VideoCardz discovered an event invitation from ASUS indicating that a physical system based on NVIDIA’s GB10 Grace Blackwell platform will be launched on July 22. ASUS plans to reintroduce its Ascend GX10 mini PC on that day. However, the presentation revealed little about the launch timing or actual pricing, although NVIDIA had previously mentioned both pieces of information.
The flyer released by VideoCardz states: “ASUS Ascent GX10 Product Launch: Explore the powerful features of the compact ASUS Ascent GX10. Learn about its key advantages and how it empowers AI development. NVIDIA keynote speaker: Listen to NVIDIA experts discuss the cutting-edge features of the DGX Spark software stack and how they redefine AI performance.”
The description clearly indicates that the ASUS Ascend GX10 system transcends the category of a “mini PC” and positions the device directly in the workstation and edge AI domain.
NVIDIA’s GB10 Superchip System-in-Package (SiP) integrates the Grace CPU, which contains 10 high-performance Arm Cortex-X925 cores running at up to 3.90 GHz, along with 10 low-power Cortex-A725 cores, and also integrates the Blackwell GPU, capable of delivering 1 PetaFLOPS of FP4 compute throughput for AI workloads. The SiP features a 256-bit memory interface, supporting 128GB of unified LPDDR5X memory with a bandwidth of up to 273 GB/s, comparable to the memory subsystem of Apple’s M4 Pro.
NVIDIA positions the GB10 platform as an AI solution that offers data center-level performance in a compact form factor, suitable for workstation and edge deployments. However, the platform is expected to be priced steeply, and ASUS has not yet disclosed specific pricing.
NVIDIA emphasizes that the unified memory architecture of the SiP, massive FP4 throughput, and strong single-thread performance are key advantages compared to traditional CPU-GPU configurations. Therefore, NVIDIA has designed the GB10 as an ideal solution for building and running LLMs, generative AI applications, and other high-demand workloads on desktop systems.
However, leaked GB10 Geekbench performance data may be disappointing. According to the leaked benchmark data, the GB10’s general computing performance in Geekbench is close to that of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite, and even approaches Apple’s M3 processor. Given that this processor targets AI workstations, high single-thread performance remains a crucial factor.
ASUS’s Ascend GX10 mini PC is expected to be very similar to NVIDIA’s own $3,000 DGX Spark small system. In addition to ASUS, Dell, HP, and Lenovo are also preparing their versions of the DGX Spark, although the pricing and positioning of these machines remain unclear.
As mentioned, NVIDIA has also released the DGX Spark, but this is not NVIDIA’s first foray into the desktop space. The GPU giant has been providing Jetson development kits for years and is set to launch a new model, the Orin Nano Super, in December 2024.
The new machine is essentially just a matured Jetson but with more powerful computing capabilities.
NVIDIA has not disclosed whether it will offer the GB10 to other PC manufacturers—a tantalizing prospect that could shake up the market.
As it stands, this machine seems more like a way to acclimate users to NVIDIA’s more powerful Grace-Blackwell superchip, such as the GB200 and GB200 NVL4 we previously studied.
The reason is simple: the Arm Neoverse V2 cores used in the NVIDIA Grace CPU were released over two years ago and were designed with data center workloads in mind.
This is not to say that NVIDIA won’t eventually push the GB10 into the gaming and graphics core product market like the Tegra series SoCs. If the GB10 uses CPU cores that are more advanced than the first-generation Grace CPU, this is certainly not impossible.
Source/Author: Semiconductor Industry Observation
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