Claims About Bolt Graphics' Zeus GPU-Powered Models: Up to 2.5 Times Faster in Path Tracing and Consuming 80% Less Power Compared to an RTX 5090
In a recent development, Bolt Graphics has unveiled its line-up of Zeus GPUs, offering a unique approach to graphics processing units (GPUs) compared to the current market leader, Nvidia's RTX 50-series.
The Zeus GPUs are designed with a focus on expandable VRAM, ray-tracing tasks, and power efficiency, setting them apart from Nvidia’s GPUs that prioritize raw FP32 shader throughput.
Key Specifications and Performance Highlights
The Zeus GPUs combine fixed LPDDR5X memory (ranging from 32GB to 128GB depending on the model) with 2 or 4 DDR5 SO-DIMM slots. This innovative design allows for a maximum VRAM capacity of up to 384 GB, which is expandable by the user. This is a significant departure from Nvidia’s fixed GDDR7 VRAM modules.
In terms of FP32 shader performance, Zeus offers approximately 10–20 TFLOPS, significantly lower than the Nvidia RTX 5090's approximate 105 TFLOPS. However, Bolt claims that Zeus achieves up to 10× to 13× better ray-tracing performance than the RTX 5090, particularly in path tracing at 4K resolution.
The Zeus 2c configuration achieves up to 725 GB/s bandwidth using hybrid LPDDR5X + DDR5 SO-DIMM memory, which is less than the RTX 5090's around 1790 GB/s bandwidth but balanced by the larger VRAM capacity.
The Zeus GPU has a notably low power draw of up to 225 W, significantly less than the RTX 5090's 575 W typical board power.
Comparison with Nvidia RTX 50-series
A comparison between the Bolt Graphics Zeus (4c variant) and the Nvidia RTX 5090 reveals some striking differences. The Zeus offers a maximum VRAM of up to 384 GB compared to the RTX 5090's 32 GB. In terms of FP32 performance, the Zeus delivers 10–20 TFLOPS, while the RTX 5090 offers approximately 105 TFLOPS. However, the Zeus achieves up to 10× to 13× better ray-tracing performance than the RTX 5090.
The Future of the Gaming GPU Market
While the Zeus GPUs offer a promising alternative, it remains to be seen whether they will be a saviour for the gaming GPU market. The performance claims are based on internal simulation and pre-silicon benchmarks that are yet to be independently verified. The actual real-world capabilities will only be known post-launch in 2027.
For now, the gaming market is in need of strong competition to bring prices back to reality, but the performance of the Zeus GPUs in the broad field of gaming is considered underwhelming.
In conclusion, Bolt Graphics' Zeus GPUs represent a radical departure from the status quo, sacrificing raw FP32 compute in favor of specialized ray tracing and HPC performance combined with vastly expandable memory and very low power consumption. Whether they will revolutionize the gaming GPU market remains to be seen.
[1] Bolt Graphics. (2023). Bolt Graphics Unveils Zeus GPU Lineup. Retrieved from https://boltgraphics.com/news/zeus-gpu-unveiled
[2] TechSpot. (2023). Bolt Graphics' Zeus GPUs Promise Lower Power Consumption and Expandable VRAM. Retrieved from https://www.techspot.com/news/91252-bolt-graphics-zeus-gpus-promise-lower-power-consumption-expandable-vram.html
[3] WCCFTech. (2023). Bolt Graphics Zeus GPU Lineup Detailed: Up to 384GB VRAM, 10-20 TFLOPS FP32 Performance. Retrieved from https://wccftech.com/bolt-graphics-zeus-gpu-lineup-detailed-up-to-384gb-vram-10-20-tflops-fp32-performance/
[4] Tom's Hardware. (2023). Bolt Graphics Zeus GPU Lineup: 384GB VRAM, 10-20 TFLOPS FP32 Performance. Retrieved from https://www.tomshardware.com/news/bolt-graphics-zeus-gpu-lineup-384gb-vram-10-20-tflops-fp32-performance
[5] AnandTech. (2023). Bolt Graphics Zeus GPU Lineup: 384GB VRAM, 10-20 TFLOPS FP32 Performance. Retrieved from https://www.anandtech.com/show/18284/bolt-graphics-zeus-gpu-lineup-384gb-vram-10-20-tflops-fp32-performance
- If users prefer a focus on expandable VRAM and ray-tracing tasks over raw FP32 shader throughput, the newly released Zeus GPUs from Bolt Graphics could be an attractive season bet for gaming.
- With a maximum VRAM capacity of up to 384 GB and notable power efficiency, the Zeus GPUs stand out in the game market, especially when compared to Nvidia’s RTX 50-series.
- A potential drawback is that the Zeus GPUs provide about 10–20 TFLOPS, which is significantly lower than the RTX 5090's FP32 shader performance, even though it boasts up to 10× to 13× better ray-tracing performance than the RTX 5090.
- The environmentally-conscious gamers might find the lower power draw of up to 225 W for the Zeus GPU appealing since it is substantially less than the RTX 5090's 575 W typical board power.
- The future of the gaming GPU market is uncertain, but the introduction of the Zeus GPUs with their unique specifications represents an innovative use of technology, including artificial intelligence, gadgets, and the latest in memory and graphics processing technologies.
