GPU & CPU Subsystem Boards

GPU and CPU subsystem boards represent the stage of integration where packaged dies, MCMs, or advanced modules are assembled onto printed circuit boards (PCBs) alongside memory, power delivery, and high-speed interconnects. These boards are delivered as plug-in cards or compute tiles, forming the backbone of AI clusters, HPC servers, and datacenter infrastructure. Subsystem boards bridge semiconductor packaging and full-system deployment, combining silicon, substrates, passives, and thermal solutions into complete compute engines.

Process Overview

• Step 1: Advanced packages (CPUs, GPUs, AI accelerators, memory modules) are mounted onto multi-layer organic PCBs.
• Step 2: Voltage regulator modules (VRMs), passives, and clock management ICs are added to support high-current delivery.
• Step 3: High-bandwidth memory (HBM stacks) or external DIMM slots are integrated as needed.
• Step 4: Interconnects (PCIe, NVLink, Infinity Fabric, CXL) are routed through PCB and connectors.
• Step 5: Thermal solutions (heat spreaders, vapor chambers, liquid cooling plates) are attached for reliable operation.

Key Features

• System-Level Integration: Combines compute, memory, power, and thermal management into a functional board.
• High-Speed Connectivity: Supports PCIe Gen5/Gen6, NVLink, Infinity Fabric, or CXL interconnects.
• Power Delivery: VRMs deliver hundreds of amps to CPUs/GPUs with sub-millivolt regulation.
• Thermal Design: Active and liquid-cooled designs for accelerators exceeding 700W TDP.
• Form Factors: Standardized boards (OAM, PCIe, SXM) enable integration into servers and AI racks.

Representative Examples

Key Considerations

• Thermals: Cooling is the dominant challenge; GPUs and accelerators now exceed 700–1000W per board.
• Signal Integrity: High-speed SerDes (>100 Gbps per lane) demand advanced PCB stack-ups and materials.
• Scalability: Boards must connect seamlessly into rack-level topologies (NVLink, NVSwitch, CXL fabrics).
• Reliability: Boards endure datacenter-grade duty cycles with strict MTBF targets.

Market Outlook

Subsystem boards are central to the AI and HPC buildout through 2030. NVIDIA dominates with SXM and Grace Hopper modules, while AMD, Intel, and Tesla push their own heterogeneous designs. Standards like OAM (OCP Accelerator Module) and CXL are shaping future boards, while power and thermal density remain bottlenecks. As AI clusters scale toward exaflop levels, subsystem boards will become more specialized, with closer co-design of silicon, packaging, power delivery, and system cooling.

Beyond Datacenters

While GPU and CPU subsystem boards are often associated with datacenter and HPC servers, they are equally critical in other domains where high-performance compute is embedded directly into products. These boards serve as the “brains” of autonomous vehicles, robots, drones, and industrial IoT devices, extending semiconductor integration beyond the rack and into the physical world.

• Automotive Inference Boards: Tesla’s HW5/AI5 full self-driving computers, NVIDIA Drive Orin/Thor boards, and Mobileye EyeQ modules integrate CPUs, GPUs, and accelerators with sensor fusion capabilities. Application: Onboard inference for autonomous driving and ADAS.
• Humanoid & Robotic Control Boards: Multi-chip AI boards that fuse vision, LiDAR, radar, and actuator control. Tesla Optimus and Boston Dynamics-style robots rely on custom subsystem boards as their real-time “perception and decision” engines. Application: Robotics control, navigation, and task execution.
• Drone Perception Stacks: Subsystem boards with sensor fusion, AI inference SoCs, and wireless communication modules enable drones to process data locally for autonomy. Application: Surveillance, logistics, agriculture, and defense UAVs.
• IIoT Edge Devices: Compact AI boards integrate CPUs, NPUs, or FPGAs for industrial edge gateways. These modules handle predictive maintenance, quality inspection, and micro-edge inference near machines. Application: Smart factories, energy grids, and industrial automation.

Cross-Site Relevance

Subsystem boards sit at the boundary between SemiconductorX and system-level domains:

• DatacentersX: Boards scale into servers, racks, and clusters for AI/HPC workloads.
• ElectronsX: Boards enable autonomy in EVs, humanoids, and robotics fleets.
• 5IREnterprise: Boards power IIoT and micro-edge devices in industrial and energy systems.

This makes subsystem boards a strategic convergence point — they are the universal building block that connects silicon manufacturing to real-world intelligent systems.