NVIDIA Unveils AI Supercomputer Priced at $249

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Nvidia has recently unveiled its latest generative AI supercomputer, the Jetson Orin Nano Super, a development kit that promises to deliver enhanced performance at an attractive price point of just $249. This new offering is compact enough to fit in the palm of your hand and boasts an impressive capability to boost generative AI performance by up to 1.7 times compared to its predecessor.

During the launch, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang emphasized the significance of this product, akin to the attention given to the Hopper H100 in 2021. In a dedicated video presentation, Huang reflected on the evolution of Nvidia’s processors, highlighting the introduction of the robot processor starting from the Xavier architecture, an innovation that was initially met with skepticism.

The Jetson Orin Nano Super is engineered for commercial AI developers, enthusiasts, and students, designed to push the boundaries of what is possible in artificial intelligence applications

With a processing power that reaches nearly 70 trillion operations per second (TOPS) and a power consumption ranging from 7 to 25 watts, this device is capable of executing complex tasks across various domains, including large language models (LLMs), visual AI agents, and AI-driven robotics.

The performance enhancements are substantialCompared to the previous generation, the new kit offers a 1.7-fold increase in generative AI inference capabilities and a 70% overall performance boostIt can execute up to 67 trillion INT8 operations per second, with memory bandwidth improved by 50% to reach 102 GB/sThis makes it exceptionally suited for edge computing applications, from smart cities to AI in agriculture.

One of the standout features of this development kit is its versatilityIt supports low-power designs, making it ideal for deployment in various edge devicesThis is particularly relevant in an era where energy efficiency is becoming increasingly important in technology development

Huang pointed out that the Jetson Orin Nano Super is not just a tool for building chatbots but also serves as a robust platform for creating visual AI agents and deploying AI robots.

Moreover, the Jetson Orin Nano Super is designed to enhance existing Jetson Orin Nano developer kits through software updates, ensuring that users can continue to leverage their investments as technology evolvesHuang stated that the product is especially beneficial for those looking to hone their skills in areas like generative AI, robotics, and computer visionThe transition from task-specific models to foundational models in AI is a growing trend, and the Jetson platform aims to provide developers with an accessible way to turn their creative ideas into reality.

The Jetson Orin Nano Super supports a wide range of popular generative AI models, including Meta’s LLaMA, Alibaba’s Tongyi Qianwen, and Google’s Gemma

Its architecture, which is based on the Transformer model for computer vision, further enhances performance, making it a compelling choice for developers looking to push the envelope in AI applications.

Included in the developer kit is an 8GB Jetson Orin Nano system module and a reference carrier board, forming an ideal platform for prototyping AI applications on edge devicesThe system module leverages Nvidia's Ampere architecture GPU, equipped with Tensor Cores and a six-core Arm CPUThis setup allows for efficient handling of multiple parallel AI application pipelines while delivering high-performance inference capabilitiesAdditionally, it supports up to four cameras with higher resolution and frame rates than previous versions.

Nvidia has emphasized that as AI technology transitions from cloud-based solutions to edge devices, physical AI applications will become increasingly important

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The Jetson Orin Nano Super is positioned as a versatile tool, suitable for various applications, including chatbot development and visual AI agents.

The Jetson AI Lab further enriches the ecosystem by providing support for the latest open-source community models and user-friendly tutorialsDevelopers can tap into a broader Jetson community for support and inspiration from other projectsThe Jetson platform integrates seamlessly with Nvidia’s AI software offerings, including NVIDIA Isaac for robotics, NVIDIA Metropolis for visual AI, and NVIDIA Holoscan for sensor processingThis integration allows for rapid development cycles, using tools like the NVIDIA Omniverse Replicator for synthetic data generation and the NVIDIA TAO toolkit for fine-tuning pre-trained AI models from the NGC catalog.

To broaden the impact of its technology, Nvidia also announced software updates for the Jetson Orin NX and Nano series, enabling them to benefit from the Super mode performance enhancements of up to 70%. These updates will be accessible via the Jetpack SDK manager on Nvidia's website and GitHub.

The Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit is expected to be available soon through global distributors

It offers an affordable yet powerful platform for students, engineers, and makers eager to delve into AI developmentNvidia aims to position this kit as a pivotal product for democratizing generative AI technology, with aspirations for significant applications in smart transportation, retail management, and Internet of Things (IoT) scenarios.

In summary, the Jetson Orin Nano Super represents a significant leap forward in AI development tools, combining enhanced performance with accessibilityWith its robust capabilities and wide-ranging applications, Nvidia is poised to further entrench itself in the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, empowering a new generation of developers to innovate and create in this exciting fieldAs AI technology continues to advance, the Jetson platform stands as a testament to Nvidia's commitment to fostering creativity and driving progress in the realm of artificial intelligence.