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Abstract
Take remote work to the next level with NVIDIA A16. Combined with NVIDIA Virtual PC (vPC) or NVIDIA RTX Virtual Workstation (vWS) software, the A16 enables virtual desktops and workstations with the power and performance to tackle any project from anywhere.
This product guide provides essential presales information to understand the NVIDIA A16 GPU and its key features, specifications, and compatibility. This guide is intended for technical specialists, sales specialists, sales engineers, IT architects, and other IT professionals who want to learn more about the NVIDIA A16 GPU and consider its use in IT solutions.
Change History
Changes in the September 15, 2023 update:
- Added the Controlled status column to Table 1 - Part number information section
Introduction
Take remote work to the next level with NVIDIA A16. Combined with NVIDIA Virtual PC (vPC) or NVIDIA RTX Virtual Workstation (vWS) software, the A16 enables virtual desktops and workstations with the power and performance to tackle any project from anywhere. Purpose-built for high-density, graphics-rich virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) and leveraging the NVIDIA Ampere architecture, A16 provides double the user density versus the previous generation, while ensuring the best possible user experience.
Did you know?
When combined with NVIDIA RTX Virtual Workstation (vWS) software, the A16 enables affordable entry-level virtual workstations ideal for running workloads such as computer-aided design (CAD). The A16 features a unique quad-GPU board design enabling the provisioning of mixed user profile sizes, so IT can support light virtual PC workloads as well as users with larger memory and graphics requirements. Mixing user types on a board is also supported, enabling the provisioning of virtual PCs, virtual workstations, and even virtualized compute on a single board.
Part number information
The following table shows the part numbers for the NVIDIA A16 GPU.
The NVIDIA A16 GPU is not Controlled which means the GPU is unrestricted and is available in all markets.
The PCIe option part numbers includes the following:
- One NVIDIA A16 GPU with full-height (3U) adapter bracket attached
- Documentation
GPUs without a CEC chip: The NVIDIA A16 GPU is offered without a CEC chip (look for "w/o CEC" in the name). The CEC is a secondary Hardware Root of Trust (RoT) module that provides an additional layer of security, which can be used by customers who have high regulatory requirements or high security standards. NVIDIA uses a multi-layered security model and hence the protection offered by the primary Root of Trust embedded in the GPU is expected to be sufficient for most customers. The CEC defeatured products still offer Secure Boot, Secure Firmware Update, Firmware Rollback Protection, and In-Band Firmware Update Disable. Specifically, without the CEC chip, the GPU does not support Key Revocation or Firmware Attestation. CEC and non-CEC GPUs of the same type of GPU can be mixed in field upgrades.
Features
The ThinkSystem NVIDIA A16 64GB Gen4 PCIe Passive GPU offers the following features:
- Designed For Accelerated VDI: Optimized for user density, and combined with NVIDIA vPC software, enables graphics-rich virtual PCs to be accessible from anywhere.
- Affordable Virtual Workstations: Large frame buffer per user for entry-level virtual workstations, with NVIDIA RTX vWS software, running workloads such as computer-aided design (CAD).
- Flexibly Support Diverse User Types: Unique quad-GPU board design enables the provisioning of mixed user profile sizes and user types, such as virtual PCs and virtual workstations, on a single board.
- Superior User Experience: Provides increased frame rate and lower end-user latency, versus CPU-only VDI, resulting in more responsive applications and a user experience that is indistinguishable from a native PC or workstation.
- Double The User Density: Purpose-built for graphics-rich VDI, with support for up to 64 concurrent users per board, in a dual-slot form factor.
- High-Resolution Display: Supports multiple, high resolution monitors to enable maximum productivity and photorealistic quality in a VDI environment.
- More Than 2X The Encoder Throughput: More than double the encoder throughput versus previous generation M10, providing high-performance transcoding and the multiuser performance required for multi-stream video and multimedia.
- Highest Quality Video: Support for the latest codecs, including H.265 encode/decode, VP9, and AV1 decode for the highest-quality video experiences.
