Asus has introduced the Ascent GX10, a mini supercomputer designed for AI and machine learning workloads. The system is powered by Nvidia’s GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip, making it a notable addition to the AI computing market.
The Ascent GX10 features Nvidia’s GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip, which integrates a 20-core Arm-based CPU with a Blackwell GPU. This setup delivers up to 1,000 TOPS (Tera Operations Per Second) of AI performance, making it suitable for edge computing and AI model training.
The system supports 128GB of unified memory, allowing it to run large AI models, including those with up to 200 billion parameters. For more demanding applications, two GX10 units can be connected via Nvidia’s ConnectX-7 network interface, enabling support for models with up to 405 billion parameters, such as Meta’s Llama 3.1.
High-performance AI computing is typically confined to large data centers due to space, power, and cooling needs. The Ascent GX10 offers an alternative by providing a powerful AI system in a compact form factor, allowing researchers and developers to run complex AI workloads without requiring large-scale infrastructure.
By integrating the Nvidia Grace Blackwell Superchip, we are providing a powerful yet compact tool that enables developers, data scientists, and AI researchers to innovate and push the boundaries of AI right from their desks,” said KuoWei Chao, General Manager of Asus IoT and NUC Business Group in a press note.
The GX10 can function as a standalone workstation or integrate into private cloud environments, making it adaptable for AI startups, research institutions, and businesses developing AI models.
Asus has not yet announced pricing or availability for the Ascent GX10. However, it is expected to be comparable to Nvidia’s Project Digits, a similar compact AI workstation that the chipmaker announced earlier this year priced at $3,000. Like the GX10, Project Digits is designed to bring high-performance AI computing to smaller-scale environments, suggesting that Asus’ system may enter the market around the same time.
With its compact design and AI processing capabilities, the Ascent GX10 presents a viable alternative for professionals needing local AI computing power without reliance on cloud-based solutions.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.