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Top researchers leave Intel to build startup with 'the biggest, baddest CPU'

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Re: Top researchers leave Intel to build startup with 'the biggest, baddest CPU'

#11

Post by glookler »

ahartmetz wrote: post #5

I don't know, RISC-V doesn't seem to be very disruptive at this point? And what's the deal with specialized chips that the article mentions? Today, the "biggest, baddest" CPUs - or at least CPU cores - are the general-purpose (PC and, somehow, Apple mobile / tablet) ones. The opposite of specialized. Are they going to make one with 16384 cores for AI / graphics or are they going to make one with 8 / 16 / 32 cores tha…

If RISC-V started with supercomputing and worked down that would be a change from how an architecture disruption usually works in the industry.

Re: Top researchers leave Intel to build startup with 'the biggest, baddest CPU'

#12

Post by 1970-01-01 »

Staring at current AI chip demand levels and choosing to go with RISC chips is the boldest move you could make. Good luck. The competition with the big boys will be relentless. I expect them to be bought if they actually make a dent in the market.

Re: Top researchers leave Intel to build startup with 'the biggest, baddest CPU'

#14

Post by mixmastamyk »

ahartmetz wrote: post #8
jasoneckert wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most of the work that goes into chip design isn't related to the ISA per se. So, it's entirely plausible that some talented chip engineers could design something that implements RISC-V in a way that is quite powerful, much like how Apple did with ARM. The biggest roadblock would be lack of support on the software side.

Yeah sure, but the question remains if it's going to be a huge amount of small cores or a moderate amount of huge cores. What it can't be is something like the Mill if they implement the RISC-V ISA.

Article implies a CPU focus at first, though is a bit vague. Title is clear however.

Re: Top researchers leave Intel to build startup with 'the biggest, baddest CPU'

#15

Post by esafak »

AlotOfReading wrote: post #7
esafak wrote: post #3

Can't they make a GPU instead? Please save us!

A GPU is a very different beast that relies much more heavily on having a gigantic team of software developers supporting it. A CPU is (comparatively) straightforward. You fab and validate a world class design, make sure compiler support is good enough, upstream some drivers and kernel support, and make sure the standard documentation/debugging/optimization tools are all functional. This is incredibly difficult, but…

It's not the GPU I want per se but its ability to run ML tasks. If you can do that with your CPU fine!

Re: Top researchers leave Intel to build startup with 'the biggest, baddest CPU'

#16

Post by pragma_x »

constantcrying wrote: post #10

The article is so bad. Why do they refuse to say anything about what these companies are actually trying to make. RISC-V Chips exist, does the journalist just not know? Does the company refuse to say what they are doing?

It reads like they're trying to drum up investment. This is why the focus is on the pedigree of the founders, since they don't have a product to speak of yet.

Re: Top researchers leave Intel to build startup with 'the biggest, baddest CPU'

#17

Post by Asraelite »

AlotOfReading wrote: post #7
esafak wrote: post #3

Can't they make a GPU instead? Please save us!

A GPU is a very different beast that relies much more heavily on having a gigantic team of software developers supporting it. A CPU is (comparatively) straightforward. You fab and validate a world class design, make sure compiler support is good enough, upstream some drivers and kernel support, and make sure the standard documentation/debugging/optimization tools are all functional. This is incredibly difficult, but…

> make sure compiler support is good enough

Do compilers optimize for specific RISC-V CPUs, not just profiles/extensions? Same for drivers and kernel support.

My understanding was that if it's RISC-V compliant, no extra work is needed for existing software to run on it.

Re: Top researchers leave Intel to build startup with 'the biggest, baddest CPU'

#18

Post by mort96 »

esafak wrote: post #15
AlotOfReading wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A GPU is a very different beast that relies much more heavily on having a gigantic team of software developers supporting it. A CPU is (comparatively) straightforward. You fab and validate a world class design, make sure compiler support is good enough, upstream some drivers and kernel support, and make sure the standard documentation/debugging/optimization tools are all functional. This is incredibly difficult, but…

It's not the GPU I want per se but its ability to run ML tasks. If you can do that with your CPU fine!

Well that's even more difficult because not only do you need drivers for the widespread graphics libraries Vulkan, OpenGL and Direct3D, but you also need to deal with the GPGPU mess. Most software won't ever support your compute-focused GPU because you won't support CUDA.

Re: Top researchers leave Intel to build startup with 'the biggest, baddest CPU'

#20

Post by lugu »

jasoneckert wrote: post #6
ahartmetz wrote: post #5

I don't know, RISC-V doesn't seem to be very disruptive at this point? And what's the deal with specialized chips that the article mentions? Today, the "biggest, baddest" CPUs - or at least CPU cores - are the general-purpose (PC and, somehow, Apple mobile / tablet) ones. The opposite of specialized. Are they going to make one with 16384 cores for AI / graphics or are they going to make one with 8 / 16 / 32 cores tha…

Most of the work that goes into chip design isn't related to the ISA per se. So, it's entirely plausible that some talented chip engineers could design something that implements RISC-V in a way that is quite powerful, much like how Apple did with ARM. The biggest roadblock would be lack of support on the software side.

On the software side, I think the biggest blocker is affordable UEFI laptop for developers. A risc-v startup aiming to disrupt the cloud should include this in their master plan.
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