- NVIDIA Ampere Architecture: NVIDIA Ampere architecture based CUDA cores, second generation RT-Cores, and third- generation Tensor-Cores provide the flexibility to host virtual workstations powered by NVIDIA RTX vWS software, or to leverage unused VDI resources to run compute workloads with NVIDIA AI Enterprise software.
Technical specifications
The following table lists the specifications of the NVIDIA A16 PCIe GPU.
Server support
The following tables list the ThinkSystem servers that are compatible.
Operating system support
The following table lists the supported operating systems:
Tip: These tables are automatically generated based on data from Lenovo ServerProven.
1 Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS/Ubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
2 The OS is not supported with EPYC 7003 processors.
NVIDIA GPU software
This section lists the NVIDIA software that is available from Lenovo.
NVIDIA vGPU Software (vApps, vPC, RTX vWS)
Lenovo offers the following virtualization software for NVIDIA GPUs:
- Virtual Applications (vApps)
For organizations deploying Citrix XenApp, VMware Horizon RDSH or other RDSH solutions. Designed to deliver PC Windows applications at full performance. NVIDIA Virtual Applications allows users to access any Windows application at full performance on any device, anywhere. This edition is suited for users who would like to virtualize applications using XenApp or other RDSH solutions. Windows Server hosted RDSH desktops are also supported by vApps.
- Virtual PC (vPC)
This product is ideal for users who want a virtual desktop but need great user experience leveraging PC Windows® applications, browsers and high-definition video. NVIDIA Virtual PC delivers a native experience to users in a virtual environment, allowing them to run all their PC applications at full performance.
- NVIDIA RTX Virtual Workstation (RTX vWS)
NVIDIA RTX vWS is the only virtual workstation that supports NVIDIA RTX technology, bringing advanced features like ray tracing, AI-denoising, and Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) to a virtual environment. Supporting the latest generation of NVIDIA GPUs unlocks the best performance possible, so designers and engineers can create their best work faster. IT can virtualize any application from the data center with an experience that is indistinguishable from a physical workstation — enabling workstation performance from any device.
The following license types are offered:
- Perpetual license
A non-expiring, permanent software license that can be used on a perpetual basis without the need to renew. For each perpetual license, customers are also required to purchase a 5-year SUMS support contract. Without this contract, the perpetual license cannot be ordered.
- Annual subscription
A software license that is active for a fixed period as defined by the terms of the subscription license, typically yearly. The subscription includes Support, Upgrade and Maintenance (SUMS) for the duration of the license term.
- Concurrent User (CCU)
A method of counting licenses based on active user VMs. If the VM is active and the NVIDIA vGPU software is running, then this counts as one CCU. A vGPU CCU is independent of the connection to the VM.
The following table lists the ordering part numbers and feature codes.
NVIDIA Omniverse Software (OVE)
NVIDIA Omniverse™ Enterprise is an end-to-end collaboration and simulation platform that fundamentally transforms complex design workflows, creating a more harmonious environment for creative teams.
NVIDIA and Lenovo offer a robust, scalable solution for deploying Omniverse Enterprise, accommodating a wide range of professional needs. This document details the critical components, deployment options, and support available, ensuring an efficient and effective Omniverse experience.
Deployment options cater to varying team sizes and workloads. Using Lenovo NVIDIA-Certified Systems™ and Lenovo OVX nodes which are meticulously designed to manage scale and complexity, ensures optimal performance for Omniverse tasks.
Deployment options include:
- Workstations: NVIDIA-Certified Workstations with RTX 6000 Ada GPUs for desktop environments.
- Data Center Solutions: Deployment with Lenovo OVX nodes or NVIDIA-Certified Servers equipped with L40, L40S or A40 GPUs for centralized, high-capacity needs.
NVIDIA Omniverse Enterprise includes the following components and features:
- Platform Components: Kit, Connect, Nucleus, Simulation, RTX Renderer.
- Foundation Applications: USD Composer, USD Presenter.
- Omniverse Extensions: Connect Sample & SDK.
- Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
- Nucleus Configuration: Workstation, Enterprise Nucleus Server (supports up to 8 editors per scene); Self-Service Public Cloud Hosting using Containers.
