Start here · Lesson 3 of 18
A chip, a computer or a whole rack?
A chip is one part, a computer combines parts, and a rack holds a much larger group of equipment.
How it works, step by step
Name what you are looking at
H100 SXM is a GPU module for a larger system. Spark is a desktop computer. GB300 NVL72 is a whole rack.
A part, a computer and a rack are different objects.
Count the parts inside
Count 18 compute trays, or shelves of processing equipment. Each holds four GPUs and two Grace CPUs.
18 × 4 = 72 GPUs and 18 × 2 = 36 CPUs.
Choose for the job
Check that the model fits, the software works and the equipment suits its location.
A useful choice for that job, not one winner for every job.
In plain language
A GPU chip or card is a part of a larger computer, while DGX Spark is a computer you can put on a desk. An NVL72 rack combines many GPUs, CPUs and other equipment, rather than being one huge graphics card.
A way to picture it
An engine, a car and a fleet are different things. First check which kind of object a product name describes.
A worked example
The GB300 NVL72 reference rack holds 18 compute trays, which are shelves of processing equipment. Its 18 trays × 4 GPUs = 72 GPUs, and 18 × 2 Grace CPUs = 36 CPUs. A small model may use only 1 GPU; the rest do not automatically join that request.
Keep in mind
A100, H100 and B-series GPU products need compatible systems around them. RTX cards need a compatible computer too. A Jetson module is one part; a Jetson developer kit adds a board and connections for development. Choose a system that fits the model, supports its software and suits where it will be used.
What these words mean
- GPU module
- A GPU and its supporting parts, made to fit into a compatible larger system.
- Developer kit
- A system built around a module, adding the board and connections needed to try it out.
- Compute tray
- A shelf-sized unit holding processing equipment inside a rack.
- Rack-scale
- Many parts designed to work together across a rack. They also need connections, power and cooling.
What is GB300 NVL72?
A rack with 72 GPUs and other equipment. This rack contains 72 separate GPUs plus other equipment. A request only uses the GPUs assigned to it, not automatically the whole rack.
Where this comes from
This explanation is checked against primary documentation. The small arithmetic examples are ours and are not hardware measurements or vendor benchmarks.