The B100 and GB200 GPUs extend beyond typical graphics processors, delving into unconventional graphics capabilities. As data-center accelerators, they handle intricate tasks, particularly advancing innovation in Large Language Models. NVIDIA foresees increasing momentum and seeks to solidify its market share in 2024.
The company affirms the upcoming launch of the B100 GPU in the next year. Recent slides from the SuperComputing 2023 Special Address validate Blackwell’s scheduled debut next year, although this was not explicitly confirmed earlier. Importantly, Blackwell HPC news does not extend to a potential gaming iteration of this architecture; it solely pertains to GB100, the inaugural generation of this architecture.
NVIDIA suggests that the B100 is poised to significantly enhance inference for the GPT-3 model, boasting 178 billion parameters. This advancement is potentially twofold or more compared to the capabilities of the current H200 architecture. It’s crucial to clarify that, despite the explicit focus on Large Language Model (LLM) performance in the graph, this doesn’t automatically equate to a proportional increase in raw compute power unless there’s a substantial improvement in cores and power efficiency—a scenario that seems improbable on such a scale.
Additionally, NVIDIA asserts that the B100 will experience a further surge in memory bandwidth. The existing Hopper GPUs already leverage HBM3e technology, providing up to 4.8 TB/s bandwidth. The upcoming Blackwell chips are anticipated to maintain this technology, potentially incorporating additional stacks and heightened bandwidth. NVIDIA underscores its dedication to designing architectures that anticipate future memory technology support, as evidenced by the integration of HBM3e with GH200 GPUs this year.
NVIDIA has not disclosed any specifics about a potential gaming-oriented Blackwell architecture. Speculation, however, suggests the potential introduction of a new series of GB20x chips for the RTX 50 series, with the exact release timing still undisclosed.
It’s important to highlight that the name “Blackwell” is inspired by David Harold Blackwell, an American statistician and mathematician renowned for contributions to game theory, probability, and information theories. The successor to the Blackwell architecture has not received a name as of now.
Via NVIDIA