Moving data between processors now consumes more energy than computing on it. Optical interconnects that integrate lasers and modulators on the package have gone from conference demos to shipping products, with several accelerator vendors adopting them in the latest generation.
What changes
Racks can be larger, memory can sit further from compute and bandwidth scales without the thermal penalty of driving copper. The remaining challenges are yield and the reliability of lasers over years of operation.
Key takeaways
- Optical links now ship in production accelerators
- Interconnect power drops sharply
- Laser reliability remains a watch item
This story is part of our ongoing coverage of hardware. We will update it as more details emerge.
