Cisco HCI-GPU-A100-80 | A100 80GB PCIe GPU, 300W Passive, MIG-Enabled, HBM2e

Q: What is Multi-Instance GPU (MIG) and how does it work on this card?
A: MIG allows the A100 to be partitioned into up to seven isolated GPU instances, each with dedicated memory bandwidth, L2 cache, and compute resources. Each instance operates as an independent GPU visible to the operating system, enabling multiple users or workloads to share a single card efficiently while maintaining performance isolation and quality of service.

Q: Is this GPU compatible with standard PCIe servers?
A: This GPU requires PCIe Gen4 x16 slot support and adequate system airflow for passive cooling. Cisco requires GPU cards to be procured from Cisco as they contain a unique SBIOS ID required by CIMC and UCSM management. The card is validated for Cisco UCS C-Series rack servers and HX-Series HyperFlex systems.

Q: What are the primary use cases for the A100 80GB?
A: The A100 80GB excels in AI model training with large datasets, deep learning inference, natural language processing, computer vision, recommendation systems, high-performance computing simulations, data analytics, and scientific computing. The 80GB memory capacity supports training of the largest neural network models and processing of massive datasets that would not fit in GPUs with smaller memory.

Q: What power and cooling requirements does this GPU have?
A: The A100 80GB PCIe operates at a maximum TDP of 300W and uses passive cooling with a heatsink design. It requires one 8-pin PCIe auxiliary power connector in addition to PCIe slot power. Adequate server chassis airflow is essential to maintain the card within thermal operating limits.

Q: How does the PCIe version compare to the SXM version?
A: The PCIe version uses a standard PCIe Gen4 x16 interface with 64 GB/s bandwidth and 300W TDP, while the SXM version uses NVLink baseboards with 600 GB/s NVLink interconnect and 400W TDP. The PCIe version offers broader server compatibility and easier integration into standard infrastructure, while SXM provides higher memory bandwidth (2,039 GB/s vs 1,935 GB/s) and improved multi-GPU scaling.