Latest news with #GraceCPU
Malaysian Reserve
5 days ago
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
Why is Nvidia the king of AI chips, and can it last?
INVESTORS poured money into Nvidia Corp and made it the world's most valuable chipmaker, convinced that its lead in artificial intelligence (AI) computing would deliver riches. Attention has now shifted to whether AI itself will pay off for companies investing tens of billions of dollars in the vast data centres required to power it. For now, Nvidia remains the preeminent picks-and-shovels seller in an AI gold rush. Revenue is still soaring, and the orderbook for the company's accelerator chips is bulging. The company's continued success depends on CEO Jensen Huang's ability to manage a myriad of challenges. Huang is pushing forward the capability of his chips to prove to his biggest customers, including Microsoft Corp and Inc, that the products are the best they can get. That's doubly important because those companies are developing in-house technology that could eventually replace some of Nvidia's less-advanced semiconductors. He's trying to help a broader range of companies to more easily use AI computing in their businesses, while navigating geopolitical tensions that threaten to cut Nvidia off from major global markets. Here's a look at what's been driving Nvidia's spectacular growth and the challenges ahead. What are Nvidia's most popular AI chips? The current moneymaker is the Hopper H100, the name of which is a nod to computer science pioneer Grace Hopper. It's a beefier version of a graphics processing unit that originated in personal computers used by video gamers. Hopper is being replaced at the top of the lineup with the Blackwell range, named for mathematician David Blackwell. Both Hopper and Blackwell include technology that turns clusters of computers that use Nvidia chips into single units that can process vast volumes of data and make computations at high speeds. That makes them a perfect fit for the power-intensive task of training the neural networks that underpin the latest generation of AI products. Founded in 1993, Nvidia pioneered this market with investments dating back more than a decade, when it bet that the ability to do work in parallel would one day make its chips valuable in applications outside of gaming. The Santa Clara, California-based company will sell the Blackwell products in a variety of options, including as part of the GB200 superchip, which combines two Blackwell GPUs with one Grace CPU, a general-purpose central processing unit. (The Grace CPU is also named for Grace Hopper.) Why are Nvidia's AI chips special? So-called generative AI platforms learn tasks such as translating text, summarising reports and synthesising images by ingesting vast quantities of preexisting material. The more they absorb, the better they perform. They develop through trial and error, making billions of attempts to achieve proficiency and sucking up huge amounts of computing power along the way. Blackwell delivers 2.5 times Hopper's performance in training AI, according to Nvidia. The new design has so many transistors — the tiny switches that give semiconductors their ability to process information — that it can't be produced conventionally as a single unit. It's actually two chips married to one other through a connection that ensures they act seamlessly as one, the company said. How did Nvidia become a leader in AI? Nvidia was already the king of graphics chips, the components that generate the images you see on a computer screen. The most powerful of those are built with thousands of processing cores that perform multiple simultaneous threads of computation. This allows them to produce the complex 3D renderings like shadows and reflections that are a feature of today's video games. What are Nvidia's competitors doing? Nvidia controls about 90% of the market for data centre GPUs, according to market research firm IDC. Dominant cloud computing providers and major Nvidia customers such as Amazon's AWS, Alphabet Inc's Google Cloud and Microsoft's Azure are trying to develop their own chips, as are Nvidia rivals Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD) and Intel Corp. How does Nvidia stay ahead of its competitors? Nvidia has updated its offerings, including software to support the hardware, at a pace that no other firm has yet been able to match. The company has also devised cluster systems that help its customers to buy chips in bulk and deploy them quickly. Huang keeps up a frantic pace of appearances at tech shows and company events all over the world to tout new offerings and tie ups. Nvidia has committed to annual introductions of new main products for years to come, reflecting what Huang says is an unprecedented commitment to advancing innovation in the industry. Such pledges serve as a warning to rivals that they are trying to catch a moving train. — BLOOMBERG This article first appeared in The Malaysian Reserve weekly print edition
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Qualcomm Reenters Server CPUs with Nvidia Link
Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) is back in the server-CPU gameand this time it's leaning on Nvidia (NVDA) for the heavy lifting. Instead of partnering with Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) or AMD (NASDAQ:AMD) like before, Qualcomm's new chips will talk directly to Nvidia's GPUs using NVLink Fusion. Think of it as plugging into a super-highway: lower latency, massive bandwidth, and a big boost for AI workloads, all while sipping power. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 5 Warning Signs with QCOM. Cristiano Amon, Qualcomm's CEO, puts it simply: Connecting our processors to NVIDIA's rack-scale architecture lets us deliver high-performance, energy-efficient computing straight into the data center. And the timing's spot onQualcomm just signed up Saudi AI outfit HUMAIN to build next-gen data centers, so these custom CPUs won't be stuck on paper. Why does it matter? Slashing the CPU-GPU data bottleneck by up to half could possibly redefine large-scale model training and inferenceand with the AI server market set to top $25 billion by 2027, everyone's watching. Nvidia's own Grace CPU demonstrated what's possible, but Qualcomm's version could offer even better power efficiency for both hyperscale and edge use cases, though benchmark testing would provide stronger validation. The real proof, though, will be in the benchmarks, partner rollouts and price tags once these chips hit the racks. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Qualcomm Reenters Server CPUs with Nvidia Link
Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) is back in the server-CPU gameand this time it's leaning on Nvidia (NVDA) for the heavy lifting. Instead of partnering with Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) or AMD (NASDAQ:AMD) like before, Qualcomm's new chips will talk directly to Nvidia's GPUs using NVLink Fusion. Think of it as plugging into a super-highway: lower latency, massive bandwidth, and a big boost for AI workloads, all while sipping power. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 5 Warning Signs with QCOM. Cristiano Amon, Qualcomm's CEO, puts it simply: Connecting our processors to NVIDIA's rack-scale architecture lets us deliver high-performance, energy-efficient computing straight into the data center. And the timing's spot onQualcomm just signed up Saudi AI outfit HUMAIN to build next-gen data centers, so these custom CPUs won't be stuck on paper. Why does it matter? Slashing the CPU-GPU data bottleneck by up to half could possibly redefine large-scale model training and inferenceand with the AI server market set to top $25 billion by 2027, everyone's watching. Nvidia's own Grace CPU demonstrated what's possible, but Qualcomm's version could offer even better power efficiency for both hyperscale and edge use cases, though benchmark testing would provide stronger validation. The real proof, though, will be in the benchmarks, partner rollouts and price tags once these chips hit the racks. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trending tickers: The latest investor updates on Nvidia, Alibaba, Novavax, Ryanair and Diageo
Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia (NVDA), revealed details around a number of announcements on new technologies on Monday at the Computex tech expo in Taipei, Taiwan. This included showcasing Nvidia Isaac GR00T-Dreams, which the company described as a blueprint that helps generate large amounts of synthetic motion data that physical artificial intelligence (AI) developers can use to teach robots new behaviours. Read more: FTSE 100 LIVE: Stocks dip as the UK and EU reach deal ahead of summit In addition to its robotics capabilities, Nvidia unveiled its new NVLink Fusion offering, which allows customers to build custom servers using Nvidia's Grace CPU and a third-party AI chip paired with Nvidia's various server infrastructure offerings. Nvidia shares were down 2.5% in pre-market trading on Monday, though the stock has seen a stronger performance more recently and is up 29% over the past month. Last week, Huang said during an investment forum in Saudi Arabia — which was attended by US president Donald Trump and other Big Tech CEOs — that the chipmaker will ship its semiconductors to Saudi Arabian artificial intelligence company Humain for its massive data centre plans. Hong Kong-listed shares in Alibaba ( fell 3% on Monday, following a report over the weekend that the Trump administration had raised concerns about a potential deal between the Chinese tech giant and iPhone-maker Apple (AAPL). The New York Times reported on Saturday that the White House and congressional officials have been scrutinising Apple's plan to strike a deal with Alibaba to make its AI available on iPhones in China. Read more: Gold rises on safe haven appeal as Moody's downgrades US credit rating Spokespeople for the White House, Alibaba and Apple had not responded to Yahoo Finance UK's request for comment at the time of writing. The report further weighed on Alibaba shares, which dropped last week