Intel releases first business to use AI chip NNP-T: Use a technology of the 16nm that accumulate report

On August 20, 2019, during be worth Hot Chips to hold, intel announced two AI chip, they are Nervana NNP-T and Nervana NNP-I respectively, use at training and inference respectively.

Nervana NNP-T, code name is Spring Crest, it is a nerve network processor that makes from the beginning, it basically is used at deepness study training. It used a stage to accumulate electric 16nm FF+ to make Cheng technology, have 27 billion transistor, silicon accumulates 680 square millimeter one-sidedly, can support TensorFlow, PaddlePaddle, PYTORCH to train frame, also support C++ deepness study software library and compile implement NGraph.

Intel respect expresses, NNP-T is mature when compose is built to flexibility, acquire a balance between computation, communication and memory; It is had but process designing sex, can undertake custom-built so that quicken all sorts of load, no matter be existing load or burgeoning load.

Nervana NNP-I, code name is Spring Hill, it is an inferential chip that is used technically at large data center. This chip is based on 10nm technology and Ice Lake kernel to make, making a place is the Haifa of Israel, intel is so-called the job that it can use the smallest energy to handle high load, it can amount to 4.8TOPs/W in the efficiency of ResNet50, power limits arrives in 10W between 50W.

Be aimed at this inference chip, intel stressed its flexibility likewise, state Nervana NNP-I is not affecting performance height perhaps comes true below the premise of power comsumption efficiency but process designing. Additional, intel respect still discloses, facebook has begun to use this product.

Besides chip of these two AI, intel still introduced to mix chip to enclose technology, Intel to be proud on Hot Chips rise data center stage the detail of technology of small chip of abiding memory and optical I/O. To this, vice-president of Intel whole world holds Neveen Rao of ministry of artificial intelligence career concurrently to express:

Data center and need of high in the clouds are offerred for complex AI application high-powered with the general computation that can expand, and special acceleration. The future that in artificial intelligence nowhere is absent wishs in scene, arrive again to software from hardware application, need a kind of comprehensive solution.

Actually, intel is not attempt and accomplish nothing in AI chip domain.

Be in early 2016, intel was bought dedicated the American California that learns special chip at deepness does poineering work company Nervana Systems, nervana presiding apparitor holds associated author Rao concurrently to join Intel, soon, rao promotes to a high office with the speed like the rocket for total chief of department of career of Intel artificial intelligence.

October 2017, the nerve network processor that Intel ever introduced to be designed for machine study only (NNP) series chip, code name is for Lake Crest. Lake Crest can quicken frame of a variety of nerve network algorithm, for instance the Caffe of the Neon of TensorFlow, Nervana, Facebook. But at that time, intel supplies NNP chip one fraction partner only, plan to be in shipment began before the end of the year 2017.

Later, on the congress of Intel AI developer May 2018, the NNP chip ——Nervana NNP-L1000 that Naveen Rao introduced new generation again (Spring Crest) ; At that time, naveen Rao expresses, spring Crest can have multinomial newer, its also will be Intel chip of NNP of the first commerce, will more than it is to provide fraction partner, will deliver goods 2019.

From the point of code name, the Nervana NNP-T that this Intel announces, should be the Nervana-L1000 that introduced last year. Be worth what carry is, advanced before long on Baidu congress, naveen Rao also announces to be in personally now train processor with the Nervana nerve network of 16nm of Baidu joint development, say for NNP-T 1000.

This shows, nervana NNP-T says the chip of the first AI that is Intel with its, be inferior to saying is Intel turns an AI chip to the market eventually after burnish of 3 years two. Do not cross at present, intel also did not make public the commerce of this processor to plan external, net of thunder sharp edge will hold attention.