What is NVIDIA Blackwell? All about the GPU architecture

NVIDIA’s Blackwell microarchitecture is setting new standards in GPU technology, bringing significant performance improvements and higher efficiency to various areas of application. NVIDIA Blackwell offers modern technologies that are specially optimized for complex calculations.

What is NVIDIA Blackwell?

NVIDIA Blackwell is modern microarchitecture that was launched in 2024 and named after the mathematician David Blackwell. It was specially developed for use in high-performance graphic processors. Blackwell is the successor to Hopper GPU architecture and delivers significant improvements in performance and higher energy efficiency.

Blackwell was optimized for use in artificial intelligence (in particular generative AI and large language models), machine learning, scientific calculations and gaming. The architecture is based on advanced manufacturing technologies and uses modern chiplet designs to achieve higher performance. A special feature of Blackwell is the improved memory architecture that enables faster data processing. It also offers optimized support for ray tracing and more efficient use of Tensor Cores for AI applications. NVIDIA prioritized optimized scalability in the design, which makes the architecture suitable for data centers as well as high-end consumer products.

What new features does NVIDIA Blackwell have?

Compared to its predecessor Hopper, Blackwell GPUs offer a number of technical innovations. One of the most important is the introduction of an advanced chiplet design that enables increased scalability and efficiency. The design makes it possible to combine several smaller chips rather than using a single monolithic chip, which significantly improves performance. Additionally, Tensor Cores were optimized for accelerating deep learning models more efficiently.

Ray tracing performance was also improved, which enables more realistic lighting and shadow calculation for games and graphics applications. Its memory architecture was also modified. With the new generation of HBM (High Bandwidth Memory), NVIDIA Blackwell can reach much higher memory bandwidths. Its energy efficiency was also improved using new manufacturing technologies and better cooling mechanisms. And finally, NVIDIA Blackwell also supports interfaces such as the next generation of NVlink and PCIe 5.0, which enable faster communication between different GPUs and CPUs.

What are the main areas of use for NVIDIA Blackwell?

NVIDIA Blackwell architecture is designed for a variety of high-performance applications:

• Artificial intelligence and machine learning: Optimized Tensor Cores enable Blackwell to train and run very large AI models. Blackwell GPUs are equipped with Confidential Computing, which uses hardware-based security features to protect confidential data and AI models from unauthorized access. That makes it ideal for companies that work with generative AI, neural networks and autonomous driving and want to increase both performance and security.
• Data centers and cloud computing: Blackwell GPUs are specially optimized for use in data centers and offer high computing power with relatively little energy use. That makes them suitable for big data analyses, simulations and scientific calculations (e.g. weather forecasts and climate models).
• Gaming and 3D graphics: Thanks to more efficient AI acceleration, game developers can better combine ray tracing with classic rasterization technologies to create more realistic scenes with optimized performance. That makes Blackwell suitable for high-end gaming PCs and VR applications.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of NVIDIA Blackwell?

Advantages of NVIDIA Blackwell

NVIDIA Blackwell microarchitecture has a number of significant advantages that make it a great choice for professional applications and gaming. One of the biggest plus points is the significantly increased computing power achieved with the new chiplet design. Rather than incorporating a monolithic chip, Blackwell uses a modular structure that enables better scalability and more efficient manufacturing. That means that high-performance GPUs can be produced more flexibly and optimized for different areas of use.

Another advantage of Blackwell GPUs is improved energy efficiency. The use of advanced manufacturing technology allows for a reduction in energy use in relation to computing power. That’s particularly important for data centers that require high performance for the lowest possible energy consumption.

In addition, Blackwell GPUs are equipped with Tensor Cores, which were specially developed for machine learning and AI applications. They make it possible to quickly train and run complex models, making Blackwell an ideal solution for companies and research institutions.

Gamers also benefit from these improvements, since enhanced ray tracing technology enables more realistic representation of light and shadow in modern games. New memory technologies also ensure faster data processing and minimized latency.

Disadvantages of NVIDIA Blackwell

Despite all those advances, there are still several challenges and potential downsides to Blackwell GPUs. One of the most obvious is the high price, especially for professional models and server solutions. Its advanced technology makes Blackwell an expensive investment that doesn’t necessarily make sense for every use case. And even though energy efficiency was improved, the power consumption involved in high-performance computing is significant, especially when it comes to multi-GPU setups.

Another potential hurdle is the need for special software optimizations. To get maximum performance from Blackwell-based GPUs, developers need to adapt their software accordingly. That can present a challenge in professional workflows if existing programs aren’t fully optimized for the new architecture.

And finally, Blackwell GPUs might not be very available at first, as the demand for high-performance GPUs increases and new technologies are often initially produced in small quantities.

Advantages and disadvantages at a glance