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NVIDIA Unveils Next Gen Pascal GPU With Stacked 3D DRAM and GeForce GTX Titan Z

MojoKid (1002251) writes "NVIDIA's 2014 GTC (GPU Technology Conference) kicked off today in San Jose California, with NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang offering up a healthy dose of new information on next generation NVIDIA GPU technologies. Two new NVIDIA innovations will be employed in their next-gen GPU technology, now know by its code named 'Pascal." First, there's a new serial interconnect known as NVLink for GPU-to-CPU and GPU-to-GPU communication. Though details were sparse, apparently NVLink is a serial interconnect that employs differential signaling with embedded clock and it allows for unified memory architectures and eventually cache coherency. It's similar to PCI Express in terms of command set and programming model but NVLink will offer a massive 5 — 12X boost in bandwidth up to 80GB/sec.

The second technology to power NVIDIA's forthcoming Pascal GPU is 3D stacked DRAM technology.The technique employs through-silicon vias that allow the ability to stack DRAM die on top of each other and thus provide much more density in the same PCB footprint for the DRAM package. Jen-Hsun also used his opening keynote to show off NVIDIA's most powerful graphics card to date, the absolutely monstrous GeForce GTX Titan Z. The upcoming GeForce GTX Titan Z is powered by a pair of GK110 GPUs, the same chips that power the GeForce GTX Titan Black and GTX 780 Ti. All told, the card features 5,760 CUDA cores (2,880 per GPU) and 12GB of frame buffer memory—6GB per GPU. NVIDIA also said that the Titan Z's GPUs are tuned to run at the same clock speed, and feature dynamic power balancing so neither GPU creates a performance bottleneck."

47 of 110 comments (clear)

  1. And at only 78,000 USD, it's a steal! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    And you'll never need to turn on the heater again!

    1. Re:And at only 78,000 USD, it's a steal! by Rhys · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Even if it wasn't 78k (and it isn't, they listed it at 3k if you RTFA) that is a steal if your compute load can actually extract the 8 Tflop from it -- assuming that's the 64-bit flop, not the 32-bit flop.

      I mean, slightly under 10 years ago I know a big-10 university that paid 3000k for a cluster with less Tflops (around 7, but not all in one computation/network).

      I guess I shouldn't be surprised, another few years that should be in laptops or phones.

      --
      Slashdot Patriotism: We Support our Dupes!
    2. Re:And at only 78,000 USD, it's a steal! by dicobalt · · Score: 1

      No! It's only going to cost $3000.

    3. Re:And at only 78,000 USD, it's a steal! by Gaygirlie · · Score: 1

      that paid 3000k

      They paid 3 million bucks for it?

    4. Re:And at only 78,000 USD, it's a steal! by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

      It'll be 32bit.

  2. For you sick of proprietary CUDA, it's not OpenCL by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    but switching to Pascal is a step in the right direction if a bit retro, I guess.

  3. Stability is a problem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Every Nvidia GPU we've purchased for CUDA compute tasks in the past five years has crashed frequently under load.

    1. Re:Stability is a problem by Chas · · Score: 5, Insightful

      But is this a failure of the implementation or a failure of the installation?

      It's really easy to say "It crashes all the time".

      But it's also really easy to leave out "Our compute cluster space is running at 100+ degrees ambient and our power distribution is shoddy."
      It's also really easy to leave out things like "Our no-name, cut-rate motherboards, memory and PSUs probably aren't up to the task of running these things at maximum utilization."

      --


      Chas - The one, the only.
      THANK GOD!!!
    2. Re:Stability is a problem by lgw · · Score: 1

      Motherboards are a real issue as GPUs run quite hot under load, and so many motherboards start cracking under the thermal stress. Good for 6-12 months, and then they start crashing frequently under load. And there's no solid guide to the good ones (it's not the sort of thing you can test in a week), which is very frustrating for hobby system builders.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
  4. Stacked 3D ram! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Wouldn't that make it 4D?

  5. A chip called Pascal? by Viol8 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Either its the BEGINning of a new era in GPUs , or its called Pascal because its actually French and will go on strike the minute its asked to render a game more complex than Flappy Bird.

