AMD reveals world's first Ultra Ethernet 400 Gbps network card

The exponential growth fueled by the demand for even more sophisticated artificial intelligence-powered models has resulted in supporting technologies getting an upgrade as well.

One of those sectors is networking, as these AI models need consistent, low-latency communication capabilities, fast data transfer speeds, and programmable features. AMD has unveiled a new solution to this growing problem, and it's called the Pensando Pollara 400. This fully programmable Ethernet-ready network interface card (NIC) is capable of pushing 400 Gbps and is specifically designed for AI cluster networking, which predominantly comes in the form of large-scale large language models (LLMs).

Unfortunately, the expansive, power-hungry nature of AI systems is outpacing the developments of Ethernet, meaning manufacturers are now turning to AI-tailored networking solutions such as the Pensando Pollara 400. According to AMD, its new NIC is designed around GPU-to-GPU communication and is tailored for data transfer within AI networks. Moreover, AMD believes its Pensando Pollara 400 will be capable of providing buyers with up to sixfold performance boost for AI workloads.

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The new NIC enables users to customize, program, and optimize network processes, and according to AMD, it will become commercially available in the first half of 2025.