Tenstorrent, A New Artificial Intelligence Challenger to NVIDIA?
Tenstorrent is a cutting-edge technology company based in Toronto, Canada. Founded in 2016 by Jim Keller, it has emerged as a formidable semiconductor and AI hardware challenger to NVIDIA. Tenstorrent is known for its innovative chip architecture and focus on efficient AI processing. It has positioned itself as a potential disruptor to industry giants like NVIDIA. Under Keller’s leadership and vision, the company has garnered significant attention from investors, developers, and competitors.
Tenstorrent takes a fresh approach to processor design with its unique Tensix cores—a grid of cores built for high-performance computing. These processors feature built-in network communication hardware. This hardware makes them stand out. It allows the processors to directly "talk" to other processors over networks. They bypass the traditional reliance on DRAM.
This innovative design reflects Jim Keller's forward-thinking philosophy and knack for pushing the boundaries of CPU technology. It's no wonder this company caught the attention of many. They said it has the potential to outshine the big tech giants! So, let us dig deeper into this company; how did it start? And who is Jim Keller?
Who is Jim Keller?
The genius behind Tenstorrent is Jim Keller, one of the most renowned figures in the semiconductor industry. He has been around the industry well enough to gain such expertise in designing microprocessors and systems-on-chip (SoC). Born in the late 1950s, this 'chip guru' always had a passion for technology. In his early days, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Penn State in 1980.
This solid academic background set the stage for a groundbreaking career in the semiconductor industry. He started his professional journey at Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) in 1982. There, he made a big impact by working on some of their key CPU families. Keller was crucial in designing the VAX 8800, Alpha 21164, and Alpha 21264 processors. These early projects at DEC were instrumental in shaping his innovative and highly technical approach to CPU design.
His career did not stop there; in fact, his role in DEC was just the beginning. Jim Keller has had a stellar track record in the tech industry; he has played pivotal roles in game-changing projects. In the 90s, he worked as a software engineer. One of his early roles was at Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD), a US-based tech company that focuses on the development of central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), system-on-chip (SoC), and high-performance compute solutions.
One of his contributions is in the development of AMD's Athlon 64 and Opteron 64 processors, which marked the last era when AMD outperformed Intel in processor technology. Additionally, he contributed to the creation of the HyperTransport specification and co-designed the x86-64 processor instruction set. Amazing, right?
In 2008, he moved to work for one of the biggest and most well-known tech brands, Apple. There, he spearheaded the development of the company's current operating system and the A4 and A5 chips, the powerhouse processors behind the early iPhones and iPads.
Later, he joined Tesla in 2015 as the Vice President of Autopilot Hardware Engineering. He turned his attention to custom silicon for self-driving cars, focusing on high-performance computing to advance autonomous driving. Keller played a crucial role in designing Tesla's in-house AI chips. These chips are essential for processing data from cameras, sensors, and neural networks used in autonomous driving. These chips were a key component of Tesla's strategy to reduce reliance on third-party hardware and improve the performance and efficiency of its Autopilot systems.
Jim Keller joined the AI hardware startup Tenstorrent in December 2020. He became the Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Keller brought his extensive experience in chip design and system architecture to the company. His primary focus was on advancing Tenstorrent's innovative AI chip technologies. These technologies aim to tackle complex machine learning workloads. They do so with high efficiency and scalability. Then in January 2023, Keller became the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). This change further solidified his influence in steering the company's strategic direction.
Redefining AI Hardware: Tenstorrent’s Game-Changing Approach
Tenstorrent is making waves in the AI hardware scene with its innovative approach to chip design. Unlike traditional monolithic chips, Tenstorrent employs a "chiplet" architecture, which essentially means building processors from smaller, modular components. These chiplets are engineered to provide scalable performance, ranging from milliwatts for low-power edge devices to megawatts for high-performance data center applications.
To ensure that they are able to manufacture high-quality, cutting-edge technology, Tenstorrent has partnered with Samsung's Foundry Design Service team, renowned for its expertise in advanced silicon manufacturing. These chiplets will be fabricated using Samsung's cutting-edge SF4X process, featuring an advanced 4nm architecture.
A key component of Tenstorrent's technology is its development of high-performance RISC-V CPU cores. The company's TT-Ascalon architecture is designed with scalability in mind, ranging from compact two-wide implementations to robust eight-wide configurations. This flexibility enables Tenstorrent to cater to a broad spectrum of performance requirements, making their solutions suitable for everything from consumer electronics to complex AI workloads.
Through these combined efforts in modular chip design, scalable CPU architectures, and open-source software, Tenstorrent is redefining AI hardware. Their game-changing approach not only challenges industry giants but also paves the way for more adaptable and efficient AI solutions across various sectors.
Why Tenstorrent Might Be NVIDIA’s Biggest Rival
The race in generative AI is heating up. Tenstorrent is stepping in as a strong contender. They offer organizations a cost-effective and open alternative to NVIDIA’s GPUs. Their approach is perfect for those looking to break away from the traditional, high-cost proprietary hardware.
Co-founder and CEO Jim Keller is at the helm. He is a legend in the tech world. He gained impressive experience from across different tech industries. While working with Tenstorrent, one of his primary goals is to create an AI-friendly computer. This computer will have a modular, engineer-friendly design that makes working