    1. Re:A chip called Pascal? by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

      He wanted to write a shorter first post, but didn't make it in time.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
  6. a few things left out by sribe · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Like the things that they announced last year, which have simply disappeared off the roadmap without mention. In other words, they are falling behind schedule, and trying desperately to spin this as ongoing progress.

    1. Re:a few things left out by Payden+K.+Pringle · · Score: 2

      Actually, within the PC Enthusiast community, it's believed they are not behind schedule. They just have little reason to push things out quickly due to a lack of competition and need for the technologies themselves. i.e. Neither AMD nor games these days are at a point that actively require the technologies they have (had) planned to be released either to give AMD a run for their money, or to actually make the games playable at our current resolutions. 1080p/1440p are the currently most used resolutions with 4K being far off as it isn't economical yet. I'm not sure on the professional side of things, as I don't know much about that section of the industry, but from our perspective, this move makes perfect sense.

      Why would they release these things, ready or not, when they don't need them? It's more economical to save whatever you've researched for when you actually need to release it, and milk what you currently have for all it's worth.

      It's not good for consumers (the current tech doesn't get cheaper by much, and we don't get the new tech until later), but good for the company (i.e. more profits).

    2. Re:a few things left out by edxwelch · · Score: 1

      Similiarly there's no mention of a Tegra K1 SoC with LTE. I think this is a sign that Nvidia will shortly abandon the smartphone market. Without any CDMA, or TD-SCDMA in their modem support they can't sell in Chinese or American markets

    3. Re:a few things left out by nanoflower · · Score: 1

      That doesn't agree with what I've read. Supposedly Nvidia is running behind schedule but it isn't their fault. The problem is that TSMC can't deliver on their promises so everything is being pushed out. Ideally both AMD and Nvidia would have 20NM (or what TSMC calls 20NM) GPUs out on the market already but TSMC has had issues with bringing 20NM production online. That's forcing everyone using them to rethink their planned introduction of new products.

    4. Re:a few things left out by Payden+K.+Pringle · · Score: 1

      Interesting. Thanks for that info. It could just be some bias in the community (which, of communities, the PC Enthusiast one is probably the most guilty of). I need to further expand my horizons.

    5. Re:a few things left out by spire3661 · · Score: 1

      The 750 Ti running a 128 bit memory bus is pretty clear evidence they are holding back. If they were really concerned about pushing the market, it would have a wider memory bus.

      --
      Good-bye
  7. Isn't this very similar to the PS4? by Beamboom · · Score: 4, Interesting
    "[...] it allows for unified memory architectures and eventually cache coherency"

    Isn't this more or less precisely how the PS4 is designed? If my memory(!) servers me correctly I'd call this a pretty good design move by Sony, something that should potentially bode well for the longevity of that console, once the games are designed for this type of architecture.

    1. Re:Isn't this very similar to the PS4? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The PS4 has 8GB of unified GDDR5, and the GPU has 180GB/s bandwidth to that. Cache coherency with CPU is possible but reduces bandwidth to 10GB/s - quite a difference. It's cache coherent today, not eventually.

      PS4 GPU has 1,152 scalar ALUs (72 x 16-way SIMD); I'm not sure how that compares to "CUDA cores", but it sounds like the Titan Z has 2x the memory, 1/2 the bandwidth, 4x the ALUs ... and 8x the price.

    2. Re:Isn't this very similar to the PS4? by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      You mean how AMD's unified GPU & CPU chips are designed? (The PS4 uses an AMD processor, and I believe that Sony had much less design influence it than it did on Cell.)

      Yes, it seems like nVidia might finally be starting to slowly catch up...

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    3. Re:Isn't this very similar to the PS4? by gman003 · · Score: 1

      Yes, as is the Xbox One and the latest APUs.

      AMD has been focusing on tight CPU/GPU integration. They're pretty far along with it.

      Nvidia was primarily focusing on power efficiency, and they're pretty good on that front right now. Their actual mobile stuff is selling like crap because they aren't quite there yet, but compare Kepler to GCN and you'll see how efficient it is. Maxwell is supposedly more so, but they haven't launched high-end parts yet so we can't really judge yet.

