Lenovo announced a comprehensive set of AMD-based updates to its AI infrastructure portfolio. This includes GPU-rich, thermally efficient systems designed for compute-intensive workloads in a variety of industries, including financial services and healthcare.
New products designed in collaboration with AMD address the growing demand for compute-intensive workloads across the industry and provide the flexibility and scalability needed for AI deployments. They also test Nvidia's dominance in enterprise AI.
Lenovo ThinkSystem SR685a V3 (with AMD MI300X)
The new Lenovo ThinkSystem SR685a V3 is a high-performance GPU server designed for compute-intensive AI workloads such as generative AI and LLM. Developed in conjunction with AMD, it targets workloads that require extremely high I/O bandwidth and large memory capacities.
The new system features a 4th generation AMD EPYC processor and eight AMD Instinct MI300X GPUs, providing the power and memory capacity needed for intense AI tasks. He also supports Nvidia's latest HGXTM GPU for added flexibility.
This server features 1.5 TB of high-bandwidth HBM3 memory, delivering up to 1 TB/s of effective I/O bandwidth. The system also uses AMD's Infinity Fabric interconnect, which provides high-speed connectivity between the CPU and GPU.
Multi-node approach: ThinkSystem SD535 V3
Lenovo ThinkSystem SD535 V3 is a high-performance multi-node server for intensive transaction processing, cloud computing, and large-scale data analysis. Its architecture focuses on maximizing processing power while maintaining thermal efficiency.
This server uses 1S/1U half-width nodes, which accommodate more computing power in a smaller footprint. The 2U chassis can accommodate up to four nodes, providing a scalable, high-density computing solution for your data center.
The new server fits into Lenovo's 2U ThinkSystem D3 chassis, which supports up to four nodes. Lenovo allows you to mix AMD and Intel CPU-based nodes within the same chassis, giving customers welcome flexibility when optimizing their workloads.
ThinkAgile MX455 V3 Edge Premier Solution
Lenovo ThinkAgile MX455 V3 Edge Premier Solution extends AI and real-time data analytics capabilities to the edge. The new solution integrates with Microsoft's Azure Stack HCI to provide a versatile platform that delivers enhanced AI and compute performance while maintaining strong power efficiency. This is ideal for use in distributed edge environments such as retail, manufacturing, and healthcare where on-premises AI is important.
Powered by AMD EPYC 8004 processor, the new ThinkAgile MX455 V3 Edge Premier solution delivers high performance with low power consumption. According to Lenovo, this makes it one of the most power efficient Azure Stack HCI solutions on the market.
Analyst's view
Lenovo's new AI-centric infrastructure systems and solution suite, developed in collaboration with AMD, is an important addition to the company's hybrid AI portfolio. These products, from ThinkSystem SR685a V3 to ThinkAgile MX455 V3 Edge Premier Solution, provide the performance, flexibility, and scalability you need to support the growing demands of AI workloads.
Lenovo's announcement is a solid step in the company's continued efforts to establish itself as a leader in the AI ​​infrastructure space. Lenovo addresses the growing demand for scalable AI solutions across industries by offering a wide range of GPU-rich, thermally efficient systems integrated with flexible as-a-service options and backed by robust professional services. We would like to establish a position where we can make further use of this.
While these solutions are strong additions to Lenovo's portfolio, the real winner may be AMD. Following Dell Technologies' announcement that its December 2023 PowerEdge Masu.
Lenovo has not yet announced support for Intel's new Gaudi 3 accelerator, which competes with AMD's MI300X and Nvidia's latest generation GPUs. However, Intel revealed at the recent Intel Vision event that its accelerators will be available from his Lenovo, HPE, Dell, and Supermicro.
The availability of non-Nvidia accelerators, such as AMD's MI300x and Intel's Gaudi 3, over the next few quarters will be a real test of Nvidia's dominance in the market. If his OEM companies such as Lenovo and Dell Technologies are successful in shipping these accelerators, it will show that Nvidia's dominance is not unbreakable and that the market is ready to choose. We're all watching it.