A Brief but Mysterious Announcement
A new NVIDIA-powered mini PC from ASUS briefly appeared online before being swiftly taken down. The sudden removal, first spotted by Frandroid, has sparked speculation—was it an accidental early release, or a last-minute cancellation? Most signs suggest that the announcement was simply published too soon, with the official unveiling likely set for Computex in May.
If the rumours hold true, NVIDIA is gearing up for a major move into the PC processor market. Traditionally trailing behind Intel and AMD in standard computer architecture, the graphics card giant may now be poised for a breakthrough. With the rise of ARM-based chips, NVIDIA has a unique opportunity to deliver a machine where it controls both the processor and the graphics unit, marking a significant shift in its strategy.
A Compact Powerhouse
According to the now-removed ASUS announcement, the device in question would feature an NVIDIA GB10 “superchip,” combining a 20-core Grace processor with a Blackwell GPU. This aligns with NVIDIA’s DIGITS project, first introduced at CES in January.
The performance claims are staggering: 1 petaflop of computing power and 1000 TOPS for artificial intelligence applications. The system would also include 128GB of unified memory, capable of handling AI models with up to 200 billion parameters. Such specifications place this mini PC well beyond the needs of regular consumers, making it a high-end solution targeted at professionals and AI researchers.
Modular Performance and Pricing Questions
One particularly intriguing feature of this system is its modularity. With an NVIDIA ConnectX network card, multiple units could be linked together to combine their computing power. Early reports suggest that just two of these machines would be sufficient to run the Llama 3.1 AI model, which boasts an impressive 405 billion parameters.
Pricing remains a critical factor. At a recent conference, NVIDIA hinted at a price tag of around $3,000—a steep figure for average consumers but potentially appealing to startups, small businesses, and research institutions seeking cutting-edge performance. The upcoming Computex event in May is expected to provide definitive details on availability and the positioning of this extraordinary machine.