      Nvidia did have CPU/GPU integration on their long-term plans, but the sudden importance of it (due to AMD's console wins) seems to have caught them by surprise. They haven't really had incentive to rush it - on the mobile side, nobody seems to care about it, and on the desktop they don't have CPUs to sell the way AMD does.

      And yes, that feature probably will make the consoles fairly long-lived, although they really do need more graphical horsepower. The Xb1 in particular is struggling just to run at 1080p, and neither of them will be very useful if 4K takes off.

  8. THIS... is Pascal (modern pascal)... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Borland Delphi Object Pascal 7.1 to be precise (?) -> http://start64.com/index.php?o...

    * :)

    (Great language & IDE - does everything pretty much that C++ can do (except multiple inheritance) & as EASILY as VB... best of BOTH worlds, in 1 tool!)

    APK

    P.S.=> It's my favorite, & has been, since it "stole me away" from MSVC++ &/or MSVB circa 1997, when Delphi "knocked the chocolate" out of them BOTH in 7/10 tests (especially MATH & STRING work, where it literally DOUBLED & THEN SOME its score in the tests over MSVC++ even...) done, no less, in a competing trade journal (Visual Basic Programmer's Journal Sept./Oct. 1997 issue "Inside the VB 5 Compiler")...

    ... apk

    1. Re:THIS... is Pascal (modern pascal)... apk by Viol8 · · Score: 1, Flamebait

      For you and all the other clueless idiots out there who didn't get it - Pascal is a French name , the language was named after Blaise Pascal FFS.

  9. Outdated? by SomeoneFromBelgium · · Score: 1

    All told, the card features 5,760 CUDA cores (2,880 per GPU) and 12GB of frame buffer memory—6GB per GPU

    So... does that mean that the graphics card I just bought is outdated already??

    1. Re:Outdated? by ZenMatrix · · Score: 1

      As soon as you think about buying it, its outdated.

    2. Re:Outdated? by SomeoneFromBelgium · · Score: 1

      ...and it's the slashdot post that makes you think about buying it...
      So once more /. is the source of all evil.

  10. PASCAL? Shoulda gone with LOGO! by Thud457 · · Score: 4, Funny

    LOGO would have been a better choice, since it's a graphically oriented language.
    Turtles all the way down.

    --

    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

    1. Re:PASCAL? Shoulda gone with LOGO! by TeknoHog · · Score: 1

      Turtles all the way down.

      Doesn't seem too convincing for a fast GPU. But I guess it will be great for mining Slothcoins.

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
  11. Hey instead by sproketboy · · Score: 1

    How about getting your drivers to work?

  12. Re:Such price, much sense by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 5, Informative

    You're obviously not using float64 (or even need it.)

    FP64 Titan Z: 1/3 FP32
    FP64 GTX 780: 1/24 FP32

    For gaming, yes 780 SLI is cheaper and better ROI.
    For gpgpu computing and you _require_ 64-bit float precision, the TITAN or TITAN Z, is far faster.

    Reference:

    * http://www.anandtech.com/show/...

  13. Titan-Z Warning label by Radamax · · Score: 2

    Warning: Pregnant women, the elderly, and children under 10 should avoid prolonged exposure to the GTX Titan-Z.
    Caution: the GTX Titan-Z may suddenly accelerate to dangerous speeds.
    the GTX Titan-Z contains a liquid core, which, if exposed due to rupture, should not be touched, inhaled, or looked at.
    Do not use the GTX Titan-Z on concrete.
    Discontinue use of the GTX Titan-Z if any of the following occurs:
    itching
    vertigo
    dizziness
    tingling in extremities
    loss of balance or coordination
    slurred speech
    temporary blindness
    profuse sweating
    heart palpitations

    If the GTX Titan-Z begins to smoke, get away immediately. Seek shelter and cover head.
    the GTX Titan-Z may stick to certain types of skin.
    When not in use, the GTX Titan-Z should be returned to its special container and kept under refrigeration. Failure to do so relieves the makers of the GTX Titan-Z, Wacky Products Incorporated, and its parent company, Global Chemical Unlimited, of any and all liability.
    Ingredients of the GTX Titan-Z include an unknown glowing substance which fell to Earth, presumably from outer space.
    the GTX Titan-Z has been shipped to our troops in Saudi Arabia and is also being dropped by our warplanes on Iraq.
    Do not taunt the GTX Titan-Z.
    the GTX Titan-Z comes with a lifetime guarantee.

