Here I am, smack dab in the middle of my weekend escape to the wilderness—tent pitched (or is that my sofa), marshmallows roasted, and a debate underway about whether AI could ever really imitate the smell of a campfire. My buddy Mike (for highschool), somewhat of a processor fanatic, suddenly drops the bombshell: Russian firm Graviton just started shipping AI systems using their own homegrown CPUs. Picture my surprise! One second, I’m contemplating the pros and cons of AI-generated s’mores, then it’s all about Russian tech, homegrown processors, and a long road involving foreign GPUs before we can really admire those sparks. Sorta, all got political real fast.
So, keynotes?
First up, Graviton’s creation is this flashy server that flaunts not one, but two 48-core CPUs—think of it as the IT world’s version of twins born to compete with Elon Musk’s AI dreams. What makes these twins interesting is their roots in homegrown Russian soil, specifically orchestrated by Graviton’s halls. They haven’t dropped what brand these muscled CPUs belong to, but savvy speculators out there (not so different from wild-eyed sports fans predicting league winners in secretive chats) have ventured guesses. Some figures are pointing to Baikal Electronics’ BE-S1000 family, like tout-gossiping in the marketplace.
Now, here’s where things get interesting, and maybe a smidge illegal. Unfortunately, like trying to sneak s’mores onto a diet plan, pulling in foreign GPUs amid sanctions isn’t exactly legal either. Graviton’s figured out this tech-savvy sandwich that uses Russian brains but foreign brawn. They toss in eight compute GPUs to keep their AI workloads humming like a jazz saxophonist in a park’s charming chaos. The kicker? The GPUs aren’t officially named, but everyone’s whispering Nvidia H100 into their cappippines. You’re probably nodding along if tech has ever enticed your Saturday evenings.
In terms of performance (the nerd equivalent of “can this car outrun your dog?”), Graviton’s CPUs seem to have dialed down about 500 MHz, making them reminiscent of running a marathon in slippers instead of ultra-sleek sneakers. This adjusted pace is due to manufacturing shifts—the CPU’s original dance floor was TSMC’s 16FFC, a hall they traded for less crammed avenues, aiming for a better yield and lower power appetites. Baikal might be mixing caution with a touch of humility when putting their creation on stage—reducing clocks, a sort of runway walk rather than a Usain Bolt sprint.
Where it gets truly spicy, like that jalapeno you didn’t know hitchhiked its way onto your pizza, is the fact these whizzy gizmos come with Nvidia’s CUDA ecosystem in the proverbial backpack. It’s smart and lovely until the pop quiz reminder that Nvidia itself isn’t quite backing this game. We, the curious herd of technology admirers, are left vertical-dancing until clarified rhythms emerge around all things Arm-based CPU relevance.
Now, as enthusiastic montane explorers often find, not everything is known at the initial hilltop pause. Our tech road comes with unknowns, the most glaring being their level of supply sophistication with those aforementioned Nvidia muses. In summing up, Alexander Filchenkov from Graviton (a descriptor of PC pub tales if I’ve ever met one), waxes poetically on their strides in the domain of critical computations and domestic achievements in tech. Yet here’s the friendly reminder—sometimes akin to mixed-content hiking trails—Graviton walks alongside challenges unseen, pricing unspoken, and paths unfolded.
As the campfire moments drift between figment and fading, let’s taste curiosity with a nod to those microchips weaving futures unknown and stories untold. Meanwhile, I’m still pondering if campfire whispering AI is actually feasible. Still, dry wit—much like my partially-finished cocoa cup and a warm campfire emptiness—invites speculations of our digital dames and journey stalwarts. Feel free to steer thoughts onto other mountainous paths or campfire discussions.
Leave a Reply