Bolt Graphics Unveils Zeus GPU Promising 5x Speed Over NVIDIA RTX 5090 in Path Tracing with Half the Power Consumption

Bolt Graphics recently announced the successful tape-out of its highly anticipated Zeus GPU, which promises to outperform NVIDIA’s RTX 5090, boasting an impressive 6x acceleration in High-Performance Computing (HPC) applications and 5x faster Path Tracing capabilities.

Unveiling the Bolt Graphics Zeus GPU: A New Benchmark in Performance

First introduced last year, the Zeus chip has transitioned from concept to reality with its successful tape-out, conducted at TSMC utilizing a 12nm FinFET technology. This definitive progress reassures stakeholders that Zeus is a promising contender in the GPU market.

The Zeus architecture represents a paradigm shift in GPU design by addressing needs beyond gaming, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC).According to Bolt Graphics, the architecture is tailored to be cost-effective, energy-efficient, and compact while offering robust performance.

The Zeus platform integrates a custom GPU architecture with a full software stack to create a unified system designed to operate across multiple compute markets. The platform uses established semiconductor processes, with the test chip designed for TSMC’s 12 FFC. The scalable architecture also addresses advanced nodes, including 5 nm.

via Bolt Graphics

Regarding specifications, the Zeus GPU will be available in two configurations: single-chip and dual-chip variants, designed for both PCIe cards and 2U server setups. Here’s what to expect:

Specifications Overview

The single-chip configuration, known as the “Bolt Zeus 1c26, ”offers an initial set of features:

Single-Slot PCIe, Full Length Form Factor
Floating Point Performance: 5/10/20 TFLOPs (FP64/FP32/FP16)
Integer Performance: 307.2/614.4 TFLOPs (INT16/INT8)
On-Chip Cache: 128 MB
Memory: 32 GB LPDDR5X + Up To 160 GB @ 363 GB/s
DDR5 SO-DIMM Slots: 2
Path Tracing: 77 Gigarays
Supports 2 x 8K60 Streams
Typical Board Power (TBP): 120W

On the other hand, the dual-chiplet variants include the 64 GB and 128 GB models:

Dual-Slot PCIe, Full Length Form Factor
Floating Point Performance: 10/20/40 TFLOPs (FP64/FP32/FP16)
Integer Performance: 614.4/1228.8 TFLOPs (INT16/INT8)
On-Chip Cache: 256 MB
Memory: 64-128 GB LPDDR5X + Up To 320-384 GB @ 725 GB/s
DDR5 SO-DIMM Slots: 4
Path Tracing: 154 Gigarays
Supports 4 x 8K60 Streams
Typical Board Power (TBP): 250W

Performance Insights and Expected Impact

The Bolt Zeus 2U Server configuration is set to elevate performance further, featuring up to 2 GB of on-chip cache, a staggering 9216 GB of memory bandwidth at 5.8 TB/s, and advanced Path Tracing capabilities reaching 1228 Gigarays.

Bolt Graphics claims that Zeus will provide a substantial performance boost, achieving a claimed 5x improvement in Path Tracing capabilities when compared to the RTX 5090, noted for its 575W power consumption. The Zeus GPU, on the other hand, operates at 250W, offering up to a 6x enhancement in HPC tasks. Furthermore, for electromagnetic simulation workloads, there is a striking 300x performance uplift observed, particularly in configurations utilizing four chiplets versus a single RTX 5090.

Zeus vs RTX 5090 Performance Comparison — Image Credit: bolt.graphics

A significant advantage of the Zeus architecture is its utilization of LPDDR5X and DDR5 memory. While these memory types present a lower cost alternative to GDDR DRAM, they still represent a substantial investment in the current market. The Zeus Rack configuration is projected to deliver 19 times greater memory capacity compared to NVIDIA’s RTX PRO Blackwell Rack while maintaining a total cost of ownership (TCO) that is 17 times less than NVIDIA’s HPC and Path Tracing offerings.

As demand for efficient and powerful GPUs continues to rise, the release of the Bolt Zeus could redefine benchmarks in the industry. The company is targeting mass production and product availability by late 2027, hoping the memory prices align favorably with its launch schedule.

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