    1. Re:Titan-Z Warning label by bev_tech_rob · · Score: 1

      Adding to that: - If you have an erection lasting longer than 6 hours, contact a physician immediately!

      --
      You're messin' with my Zen Thing, man.....
    2. Re:Titan-Z Warning label by joseph90 · · Score: 1

      do not feed after midnight

  14. Stacked RAM isn't anything new. by Chas · · Score: 1

    I remember buying memory modules where the memory was stacked way the hell back when.

    The thing that's interesting about this iteration is the fact that pass-throughs have been built straight into the silicon.

    --


    Chas - The one, the only.
    THANK GOD!!!
    1. Re:Stacked RAM isn't anything new. by RoverDaddy · · Score: 1

      I have a memory card from an original IBM PC from 1982, which has stacked memory chips. In fact, each pair of chips has ALL of their pins wired to the same contacts on the PCB. Although I have been unwilling to take apart the board to verify, this leads me to believe that the chip on top and the chip underneath are different. I'm guessing one of them has an inverter on an address line, so it will respond to even addresses, while the other responds to odd addresses.

      --
      RETURN without GOSUB in line 1050
    2. Re:Stacked RAM isn't anything new. by RoverDaddy · · Score: 1

      Edit: Thinking about it, an inverter on CS (Chip Select) might be more likely.

      --
      RETURN without GOSUB in line 1050
  15. Re:For you sick of proprietary CUDA, it's not Open by DrXym · · Score: 1

    I'll wait until they supply DirectX and OpenGL bindings for Brainfuck.

  16. Re:LMAO - "yea, right".. apk by Viol8 · · Score: 1

    Eat what words? Did you even read what I wrote or are you on drugs? No wonder you post A/C - you probably can't understand the instructions how to create an account.

  17. Bad choice of name by T.E.D. · · Score: 1

    If I were picking a codename for my next product, I'm not sure I'd pick the name of a language famous for being useless for real work without vendor extensions.

    1. Re:Bad choice of name by TeknoHog · · Score: 1

      If I were picking a codename for my next product, I'm not sure I'd pick the name of a language famous for being useless for real work without vendor extensions.

      Especially knowing how Nvidia performs with OpenCL vs. their vendor specific solution...

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
  18. Re:You obviously do, lol... apk by Viol8 · · Score: 1

    "I can literally SHOW something decent I've done that works (great too"

    Go on then , post a link to your code.

  19. Re:Better question's this: by Viol8 · · Score: 1

    Listen stroppy little boy, you're the one boasting about what an incredible coder your are so post a damn link. I'm not interested in what your little pals have to say , I want to see the code itself.

    I suspect however - as they say in Texas - you're all hat and no cattle.

  20. it is B. Pascal not PASCAL the language by fxj · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is hillarious!
    Everybody here thinks it is named after the programming language.

    Tesla, Fermi, Kepler, Pascal,...

    What do they all have in common???

    yeah: a car, a satelite and a programming language

    1. Re:it is B. Pascal not PASCAL the language by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Replying to myself:

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_tesla
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrico_Fermi
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepler
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaise_Pascal

      nVidia has a history of naming architectures against influential mathematicians/inventors.

  21. Re:The obvious question by DarkAce911 · · Score: 1

    Better, how many hashs can it get on cudaminer?

  22. Re:Such price, much sense by OneAhead · · Score: 1

    For gpgpu computing and you _require_ 64-bit float precision,

    That's a bit of a gratuitous overgeneralization; over the last few years, nearly all the scientific softwares in my field have switched large parts of their core functionality to single precision because of the performance advantage, reserving double precision for where it really matters (accumulators and such).