NVIDIA announced the launch of the Spectrum-X Photonics and Quantum-X Photonics network switch platforms at GTC 2025, utilizing silicon photonics technology. The new platforms increase data transfer speeds per port to 1.6 Tb/s, with a total transmission capacity of 400 Tb/s, enabling seamless collaboration among millions of GPUs. NVIDIA stated that compared to traditional networking solutions, the new switches offer higher bandwidth, lower power loss, and greater reliability.
Reportedly, the Spectrum-X Photonics Ethernet and Quantum-X Photonics InfiniBand platforms support speeds of 1.6 Tb/s per interface, with different interface configurations boosting total bandwidth to 400 Tb/s. NVIDIA’s Spectrum-X Photonics switch provides multiple configurations, including 128 800 Gb/s interfaces or 512 200 Gb/s interfaces, with a total bandwidth of 100 Tb/s. Higher-end versions support 512 800 Gb/s ports or 2,048 200 Gb/s ports, reaching a total throughput of 400 Tb/s.
The Quantum-X Photonics series features 144 800 Gb/s InfiniBand interfaces and employs 200 Gb/s SerDes technology for efficient data transmission. Compared to previous-generation networking solutions, Quantum-X doubles performance and increases AI computational scalability by five times, enabling it to handle high-intensity workloads and support the construction of larger AI clusters.
The Quantum-X InfiniBand switch is equipped with a liquid cooling system to prevent overheating of the integrated silicon photonics chips during high-efficiency operation. NVIDIA stated that the new networking platforms deliver 3.5 times higher energy efficiency, 10 times greater network reliability, and 63 times stronger signal integrity, effectively reducing power consumption and enhancing long-term operational performance. Additionally, deployment speed is improved by 1.3 times, making these switches a more efficient solution for hyperscale AI data centers.
NVIDIA’s Spectrum-X Photonics Ethernet and Quantum-X Photonics InfiniBand platforms utilize TSMC’s COUPE silicon photonics platform, integrating 65nm electronic integrated circuits (EIC) with photonic integrated circuits (PIC) using TSMC’s SoIC-X packaging technology.
Furthermore, NVIDIA has partnered with Taiwanese manufacturers such as Foxconn, SPIL, and Broadcom, as well as U.S., Chinese, and Japanese companies including Coherent, Corning, Lumentum, SENKO, Sumitomo Electric, and TFC, to establish a silicon photonics ecosystem, ensuring a stable supply chain and further solidifying its advantage in proprietary hardware.
NVIDIA expects the Quantum-X InfiniBand switch to be released by the end of 2025, while the Spectrum-X Photonics Ethernet switch will debut in 2026.
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