# Nvidia says its GPUs contain 10 to 40 RISC‑V cores, totaling over a billion in 2024

Digest AI · Hardware & Compute · published 2026-09-16T20:30:16Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/nvidia-says-its-gpus-contain-10-to-40-riscv-cores-totaling-over-a-bill

## Summary

Nvidia reports that every GPU includes a set of 10 to 40 small RISC‑V management processors, which it estimates adds up to more than a billion cores shipped in 2024. These cores are not part of the shader array; they handle tasks such as driver functions, power management, security, and video encoding/decoding. The company says the older 32‑bit Falcon microcontrollers were replaced because they lacked 64‑bit address space and a data cache.

Three in‑order RV32I‑MU cores (NV‑RISCV32), out‑of‑order RV64I‑MSU cores (NV‑RISCV64) and a vector‑unit RV32 core (NV‑RVV) are built by Nvidia and wrapped in a subsystem called “Peregrine”. The GPU System Processor (GSP) runs four RV64 cores with cryptographic signatures, preventing unsigned firmware from booting. This design improves latency and enables secure partitioning of a single GPU for virtual machines, but it also limits the openness of Nvidia’s driver stack for Linux users.

## Key points

- Nvidia estimates each GPU houses 10‑40 RISC‑V management cores, leading to over a billion shipped in 2024.
- The RISC‑V cores replace the older 32‑bit Falcon microcontrollers and handle driver, power, security, and video functions.
- Nvidia’s GPU System Processor runs four RV64 cores with cryptographic signatures, limiting open‑source driver control.

## Why it matters

These hidden RISC‑V cores give Nvidia tighter firmware security and control, affecting Linux driver capabilities and future RISC‑V‑based compute platforms, while signaling Nvidia’s commitment to the open ISA for internal GPU management.

## Sources

1. [Every Nvidia GPU has 10 to 30 RISC-V cores inside it](https://xda-developers.com/your-nvidia-gpu-dozens-risc-v-cores-one-took-over-graphics-driver) (xda-developers.com, 2026-09-16)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Nvidia says its GPUs contain 10 to 40 RISC‑V cores, totaling over a billion in 2024", 16 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/nvidia-says-its-gpus-contain-10-to-40-riscv-cores-totaling-over-a-bill

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