Nvidia Vera: 88-Core Processor Challenges AMD EPYC and Intel Xeon in Linux Benchmarks

Nvidia has released the first benchmarks of its new Vera server processor, tested on Linux. The results show that the 88-core chip can compete with flagship AMD EPYC and Intel Xeon solutions in several key tasks. Testing was conducted at Nvidia’s headquarters in Santa Clara, where specific workloads aligned with the processor’s target use cases were selected.

Vera stands out from competitors thanks to its fully custom Olympus core, built on ARM architecture. This is not Nvidia’s first foray into CPU design: the company previously introduced the Denver core in the Tegra K1 chip. However, Vera is positioned as a high-power server solution, enabling impressive performance in both multi-threaded and single-threaded tasks. Notably, the processor outperformed competitors in Linux kernel compilation and database tests.

Despite promising results, there are limitations. The tests were conducted on a narrow range of tasks, and a complete picture of Vera’s performance will emerge later. Additionally, energy efficiency remains a critical factor for data centers: the processor has a TDP of 450W, with an additional 50W consumed by SOCAMM2 memory. For comparison, competitors reach up to 500W without accounting for memory. A key advantage of Vera is its support for open-source software: all tests were run on a standard Linux kernel without requiring additional drivers or patches.

Amid announcements from AMD and Intel, which are preparing to release processors with 256 and 288 cores respectively, Vera presents a serious challenge to the market. However, time will tell if Nvidia can maintain its leadership amid fierce competition and growing demands for energy efficiency.