Nvidia could introduce a socket design with Blackwell B300

Socketed AI GPUs? Nvidia could introduce a socket design with Blackwell B300

2024-10-22 From Manuel Christa | Translated by AI 2 min Reading Time

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According to rumors from industry reports, the chip giant Nvidia may be planning a significant strategic shift in its graphics processors (GPUs) for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. According to sources from the supply chain, the company could switch to a socketed GPU socket design with its upcoming Blackwell B300.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang introduces the Blackwell GPU GB200.(Image: Nvidia) — Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang introduces the Blackwell GPU GB200.
(Image: Nvidia)

This change is expected to be implemented from the second half of 2025 with the B300 series, which is particularly suitable for inference scenarios. The socket rumor originates from a report by Trendforce, which cites Economic Daily News and MoneyDJ.

Socketing is already well-known to desktop users, as CPUs have historically been socketed on motherboards in PCs, making them replaceable, rather than being soldered as in notebooks or mini barebones. The new design could improve yields in GPU manufacturing for Nvidia, though at the cost of some performance. Additionally, the socket would bring new challenges in terms of cooling and power consumption.

Gallery

Nvidia Blackwell GB200 Grace Superchip(Image: Nvidia)

Another advantage of the socket design is the simplification of customer service and maintenance of server boards. Manufacturers could also be more flexible in production, as no SMT production lines would be required anymore. This would be the first time that Nvidia introduces a socket design in its GPU products, while competitor AMD has already used a similar design in 2023 with the MI300A series.

Such a switch could significantly change the existing market strategies in the AI and data center industries and redefine the dynamics between Nvidia and its Asian suppliers. However, whether Nvidia will actually opt for socket designs and what impact this will have on performance and the market remains to be seen. No official confirmation has yet been provided by Nvidia.

Despite all speculations about the exploitation rate of the Blackwell series, it is expected that the updated version of the B200 series will be completed by the end of October, allowing the GB200 series to enter mass production in December. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang emphasized the high demand for the next Blackwell AI chip in an interview with CNBC. (mc)

Etched has introduced Sohu, the world's first transformer ASIC. The technology specialized for LLMs provides faster performance than the all-rounder GPUs widely used for AI. (Image:Etched)

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