm confused... So future supercomputers will benefit more from using an ARM processor than a x86 processor? :wtf: Shouldn't it be energy is not an issue when it comes to performance?

Since x86 processors have speculative computing and branch prediction, it works better for everyday computing/gaming, I get that point. But OK, drop the processing of random stuff that may be used, and focus more on processing compiled stuff... what's difference between ARM and x86? ARM atm is way slower due to the fact that it bothers with energy consumption. From what I know, supercomputers should be supplied with enough power right? :unsure:

I'd imagine they can consume millions of dollars of electricity if advanced enough, but yeah I don't see how a weaker architecture would give better performance.