Overview of GPU Architecture Evolution and Technological Development (2010-2024)
Introduction: The Development History of GPU Computing
In 1999, NVIDIA invented the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), a breakthrough that transformed computer graphics processing and parallel computing. This article systematically reviews the technological evolution of nine generations of NVIDIA's GPU architectures from 2010 to 2024, including Fermi, Kepler, Maxwell, Pascal, Volta, Turing, Ampere, Hopper, and Blackwell architectures.
After 15 years of continuous development, CUDA technology has become NVIDIA's technical "moat" in the computing field. With iterative updates such as Tensor Core 5.0, NVLink 5.0, NVSwitch 4.0, and Transformer Engine 2.0 technologies establishing its leadership position in artificial intelligence computing while advancing multiple fields like AI high-performance computing (HPC), gaming design creativity autonomous vehicles robotics development.
Fermi Architecture (Fermi，2010)
Architectural Design Features In 2006，NVIDIA introduced G80 architecture enabling developers to program on GPUs using C language for the first time。The GT200 based on G80 architecture increased stream processor cores allowing scientific computation HPC possible。The launch of Fermi architecture in 2010 marked an important breakthrough in GPU computational capability。
Fermi architecture supports up to sixteen Streaming Multiprocessors(SM)，each containing thirty-two CUDA cores totaling five hundred twelve CUDA cores.The architectural design primarily targeted gaming users' needs at that time; thus entire GPUs contain several Graphics Processing Clusters(GPCs) with each single GPC housing one Raster Engine along with four SMs.In terms memory system,the GPU features six sixty-four bit memory partitions yielding384-bit total bus width supporting maximum six GB GDDR5 DRAM memory.Host interface connects CPU via PCI-Express linking both components together.
Fermi employs Global Scheduler(GigaThread Engine) assigning thread blocks onto SM thread schedulers.Due many compute cores present within this structure,L2 cache is positioned centrally among processors facilitating rapid data transfer between CUDA core units.This design significantly enhances data access efficiency laying groundwork future generations’ developments .
Technical Specifications & Innovations Adopting third-generation streaming processors,Fermis’ each SM contains sixteen Load/Store(LD/ST) units permitting simultaneous calculations for source destination addresses across threads per clock cycle supporting loading storing operations into caches or DRAM respectively.Special Function Units(SFU)s execute transcendental function computations like sine cosine derivatives square roots etc..Each SFU executes one instruction every clock cycle per thread requiring eight cycles complete Warp’s(32-thread group )calculations simultaneously . nDouble precision algorithms serve as core applications high performance scenarios.Fermis’ every individualSM can perform up-to sixteen fused multiply-add(FMA)operations during single clock-cycle.Two warp schedulers two instruction dispatching units exist per eachSM enabling concurrent issuing executing dual warps.CUDA handles primary parallel computation wherein allCUDA processors comprise full pipeline integer arithmetic logic unit(ALU) floating-point unit(FPU);allowing execution either FP32 INT8 formats respectively . nFermis supports new Parallel Thread Execution(PTX2.00)instruction set architecture.CUDA programs referred kernels consist three-tiered structures:Threads Blocks Grids corresponding specific hardware resources where threads share local memories(block-level shared mem.) grid accesses global ones providing flexible access patterns enhancing overall throughput capabilities effectively boosting performance metrics over previous iterations across different workloads . n Historical Background Naming Origin Enrico Fermi was an Italian-American physicist recognized amongst twentieth century’s most significant figures dubbed “father atomic energy era”.His contributions span nuclear physics quantum mechanics statistical mechanics among others major achievements include proposing fermionic statistics describing half-integer spin particles leading Chicago University’s “Fermi pile” project successfully realizing world-first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction participating Manhattan Project pivotal atomic bomb research winning Nobel Prize Physics1938 acknowledging his work utilizing novel radioactive isotopes contributing greatly towards modern science advancements paving way contemporary understanding today. n ### Kepler Architecture(Kepler ,2012) ...