after the company's earnings missed estimates. Fourth-quarter revenue of 236.45 billion yuan was below analyst expectations of 237.24 billion yuan (£24.57bn), according to a Reuters report. Adjusted earnings of 12.52 yuan per American Depositary Share also just missed estimates of 12.94 yuan. Shares in biotechnology company Novavax (NVAX) surged 17% in pre-market trading on Monday, after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its Covid-19 vaccine, albeit with certain conditions. In a letter issued on Friday, the FDA said that the vaccine was approved for people aged 65 and over, and those aged 12 and over if they had at least one underlying condition that put them at high risk of severe illness from Covid. Read more: Stocks that are trending today According to a CNN report, Novavax CEO John Jacobs said in a statement on Saturday: "Market research and US statistics indicate that older individuals and those with underlying conditions are the populations most likely to seek out COVID-19 vaccination seasonally. "This significant milestone demonstrates our commitment to these populations and is a significant step towards availability of our protein-based vaccine option." Shares in Ryanair ( were up 4.3%, on the back of the budget airline's full-year results. Ryanair posted revenue of €13.44bn (£11.31bn), which was up 4% on the previous year, while profit after tax of €1.6bn was down 16%. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell (AJB.L), said: "Companies often find some extraordinary language to avoid stating the bare facts. Ryanair says consumer spending pressure and a drop-off in online travel agent bookings 'necessitated repeated price stimulation'. In plain English, it had to cut prices to get bums on seats. Stocks: Create your watchlist and portfolio "Further headwinds for Ryanair are the problems at Boeing which are limiting its growth efforts and have forced consistent downgrades to its passenger growth targets," he said. "The airline is confident it can catch up on this missed growth but, in the current environment, investors would be forgiven for exercising some healthy scepticism." However, Mould said that profit was towards the "higher end of expectations and the company feels sufficiently confident about the outlook to unveil a substantial share buyback." On the London market, Diageo (DGE.L) shares were flat after the drinks maker said that it expected to take a hit of $150m (£112m) from tariffs. In its third quarter results, released on Monday, Diageo posted a 2.9% increase in net sales to $4.4bn and reiterated its guidance for the full-year. In addition, the company said it was launching a $500m cost savings programme over three years. "Investors were braced for a bad quarter from Diageo yet the drinks giant has managed to pull a rabbit out of the hat," said AJ Bell's Mould. Read more: Stocks to watch this week: Palo Alto Networks, Analog Devices, Marks & Spencer, Greggs and easyJet "Sales were driven by a mixture of volume and prices, with Diageo benefiting from wholesalers stocking up ahead of tariffs. That suggests the next quarter might not be as good if some of its sales have effectively been brought forward." Mould said that Diageo seemed "remarkably calm about tariffs", despite the guidance of a $150m impact. "It's no surprise to see the announcement of a new cost-saving programme, and it's talking the market's language by chatting about cash flow targets," he added. "These are the kind of things that excite investors and get them fired up, but there's a big difference between saying you'll do something and actually achieving it. "Diageo has a big job to win back the market's favour after a difficult few years and it could be a long road to recovery." Assura (AGR.L) Baidu ( Moody's Corporation (MCO) Big Yellow Group (BYG.L) Kainos (KNOS.L) Read more: Five 'buy' rated European travel stocks UK economy grows 0.7% in first quarter of the year Savers making costly 'bad decisions' around pensions as 15 million risk retirement poverty
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trending tickers: The latest investor updates on Nvidia, Alibaba, Novavax, Ryanair and Diageo
Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia (NVDA), revealed details around a number of announcements on new technologies on Monday at the Computex tech expo in Taipei, Taiwan. This included showcasing Nvidia Isaac GR00T-Dreams, which the company described as a blueprint that helps generate large amounts of synthetic motion data that physical artificial intelligence (AI) developers can use to teach robots new behaviours. Read more: FTSE 100 LIVE: Stocks dip as the UK and EU reach deal ahead of summit In addition to its robotics capabilities, Nvidia unveiled its new NVLink Fusion offering, which allows customers to build custom servers using Nvidia's Grace CPU and a third-party AI chip paired with Nvidia's various server infrastructure offerings. Nvidia shares were down 2.5% in pre-market trading on Monday, though the stock has seen a stronger performance more recently and is up 29% over the past