Google's tensor processing units (TPUs) stand as one of the few credible alternatives to Nvidia's (NVDA.O) advanced AI chips, although access is limited to Google Cloud Platform users rather than direct purchase.
SAN FRANCISCO: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-April 9th, 2024) Google (GOOGL.O) unveiled the specifications of its latest iteration of data center artificial intelligence chips and introduced a new Arm-based (O9Ty.F) central processor on Tuesday.
Google's tensor processing units (TPUs) stand as one of the few credible alternatives to Nvidia's (NVDA.O) advanced AI chips, although access is limited to Google Cloud Platform users rather than direct purchase.
Google intends to offer the Arm-based central processing unit (CPU), named Axion, through Google Cloud. The company asserts its superior performance compared to x86 chips and standard Arm chips available in the cloud.
"We're simplifying the process for customers to migrate their existing workloads to Arm," stated Mark Lohmeyer, Google Cloud's vice president and general manager of compute and machine learning infrastructure. "Axion is constructed upon open foundations, ensuring seamless adoption for customers using Arm across various platforms without requiring app re-architecture or rewriting."
Competing cloud providers such as Amazon.com and microsoft (MSFT.O) have developed Arm CPUs to distinguish their computing services. While Google has engineered custom chips for YouTube, AI, and smartphones, it had not previously ventured into CPU production.
Broadcom (AVGO.O) collaborated with Google on prior TPU chip generations. Google refrained from commenting on whether a design partner was involved in Axion's development and Broadcom's role in TPU v5p.
The Alphabet subsidiary revealed that the new TPU v5p chip is designed to operate in clusters of 8,960 chips, boasting twice the raw performance of its predecessor. To maintain peak performance, Google employs liquid cooling for the cluster.
Axion chip's performance surpasses standard Arm chips by 30% and current-generation x86 chips from Intel (INTC.O) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD.O) by 50%.