- Omniverse Farm: Supports batch workloads up to 8 GPUs.
- Enterprise Services: Authentication (SSO/SSL), Navigator Microservice, Large File Transfer, User Accounts SAML/Account Directory.
- User Interface: Workstation & IT Managed Launcher.
- Support: NVIDIA Enterprise Support.
- Deployment Scenarios: Desktop to Data Center: Workstation deployment for building and designing, with options for physical or virtual desktops. For batch tasks, rendering, and SDG workloads that require headless compute, Lenovo OVX nodes are recommended.
The following part numbers are for a subscription license which is active for a fixed period as noted in the description. The license is for a named user which means the license is for named authorized users who may not re-assign or share the license with any other person.
NVIDIA AI Enterprise Software
Lenovo offers the NVIDIA AI Enterprise (NVAIE) cloud-native enterprise software. NVIDIA AI Enterprise is an end-to-end, cloud-native suite of AI and data analytics software, optimized, certified, and supported by NVIDIA to run on VMware vSphere and bare-metal with NVIDIA-Certified Systems™. It includes key enabling technologies from NVIDIA for rapid deployment, management, and scaling of AI workloads in the modern hybrid cloud.
NVIDIA AI Enterprise is licensed on a per-GPU basis. NVIDIA AI Enterprise products can be purchased as either a perpetual license with support services, or as an annual or multi-year subscription.
- The perpetual license provides the right to use the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software indefinitely, with no expiration. NVIDIA AI Enterprise with perpetual licenses must be purchased in conjunction with one-year, three-year, or five-year support services. A one-year support service is also available for renewals.
- The subscription offerings are an affordable option to allow IT departments to better manage the flexibility of license volumes. NVIDIA AI Enterprise software products with subscription includes support services for the duration of the software’s subscription license
The features of NVIDIA AI Enterprise Software are listed in the following table.
Note: Maximum 10 concurrent VMs per product license
The following table lists the ordering part numbers and feature codes.
Find more information in the NVIDIA AI Enterprise Sizing Guide.
NVIDIA HPC Compiler Software
Auxiliary power cables
The A16 option part number does not ship with auxiliary power cables. Cables are server-specific due to length requirements. For CTO orders, auxiliary power cables are derived by the configurator. For field upgrades, cables will need to be ordered separately as listed in the table below.
Regulatory approvals
The NVIDIA A16 GPU has the following regulatory approvals:
- RCM
- BSMI
- CE
- FCC
- ICES
- KCC
- cUL, UL
- VCCI
Operating environment
The NVIDIA A16 GPU has the following operating characteristics:
- Ambient temperature
- Operational: 0°C to 50°C (-5°C to 55°C for short term*)
- Storage: -40°C to 75°C
- Relative humidity:
- Operational: 5-85% (5-93% short term*)
- Storage: 5-95%
* A period not more than 96 hours consecutive, not to exceed 15 days per year.
Warranty
One year limited warranty. When installed in a Lenovo server, the GPU assumes the server’s base warranty and any warranty upgrades.
Related publications
For more information, refer to these documents:
- ThinkSystem and ThinkAgile GPU Summary:
https://lenovopress.lenovo.com/lp0768-thinksystem-thinkagile-gpu-summary - ServerProven compatibility:
https://serverproven.lenovo.com/ - NVIDIA A16 product page:
https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/data-center/products/a16-gpu/ - NVIDIA Ampere Architecture page
https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/data-center/ampere-architecture/
Trademarks
Lenovo and the Lenovo logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Lenovo in the United States, other countries, or both. A current list of Lenovo trademarks is available on the Web at https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/legal/copytrade/.
The following terms are trademarks of Lenovo in the United States, other countries, or both:
Lenovo®
ServerProven®
ThinkAgile®
ThinkSystem®
The following terms are trademarks of other companies:
AMD is a trademark of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Intel® and Xeon® are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries.
Linux® is the trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries.
Microsoft®, DirectX®, Windows Server®, and Windows® are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.
Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.
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Full Change History
Changes in the September 15, 2023 update:
- Added the Controlled status column to Table 1 - Part number information section
First published: September 10, 2023
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