Ironwood TPU

Ironwood TPU Latest News

Google recently introduced Ironwood, their seventh-generation Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), marking a pivotal leap in AI technology. 

About Ironwood TPU

• It is Google’s seventh-generation Tensor Processing Unit (TPU).
  • TPUs are custom-built chipsets aimed at AI and machine learning (ML) workflows. 
  • These accelerators offer extremely high parallel processing, especially for deep learning-related tasks, as well as significantly high power efficiency.
• Designed specifically for inference — a process where AI models make predictions based on learned data — Ironwood is the most powerful, scalable, and energy-efficient TPU Google has ever developed.
• Ironwood signifies a shift from reactive AI models, which respond to queries, to proactive systems that generate insights independently. 
• This evolution defines what Google calls the “age of inference,” where AI agents autonomously retrieve and synthesise data to offer comprehensive answers, not just raw information.
• The Ironwood chip comes with a peak compute of 4,614 teraflops (TFLOP), which is a considerably higher throughput compared to its predecessor, Trillium.
• Google also plans to make these chipsets available as clusters to maximise the processing power for higher-end AI workflows.
• Ironwood can be scaled up to a cluster of 9,216 liquid-cooled chips linked with an Inter-Chip Interconnect (ICI) network. 
• At its most expansive cluster, Ironwood chipsets can generate up to 42.5 exaflops of computing power. 
• Google claimed that its throughput is more than 24X of the compute generated by the world's largest supercomputer, El Capitan, which offers 1.7 Exaflops per pod. 
• Ironwood TPUs also come with expanded memory, with each chipset offering 192GB, which is six times more than its predecessor, Trillium.

Ironwood TPU FAQs

Q1. What is ironwood TPU?

Ans. It is Google’s seventh-generation Tensor Processing Unit (TPU).

Q2. What is the peak compute power of a single Ironwood TPU chip?

Ans. 4,614 teraflops (TFLOP)

Q3. What is the total computing power (in exaflops) of Ironwood at full cluster capacity?

Ans. 42.5 exaflops

Source: TH