RESEARCH NOTE: NVIDIA Tegra X1 Targets Neural Net Image Processing Performance

NVIDIA Tegra X1 (TX1) based client-side neural network acceleration is a strong complement to server-side deep learning using NVIDIA Kepler based Tegra server accelerators. In the software world, “function overloading” refers to using one procedure name to invoke different behavior depending on the context of the procedure call. NVIDIA borrowed that concept for their graphics processing pipelines. They essentially are “overloading” their graphics architecture to be a capable neural network processing architecture. Moor Insights & Strategy evaluates the Nvidia Tegra X1 in the context of neural network acceleration.

Take-Away
Floating Half Precision (versus ARM, Imagination Technologies, AMD)
Fused Operations
How is NVIDIA’s Approach Different?
Usage Model: Internet of Things (IoT) Comes to Car and Driver (DRIVE PX)
Maybe You Can Drive My Car
Figure 1: A Neural Network “Perceptron”
Figure 2: A Car Full of Video Cameras and Their Overlapping Fields of View
Figure 3: Not an Average Street Scene with Recognized Objects Labeled
Figure 4: High Level View of Car and Datacenter Working Together
Figure 5: Functional View of NVIDIA DRIVE PX Communicating with Datacenter

Click here to download the paper.

Companies Cited

AMD
ARM
Imagination Technologies
NVIDIA
Qualcomm
Samsung

Patrick Moorhead

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Patrick founded the firm based on his real-world world technology experiences with the understanding of what he wasn’t getting from analysts and consultants. Ten years later, Patrick is ranked #1 among technology industry analysts in terms of “power” (ARInsights) in “press citations” (Apollo Research). Moorhead is a contributor at Forbes and frequently appears on CNBC. He is a broad-based analyst covering a wide variety of topics including the cloud, enterprise SaaS, collaboration, client computing, and semiconductors. He has 30 years of experience including 15 years of executive experience at high tech companies (NCR, AT&T, Compaq, now HP, and AMD) leading strategy, product management, product marketing, and corporate marketing, including three industry board appointments.