FuriosaAI and Supermicro design a 16-card AI server tray

South Korean AI chip startup FuriosaAI is working with partner Supermicro to design a 16-card AI server tray. Traditional non-rack AI systems usually have up to 8 XPU units per node, but this new design allows bigger connections, reducing data movement between trays and boosting efficiency.

The server uses a 'sandwich' structure with two motherboards, each having 8 PCIe slots, sharing one cooling system. For other parts, FuriosaAI will use Astera Labs' high-channel switch chips, raising the NIC to Switch ratio from 4:1 to 16:1 for better data transfer.