Tiny Corp to Release Two Versions of Tinybox System with Different Video Cards
Tiny Corp has announced that they will be releasing two versions of the Tinybox system, each equipped with different video cards. The second option, featuring the NVIDIA graphic processor, came about as a solution to problems with the open firmware for the original model that was based on the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX. The company’s experts worked tirelessly for weeks to address these issues, causing delays in the product launch.
The Tinybox system is designed to effectively run large machine learning models straight out of the box. It is aimed at developers and researchers who require a compact yet powerful solution for intensive calculations.
Initially, Tiny Corp had chosen the flagship AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX GPU, which boasted six graphic processors to tackle AI challenges. The company had reservations about NVIDIA’s product, deeming it to be too performance-intensive and criticizing its closed software stack CUDA.
However, reports soon surfaced about driver and firmware failures leading to system freezes in the Radeon-based models. Tiny Corp repeatedly requested AMD to open the source code of Micro Engine Scheduler (MES) to allow for independent bug fixes without having to wait for patches, causing delays in the launch of the initial model.
Considering alternatives, even an option with Intel ARC Alchemist video cards was on the table due to Intel’s open-source support. There were also discussions about introducing the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU, albeit reluctantly, with acknowledgment that it offered stable performance.
Founder George Khotz had expressed optimism about AMD eventually opening the MES source code, but AMD’s CEO Lisa Su declined the request on March 23. Despite ongoing challenges with the AMD version, developers encouraged users to collaborate on improving its stability.
Despite initial reservations, Tiny Corp will proceed with the release of the Tinybox system based on the RTX 4090, citing its reliability. The company also hinted at an upcoming announcement from AMD, suggesting potential progress on stability issues with the RX 7900 XTX.
Looking ahead, Tiny Corp may introduce a Tinybox model with Intel ARC A770, with a prototype in existence but no set release date. A projected price of $10,000 was mentioned in one of the company’s recent surveys.