A100 Architecture

The NVIDIA A100 GPU, based on the Ampere architecture, is a leading AI accelerator. It features enhanced Tensor Cores, Multi-Instance GPU (MIG) technology for partitioning resources, and High Bandwidth Memory 2 (HBM2) for massive data processing8. Key architectural features of the A100 include: Third-generation Tensor Cores: These cores offer significant performance improvements for deep learning training and inference compared to previous generations. They support mixed-precision computing, combining FP16, FP32, and TF32 for optimal speed8. MIG technology: Allows the A100 to be partitioned into up to seven isolated GPU instances, improving utilization and efficiency. This enables multiple users or applications to share the GPU resources concurrently, maximizing the return on investment. Structural sparsity: A novel technique that leverages the sparse nature of AI mathematics to double the GPU's performance. By identifying and eliminating unnecessary computations, structural sparsity reduces the computational overhead and improves efficiency. HBM2e memory: With up to 80 GB of HBM2e, the A100 provides the world's fastest memory bandwidth, exceeding 2 TB/s. This high bandwidth is crucial for handling the massive datasets and complex computations involved in AI workloads.