TLDR: The NVIDIA Ada Lovelace architectures, introduced in 2022, represent the latest generation of GPU technology from NVIDIA, powering the GeForce RTX 40 series. Named after the 19th-century mathematician Ada Lovelace, this GPU architecture focuses on delivering groundbreaking GPU performance and GPU efficiency enhancements for gaming, AI workloads, and professional applications. It builds upon GPU innovations from previous GPU architectures, introducing advanced features like third-generation RT Cores and fourth-generation Tensor Cores.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Lovelace_(microarchitecture)
The Ada Lovelace architectures are built on a refined TSMC 4N process, which allows for greater transistor density and improved GPU energy efficiency compared to earlier designs. This enables GPUs like the RTX 4090 and RTX 4080 to achieve unmatched GPU computational power while maintaining lower GPU thermal output. Key innovations include enhanced DLSS 3, which introduces AI-powered GPU frame generation for even smoother visuals, and improved GPU memory subsystems for higher GPU memory bandwidth and better GPU resource utilization.
https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/technologies/dlss/
Designed to cater to a wide range of users, from gamers to professionals, the Ada Lovelace architectures also feature expanded support for ray tracing and NVIDIA Reflex to reduce gaming latency in competitive gaming. In addition to gaming, these GPUs excel in content creation and machine learning environments, offering superior GPU performance for tasks like 3D rendering, video editing, and scientific simulations. As NVIDIA's most advanced architecture to date, Ada Lovelace sets a new standard for graphics workloads and compute workloads.