Home Gaming Nvidia believes its 2016 GPU’s will be 10 times as powerful as Maxwell

Nvidia believes its 2016 GPU’s will be 10 times as powerful as Maxwell

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Right now, Nvidia’s Titan X is the undisputed king of the GPU’s – and for $1000, I’d bloody well hope so. It could face stiff competition this year from AMD’s R9 390X, which speculation, rumour and hearsay suggests will offer better performance at a fraction of the price. Already though, Nvidia’s punting its next generation of GPU, its Pascal-based cards, which it says will offer 10x the performance of its already impressive Maxwell chips.

NvidiaPascal

The increase in performance says Nvidia, comes from its stacked 3D memory, and the introduction of NVlink, a new new communications channel that will enable much greater flow of data between the CPU and GPU. NVlink will also allow for more GPU’s to be duct-taped together – with up to 8 GPU’s able to be linked for both professional and gaming purposes.

Here’s what NVidia says will make 2016’s Pascal-based GPU’s so enticing:

  • 3D Memory: Stacks DRAM chips into dense modules with wide interfaces, and brings them inside the same package as the GPU. This lets GPUs get data from memory more quickly – boosting throughput and efficiency – allowing us to build more compact GPUs that put more power into smaller devices. The result: several times greater bandwidth, more than twice the memory capacity and quadrupled energy efficiency.
  • Unified Memory: This will make building applications that take advantage of what both GPUs and CPUs can do quicker and easier by allowing the CPU to access the GPU’s memory, and the GPU to access the CPU’s memory, so developers don’t have to allocate resources between the two.
  • NVLink: Today’s computers are constrained by the speed at which data can move between the CPU and GPU. NVLink puts a fatter pipe between the CPU and GPU, allowing data to flow at more than 80GB per second, compared to the 16GB per second available now.
  • Pascal Module: NVIDIA has designed a module to house Pascal GPUs with NVLink. At one-third the size of the standard boards used today, they’ll put the power of GPUs into more compact form factors than ever before.

Mixed-Precision Computing for Greater Accuracy

Mixed-precision computing enables Pascal architecture-based GPUs to compute at 16-bit floating point accuracy at twice the rate of 32-bit floating point accuracy.

Increased floating point performance particularly benefits classification and convolution – two key activities in deep learning – while achieving needed accuracy.

3D Memory for Faster Communication Speed and Power Efficiency

Memory bandwidth constraints limit the speed at which data can be delivered to the GPU. The introduction of 3D memory will provide 3X the bandwidth and nearly 3X the frame buffer capacity of Maxwell. This will let developers build even larger neural networks and accelerate the bandwidth-intensive portions of deep learning training.

Pascal will have its memory chips stacked on top of each other, and placed adjacent to the GPU, rather than further down the processor boards. This reduces from inches to millimeters the distance that bits need to travel as they traverse from memory to GPU and back. The result is dramatically accelerated communication and improved power efficiency.

NVLink – for Faster Data Movement

The addition of NVLink to Pascal will let data move between GPUs and CPUs five to 12 times faster than they can with today’s current standard, PCI-Express. This is greatly benefits applications, such as deep learning, that have high inter-GPU communication needs.

NVLink allows for double the number of GPUs in a system to work together in deep learning computations. In addition, CPUs and GPUs can connect in new ways to enable more flexibility and energy efficiency in server design compared to PCI-E.

It does mean you’d probably have to buy a new board to make use of a new card, but if it would genuinely produces 10x the output of a Maxwell card, it’d be worth it.

Last Updated: March 18, 2015

39 Comments

  1. Blood Emperor Trevor

    March 18, 2015 at 15:02

    pascal. lol. I fucking hated pascal at school.

    Reply

    • Milesh Bhana

      March 18, 2015 at 15:11

      Actually, that’s TURBO Pascal, because it’s 10x faster 🙂

      Reply

      • Geoffrey Tim

        March 18, 2015 at 15:16

        Thank you. 🙂

        Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        March 18, 2015 at 15:16

        And even faster if you press the turbo button on your PC case.

        Reply

      • Ranting Raptor

        March 18, 2015 at 15:26

        DARNIT!!!! Beat me to it!!! DARN DARN DARN!!!!

        Reply

      • Blood Emperor Trevor

        March 18, 2015 at 15:35

        I know, it’s been so many years but the sight of that editor brought back all the horror.

        Reply

    • Dan okellz

      March 18, 2015 at 15:12

      i hated maxwell… i mean who would name their kid fucking maxwell? just liten to that name..maaax–weeeeyyylll..but pascal sucks too lol

      Reply

      • Brady miaau

        March 18, 2015 at 16:23

        Pascal was a surname.

        Blaise was a first name. Much better, see?

        Reply

      • Max Chiasson

        October 6, 2015 at 05:22

        Hi…..

        Reply

    • HvR

      March 18, 2015 at 15:34

      Hated it at the time, appreciated it later on. Very good programming language as it forces structure.

      Reply

      • Joe Black

        March 18, 2015 at 20:17

        It has its pros and its cons.

        Reply

        • HvR

          March 19, 2015 at 01:20

          Should have been “Very good programming language for teaching”

          I wouldn’t want to try do any type of commercial product in Pascal.

          Reply

          • Joe Black

            March 19, 2015 at 13:37

            Not a new project unless it is the latest version of XE.

            Yet… Here I am. Supporting a legacy enterprise system written in an old version of Delphi – Big bucks going through it every year (understatement). And it works just fine. And generally development is rapid as promised.

            But I am an old horse. Love the new stuff and all the support and community, but I at least know how to use something else too.

