Intel Gaudi 2-D AI Accelerator Surfaces In New Linux Patch, A New Revision For China?

Intel has brought in support for a new mysterious Gaudi 2 product at Linux, suggesting that the firm might experiment with the AI markets.

According to Phoronix, Team Blue's latest Habana Labs driver patches at Linux have supported a new AI accelerator, labeled as the Gaudi 2-D. Previously, we witnessed a Gaudi 2-C model surfacing, but we didn't receive an update from Intel, so the newer model might not be something serious, or maybe it is. The only new AI accelerator release we know from Intel is their next-gen Gaudi 3 AI accelerators, which we have covered extensively in our Computex coverage, but it looks like the firm might be planning for revised models.

Diving into the pull request, there aren't many details about the new Intel Gaudi 2-D model in the patch apart from the fact that it utilizes the same code paths as the original Gaudi 2 AI accelerator, which shows that the "2D" variant might be a revision after all for a particular customer segment.

The one thing that comes to mind is that Team Blue might be prepping to make a dominant entry into the Chinese markets, as reported previously as well, and with these variants surfacing up, Intel might decide to offer low and mid-tier models in China, but that isn't certain for now.

Well, that's it for the Gaudi 2-D model, but it is certainly not the end for Intel and its AI venture. At the recent Computex keynote, the firm showed huge optimism about the future of its presence in the AI markets, especially with the Gaudi lineup and how it is designed to provide the best price-to-performance ratios.

While Intel can't match NVIDIA's levels right now, they certainly do look to come in aggressively in terms of value, and if the firm decides to capitalize on the untapped Chinese markets, then NVIDIA will have something to worry about.

News Source: Phoronix