month. Last week, Huang said during an investment forum in Saudi Arabia — which was attended by US president Donald Trump and other Big Tech CEOs — that the chipmaker will ship its semiconductors to Saudi Arabian artificial intelligence company Humain for its massive data centre plans. Hong Kong-listed shares in Alibaba ( fell 3% on Monday, following a report over the weekend that the Trump administration had raised concerns about a potential deal between the Chinese tech giant and iPhone-maker Apple (AAPL). The New York Times reported on Saturday that the White House and congressional officials have been scrutinising Apple's plan to strike a deal with Alibaba to make its AI available on iPhones in China. Read more: Gold rises on safe haven appeal as Moody's downgrades US credit rating Spokespeople for the White House, Alibaba and Apple had not responded to Yahoo Finance UK's request for comment at the time of writing. The report further weighed on Alibaba shares, which dropped last week after the company's earnings missed estimates. Fourth-quarter revenue of 236.45 billion yuan was below analyst expectations of 237.24 billion yuan (£24.57bn), according to a Reuters report. Adjusted earnings of 12.52 yuan per American Depositary Share also just missed estimates of 12.94 yuan. Shares in biotechnology company Novavax (NVAX) surged 17% in pre-market trading on Monday, after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its Covid-19 vaccine, albeit with certain conditions. In a letter issued on Friday, the FDA said that the vaccine was approved for people aged 65 and over, and those aged 12 and over if they had at least one underlying condition that put them at high risk of severe illness from Covid. Read more: Stocks that are trending today According to a CNN report, Novavax CEO John Jacobs said in a statement on Saturday: "Market research and US statistics indicate that older individuals and those with underlying conditions are the populations most likely to seek out COVID-19 vaccination seasonally. "This significant milestone demonstrates our commitment to these populations and is a significant step towards availability of our protein-based vaccine option." Shares in Ryanair ( were up 4.3%, on the back of the budget airline's full-year results. Ryanair posted revenue of €13.44bn (£11.31bn), which was up 4% on the previous year, while profit after tax of €1.6bn was down 16%. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell (AJB.L), said: "Companies often find some extraordinary language to avoid stating the bare facts. Ryanair says consumer spending pressure and a drop-off in online travel agent bookings 'necessitated repeated price stimulation'. In plain English, it had to cut prices to get bums on seats. Stocks: Create your watchlist and portfolio "Further headwinds for Ryanair are the problems at Boeing which are limiting its growth efforts and have forced consistent downgrades to its passenger growth targets," he said. "The airline is confident it can catch up on this missed growth but, in the current environment, investors would be forgiven for exercising some healthy scepticism." However, Mould said that profit was towards the "higher end of expectations and the company feels sufficiently confident about the outlook to unveil a substantial share buyback." On the London market, Diageo (DGE.L) shares were flat after the drinks maker said that it expected to take a hit of $150m (£112m) from tariffs. In its third quarter results, released on Monday, Diageo posted a 2.9% increase in net sales to $4.4bn and reiterated its guidance for the full-year. In addition, the company said it was launching a $500m cost savings programme over three years. "Investors were braced for a bad quarter from Diageo yet the drinks giant has managed to pull a rabbit out of the hat," said AJ Bell's Mould. Read more: Stocks to watch this week: Palo Alto Networks, Analog Devices, Marks & Spencer, Greggs and easyJet "Sales were driven by a mixture of volume and prices, with Diageo benefiting from wholesalers stocking up ahead of tariffs. That suggests the next quarter might not be as good if some of its sales have effectively been brought forward." Mould said that Diageo seemed "remarkably calm about tariffs", despite the guidance of a $150m impact. "It's no surprise to see the announcement of a new cost-saving programme, and it's talking the market's language by chatting about cash flow targets," he added. "These are the kind of things that excite investors and get them fired up, but there's a big difference between saying you'll do something and actually achieving it. "Diageo has a big job to win back the market's favour after a difficult few years and it could be a long road to recovery." Assura (AGR.L) Baidu ( Moody's Corporation (MCO) Big Yellow Group (BYG.L) Kainos (KNOS.L) Read more: Five 'buy' rated European travel stocks UK economy grows 0.7% in first quarter of the year Savers making costly 'bad decisions' around pensions as 15 million risk retirement povertyError in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
