GPU detective @Harukaze5719 on X (Twitter) has uncovered the existence of a new GPU, codenamed "Skinny Joe," sporting an extremely high 700W TDP. The monstrous TDP aligns with Nvidia's outgoing H100 and incoming H200, which also sports the same power rating. That leads us to suspect that, rather than aiming to be one of the best graphics cards for gaming, 'Skinny Joe' is more likely an updated enterprise GPU rather than a potential RTX 4090 Ti/Super.
Assuming we're correct, while this new enterprise GPU could be anything, the codename suggests it might be a revised Hopper H200 GPU with smaller packaging. The H200 will be one of the fastest GPUs ever, promising improved AI performance and more memory than the existing H100 variants. A new and potentially smaller model could allow Nvidia to squeeze even more H200 GPUs into its DGX rack-mounted servers — or alternatively, shrink the server size from the 6U DGX chassis to something more compact, allowing for more servers per rack.
Other theories include that this new model could also be a PCIe-based version of the GPU, which would greatly expand the H200's compatibility with non-Nvidia-specific hardware. The H100 GPU came in several variants, including a PCIe form factor, a dual-card H100 NVL PCIe model, and several different SXM options. So far, the H200 only comes in an SXM form factor, limiting its compatibility with other solutions.
The problem with the idea of a PCIe variant is the GPU's 700W TDP. The PCIe-based version of the H100 had a maximum power envelope of just 350W, whereas the SXM model was the only model to sport the maxed-out 700W TDP. It's unlikely Nvidia has created an air-cooled PCIe solution that's small enough to fit in a server chassis and also supports a 700W TDP, so we're back to some other form of H200.
It would make sense if this is some new derivative of the H200, with either performance or form factor changes to address certain markets. This would allow Nvidia to further increase its market share and revenue from its already amazingly profitable H100. For some perspective, Nvidia's new Hopper GPUs are in such high demand that it produced over 900 tons of H100 GPUs in just one quarter.
Skinny Joe pic.twitter.com/dtJhFVuAbOJanuary 2, 2024
Could this be an RTX 4090 Ti/Super?
Even though it's very unlikely, it's not entirely out of the question for 'Skinny Joe' to be an RTX 4090 TI/Super. Harukaze5719 doesn't suggest it's an enterprise GPU, and there's a — cough — slim chance that the GPU is, in fact, a gaming card. The timing would be great in that case, as Nvidia is expected to launch its RTX 40-series Super refresh this month during CES 2024. Rumors say there will be new RTX 4070 Super, RTX 4070 Ti Super, and RTX 4080 Super cards. Why not add a new halo RTX 4090 Super to the lineup for good measure?
As we said in the past, Nvidia has plenty of room to make a more powerful variant of the already blisteringly fast (and power hungry) RTX 4090. The AD102 die on the 4090 is not even close to being fully utilized, with the full die packing 12% more CUDA cores and 33% more L2 cache capacity than what the RTX 4090 offers today. On top of this, Nvidia could also increase the memory bandwidth to give the card extra performance. Add in a second 16-pin power connector, and perhaps we might even have fewer issues with melting adapters.
We know Nvidia was thinking about releasing an "RTX 4090 Ti" or similar at some point — or a new Titan GPU. The RTX 4090 Ti/Titan Ada Founders Edition cooler was leaked on Twitter ages ago. But it was reportedly canceled mid-way through development for unknown reasons. (We suspect power requirements were a concern.) But perhaps it wasn't fully canceled and instead underwent a transformation into something else. That's probably just wishful thinking, but if a refreshed 700W gaming GPU does rear its head, don't expect it to come cheap.
