A new Arm-based processor for data centers

Google Cloud Next 2024 started with the announcement of Axion, the first Arm-based CPU developed by technology giant Google for data centers. This processor aims to open a new page in the field of data processing capacity and energy efficiency. According to Google’s statements, Axion offers 30% higher performance compared to the fastest current general-purpose Arm-based tools, while providing 50% better performance and 60% more energy efficiency compared to similar x86-based virtual machines. This makes even more sense as Axion is already being used in services like BigTable and Google Earth Engine.

The impact Axion will have on the industry

The launch of Axion brings Google closer to competing with giants like Amazon. Amazon has taken a leading role in the data center industry with its own Arm-based processors, Graviton. Other chip developers such as Nvidia are also developing Arm-based processors for data centers, and significant progress is being made in this field.

Google has been making efforts to develop its own processors for years; However, these initiatives were generally limited to consumer-oriented products. While the first Arm-based Tensor processor was included in the Pixel 6 series, later versions of this technology continued to be used in new Pixel models. Previously, Google developed “Tensor Processing Unit” (TPU) for data centers and first started using these units in its own data centers in 2015.

Arm-based processors generally stand out as lower-cost and more energy-efficient alternatives. Google’s announcement comes just after Arm CEO Rene Haas warned about the energy consumption of AI models. Haas emphasized that the electricity needs of models such as ChatGPT are insatiable. He stated that these systems, which collect more and more information, cause more energy consumption to become smarter. Haas noted that AI data centers could consume 20% to 25% of the US’s energy needs by the end of this decade, underlining the need for greater efficiency to sustain continued progress.

With Axion, Google is taking a revolutionary step in data centers, setting new standards in performance and energy efficiency. This new processor is designed to meet current and future data processing needs, while also demonstrating a commitment to sustainable technology practices. Axion’s competition with other major players in the industry and its contribution to technological progress seem to become even more evident in the coming period.