From PC World: Autonomous cars need a new kind of horsepower to identify objects, avoid obstacles and change lanes. There’s a good chance that will come from graphics processors in data centers or even the trunks of cars.
With this scenario in mind, Nvidia has built two new GPUs—the Tesla P4 and P40—based on the Pascal architecture and designed for servers or computers that will help drive autonomous cars. In recent years, Tesla GPUs have been targeted at supercomputing, but they are now being tweaked for deep-learning systems that aid in correlation and classification of data.
“Deep learning” typically refers to a class of algorithmic techniques based on highly connected neural networks—systems of nodes with weighted interconnections among them.
It’s all part of a general trend: as more data is transmitted to the cloud via all sorts of systems and devices, it passes through deep-learning systems for answers, context and insights.
The new Teslas have the horsepower to be regular GPUs. The P40 has 3,840 CUDA cores, offers 12 teraflops of single-precision performance, has 24GB of GDDR5 memory and draws 250 watts of power. The P4 has 2,560 cores, delivers 5.5 teraflops of single-precision performance, has 8GB of GDDR5 memory, and draws up to 75 watts of power.
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