    • Dutch Matrix

      March 18, 2015 at 15:34

      I was told by my principal in Std 6 I should rather not come into close proximity of a computer. I kind of feel sorry that he passed away before Facebook was invented, as I would have LOVED to send him a snappy of where I work today.

      Reply

      • Brady miaau

        March 18, 2015 at 15:57

        Irony: I am sure he would love the picture of you and your staff in the kitchen at the two Michelin star restaurant you run the kitchen in at night.

        Reply

      • Jonah Cash

        March 18, 2015 at 16:29

        My teacher told me in Grade 9 that I should rather leave maths and accounting… I finished Accounting 3 and Internal Auditing 3 at Tuks… I swear I only did that to piss her off!!

        Reply

  2. ReaperOfSquirrels

    March 18, 2015 at 15:12

    10x the speed at 10x the price!

    Reply

    • Kromas is drunk with power!

      March 18, 2015 at 16:41

      And 1/10th the memory (even though the box states otherwise.) 😛

      Reply

    • Always Late Game Reviews

      March 19, 2015 at 09:17

      Yeah for sure…I shudder when I think of how much they’ll ask for this thing. You’ll have to start selling your organs on the black market to afford one I’m sure. It’s great that nVidia pushes the boundaries but I often wonder why they pursue the gaming market with these their new technology when it’s far more appropriate to seduce the commercial market first THEN redesign and come after the gamers. PC games would need what, about 1/4 of the power in this thing? Above 60FPS and it becomes silly to try to achieve anything higher. That’s just for bragging rights if you ask me…

      Reply

      • Last one

        March 19, 2015 at 12:44

        4K gaming is currently a struggle. Not to mention the crazy resolutions (Beyond 8k) needed if you don’t really want to see the pixels in VR. There is still plenty of room to move forward.

        Reply

  3. Dutch Matrix

    March 18, 2015 at 15:32

    2016: I would like your not too top of the range Nvidia display card please?
    Of course sir! That would be a gazillion rands. And if you could please sign this document to relinquish your soul to SATAN!!!

    Reply

    • ReaperOfSquirrels

      March 18, 2015 at 15:39

      You forgot Section 6 that you sign over your oldest child to Nvidia and your left nut (or ovary).

      Reply

      • Dutch Matrix

        March 18, 2015 at 15:42

        My left nut belongs to the mad scientist that’s gonna genetically engineer me Mass Effect 3’s Ashley Williams. Nvidia can have my… I dunno what they can have. I have grown attached to my organs.

        Reply

  4. FoxOneZA

    March 18, 2015 at 15:56

    Is that 10x the speed with or without DX 12?

    Oh and Pascal was the beans 😀

    Reply

    • Brady miaau

      March 18, 2015 at 15:57

      Good question.

      Reply

    • Joe Black

      March 18, 2015 at 20:18

      Hehe. Artful

      Reply

  5. Corrie

    March 18, 2015 at 16:06

    Great so now when do these come out? seriously it’s like torture now whether to go for 3.5GB or wait till this come’s out later this month but then sacrificing Witcher and a few games in order to wait or maybe I can sell the damn thing for the newer thing hmmmm?

    Reply

    • FoxOneZA

      March 18, 2015 at 16:08

      Or go Team Red R390X because it’s the right thing to do.

      Reply

      • Corrie

        March 18, 2015 at 16:12

        Yeah uhmm atm electricity is kinda in dire constraint and to overkill it with red products ..nah only kidding If the price is around R6000 I’d think about it if it’s close to the titan as some benchmarks claim but yeah been putting off getting the gpu for a while now and end month is the day

        Reply

  6. Rob

    March 18, 2015 at 16:20

    Unified memory. This sounds like what Sony did with the PS4. This is why I’m still of the view that the PS4 is a lot more powerful than what people think (although I know absolutely nothing about anything hahahaha)

    Reply

  7. Jonah Cash

    March 18, 2015 at 16:22

    When I ordered and paid for my new PC yesterday I was in the top 15% performance wise…. Two days and two articles on here and I am back in the top 50%…. I remember why I changed to consoles 🙂 At least now I don’t have to bug my parents for money to upgrade, so this should go better… Until the wife blows a gasket and I have to send her in for repairs!!

    Reply

    • Brady miaau

      March 18, 2015 at 16:24

      cheaper to buy a console than try to repair the wife. or husband.

      Reply

      • Jonah Cash

        March 18, 2015 at 16:27

        Yeah I forgot how quick the new PC tech comes out… But hopefully I can keep myself in the top 20% somewhere!!

        Reply

      • Kromas is drunk with power!

        March 18, 2015 at 16:43

        To repair wife insert medical drama marathon.

        Reply

        • Brady miaau

          March 18, 2015 at 16:47

          I wish that was more funny than sad….. Speaking for myself and at least 4 male, married, work mates.

          Reply

  8. Joe Black

    March 18, 2015 at 20:31

    I’ve been saying stacked dies are the wave of the future for along time, but mostly because I do follow what is going on the cutting edge a bit. Therefore I completely approve of this.

    But lets face it – They’ve all been working towards it. AMD announced their partnership in this effort with Hynix about a year ago. And around Carrizo and next gen graphics cards it has been hinted at it like 8-10 months ago already.

    Reply

  9. Xcalibersa

    March 19, 2015 at 06:57

    Ah the memorys of TP7 and going blind from it.

    Reply

  10. XenitXTD

    March 19, 2015 at 07:56

    I remember when i first Read PASCAL i was like the accounting software? it was like what the hell you gonna need a GPU For that now… Damn then i read the article and my confusion has been cleared up now LOL

    Reply

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