NVIDIA’s Grace Hopper Sets AI Supercomputing on Fire, Paving Way for New Era

nVidia, a important player in the high-performance computing industry, has made a significant stride towards AI-powered systems with the introduction of its Grace Hopper Superchips. These superchips are now being utilized in nine new supercomputers worldwide, driving a fundamental shift in the field of scientific research and discovery. Collectively, these systems deliver an impressive 200 exaflops, or 200 quintillion calculations per second, of energy-efficient AI processing power.

Among the new supercomputers incorporating NVIDIA’s Grace Hopper Superchips are EXA1-HE in France, developed by CEA and Eviden; Helios at Academic Computer Centre Cyfronet in Poland, created by Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE); Alps at the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre, also from HPE; JUPITER at the Jülich Supercomputing Centre in Germany; DeltaAI at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; and Miyabi at Japan’s Joint Center for Advanced High Performance Computing.

The EXA1-HE supercomputer, a collaboration between CEA and Eviden, was announced in April and is based on Eviden’s BullSequana XH3000 technology. Notably, this architecture features a novel patented warm-water cooling system. The EXA1-HE is equipped with 477 compute nodes powered by Grace Hopper.

Ian Buck, the Vice President of Hyperscale and HPC at NVIDIA, emphasized the impact of AI on various fields, including climate change research and drug discovery. He stated that NVIDIA Grace Hopper-powered systems are becoming indispensable in the realm of high-performance computing due to their ability to drive industry transformation while enhancing energy efficiency.

In addition to the aforementioned supercomputers, Isambard-AI and Isambard 3 from the University of Bristol in the U.K., as well as systems at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Texas Advanced Computing Center in the U.S., are part of the growing wave of NVIDIA ARM-based supercomputers utilizing Grace CPU Superchips and the Grace Hopper platform.

The race to develop more efficient AI-based supercomputers is gaining momentum as countries worldwide recognize the strategic and cultural significance of sovereign AI. These countries are investing in domestically owned and hosted data, infrastructure, and workforces to foster innovation.

NVIDIA’s GH200, a combination of the Arm-based NVIDIA Grace CPU and NVIDIA Hopper GPU architectures using NVIDIA NVLink – C2C interconnect technology, serves as the driving force behind scientific supercomputing centers globally. Many centers are aiming to transition from system installation to real scientific breakthroughs in a matter of months rather than years.

The first phase of Isambard-AI, featuring an HPE Cray EX2500 supercomputer equipped with 168 NVIDIA GH200 Superchips, is one of the most efficient supercomputers ever built. The University of Bristol’s National Composites Centre will receive an additional 5,280 NVIDIA Grace Hopper Superchips this summer, resulting in a performance increase of approximately 32 times.

Simon McIntosh-Smith, a professor of high-performance computing at the University of Bristol, expressed his belief that Isambard-AI positions the U.K. as a global leader in AI. He stated that this project, completed in record time with the collaboration of NVIDIA, will significantly enhance performance and advance data analytics, drug discovery, climate research, and more.

NVIDIA’s accelerated computing platform encompasses various components, including NVIDIA Hopper architecture-based GPUs, NVIDIA Grace CPU Superchips, NVIDIA Grace Hopper Superchips, NVIDIA Quantum-2 InfiniBand networking, and a comprehensive suite of NVIDIA AI and HPC software. This powerful combination accelerates scientific discovery and propels the field of high-performance computing forward.

Background Information

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About ARM: ARM, originally known as Acorn RISC Machine, is a British semiconductor and software design company that specializes in creating energy-efficient microprocessors, system-on-chip (SoC) designs, and related technologies. Founded in 1990, ARM has become a important player in the global semiconductor industry and is widely recognized for its contributions to mobile computing, embedded systems, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. ARM's microprocessor designs are based on the Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) architecture, which prioritizes simplicity and efficiency in instruction execution. This approach has enabled ARM to produce highly efficient and power-saving processors that are used in a vast array of devices, ranging from smartphones and tablets to IoT devices, smart TVs, and more. The company does not manufacture its own chips but licenses its processor designs and intellectual property to a wide range of manufacturers, including Qualcomm, Apple, Samsung, and NVIDIA, who then integrate ARM's technology into their own SoCs. This licensing model has contributed to ARM's widespread adoption and influence across various industries.

  

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About nVidia: NVIDIA has firmly established itself as a leader in the realm of client computing, continuously pushing the boundaries of innovation in graphics and AI technologies. With a deep commitment to enhancing user experiences, NVIDIA's client computing business focuses on delivering solutions that power everything from gaming and creative workloads to enterprise applications. for its GeForce graphics cards, the company has redefined high-performance gaming, setting industry standards for realistic visuals, fluid frame rates, and immersive experiences. Complementing its gaming expertise, NVIDIA's Quadro and NVIDIA RTX graphics cards cater to professionals in design, content creation, and scientific fields, enabling real-time ray tracing and AI-driven workflows that elevate productivity and creativity to unprecedented heights. By seamlessly integrating graphics, AI, and software, NVIDIA continues to shape the landscape of client computing, fostering innovation and immersive interactions in a rapidly evolving digital world.

  

Technology Explained

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CPU: The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is the brain of a computer, responsible for executing instructions and performing calculations. It is the most important component of a computer system, as it is responsible for controlling all other components. CPUs are used in a wide range of applications, from desktop computers to mobile devices, gaming consoles, and even supercomputers. CPUs are used to process data, execute instructions, and control the flow of information within a computer system. They are also used to control the input and output of data, as well as to store and retrieve data from memory. CPUs are essential for the functioning of any computer system, and their applications in the computer industry are vast.

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GPU: GPU stands for Graphics Processing Unit and is a specialized type of processor designed to handle graphics-intensive tasks. It is used in the computer industry to render images, videos, and 3D graphics. GPUs are used in gaming consoles, PCs, and mobile devices to provide a smooth and immersive gaming experience. They are also used in the medical field to create 3D models of organs and tissues, and in the automotive industry to create virtual prototypes of cars. GPUs are also used in the field of artificial intelligence to process large amounts of data and create complex models. GPUs are becoming increasingly important in the computer industry as they are able to process large amounts of data quickly and efficiently.

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HPC: HPC, or High Performance Computing, is a type of technology that allows computers to perform complex calculations and process large amounts of data at incredibly high speeds. This is achieved through the use of specialized hardware and software, such as supercomputers and parallel processing techniques. In the computer industry, HPC has a wide range of applications, from weather forecasting and scientific research to financial modeling and artificial intelligence. It enables researchers and businesses to tackle complex problems and analyze vast amounts of data in a fraction of the time it would take with traditional computing methods. HPC has revolutionized the way we approach data analysis and has opened up new possibilities for innovation and discovery in various fields.