The tie-in expands processing options for AI data centers, but leaves rival interconnect UALink out in the cold.
RISC-V pioneer SiFive has signed a deal with Nvidia to incorporate Nvidia NVLink Fusion into its data center products.
The agreement means that SiFive will be able to connect its RISC-V CPUs to Nvidia GPUs and accelerators over a high bandwidth interconnect that lets multiple GPUs share compute and memory resources, offering more options to operators of AI data centers. Historically, RISC-V technology has not had access to these types of high-level interconnects and pathways.
“AI infrastructure is no longer built from generic components, it is co-designed from the ground up. By integrating NVLink Fusion with SiFive’s high-performance compute subsystems, we’re enabling customers with an open and customizable CPU platform that pairs seamlessly with Nvidia’s AI Infrastructure to deliver exceptional efficiency at data center scale,” SiFive CEO Patrick Little said in a statement announcing the move.
David Harold, senior analyst with Jon Preddie Research, said RISC-V has been slow to make a big impact on the market, but the situation is about to change.
“AI is the making of RISC-V, “ he explained. “Arm doesn’t have the same capabilities for pushing into the space. RISC-V is going to be tied to AI in the same way that x86 was tied to Windows and Arm was to mobiles.” And he sees the Nvidia deal as a real boost for SiFive.
What now for UALink?
What is uncertain is what the move will mean for NVLink rival interconnect UALink. It was launched last spring and was widely seen as an open-source alternative to Nvidia’s proprietary NVLink Fusion.
SiFive’s move towards NVLink Fusion, with no mention of UALink, counts as a blow against the open source competitor, despite its initial broad support.
Last year, Nvidia backed both horses when it took a stake in Synopsys, a member of the UALink Consortium. However, that was just one example of businesses in the data center space making sure that they were covering all possibilities. Chip maker ARM is also part of the NVLink Fusion ecosystem, as well as being a member of the UALink Consortium, while consortium founding member Intel is also working with Nvidia on designing chips incorporating NVLink.
