Nvidia’s Blackwell AI Chips Face New Challenges with Overheating Servers
Nvidia’s new Blackwell AI chips, which have already faced delays, have encountered problems with accompanying servers that overheat, causing some customers to worry they will not have enough time to get new data centers up and running, The Information reported on Sunday (Nov 17).
Overheating Issues
The Blackwell graphics processing units overheat when connected together in the customised server racks the company has designed, the report said, citing sources familiar with the issue.
Design Changes Needed
The artificial intelligence (AI) chipmaker has asked its suppliers to change the design of the racks several times to resolve overheating problems, according to Nvidia employees who have been working on the issue, as well as customers and suppliers with knowledge of it, the report said without naming the suppliers.
Nvidia’s Response
Nvidia did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.
Background on Blackwell Chips
Nvidia unveiled Blackwell chips in March and had earlier said that they would ship in the second quarter before encountering delays, potentially affecting customers such as Meta Platforms, Alphabet’s Google and Microsoft.
Nvidia’s Blackwell chip takes two squares of silicon the size of the company’s previous offering and binds them into a single component that is 30 times speedier at tasks such as providing responses from chatbots. REUTERS
Conclusion
Nvidia’s Blackwell AI chips have faced several challenges since their unveiling, including delays and now overheating issues with accompanying servers. The company has asked its suppliers to make design changes to resolve the problem, but it remains to be seen how this will impact customers who are waiting to receive the chips.
FAQs
Q: What is the issue with Nvidia’s Blackwell AI chips?
A: The chips are overheating when connected together in the customised server racks designed by Nvidia.
Q: Why is this a problem?
A: The overheating issue may cause delays for customers who are waiting to receive the chips, which could impact their ability to get new data centers up and running.
Q: Has Nvidia responded to the issue?
A: Nvidia did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.
Q: What is the impact on customers?
A: The issue may affect customers such as Meta Platforms, Alphabet’s Google and Microsoft, who were expecting to receive the chips in the second quarter.
Q: What is Nvidia doing to resolve the issue?
A: Nvidia has asked its suppliers to make design changes to the server racks to resolve the overheating problem.
