Nvidia has updated the Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit. The new version, called “Super” by Nvidia, is reportedly up to 68% faster than its predecessor due to increased clock speeds. Buyers of the previous base version can opt for a new JetPack SDK that unlocks this performance boost.
The new model is priced at 249 euros, roughly half the cost of the old model, which was priced at 499 euros. This update is necessary because mobile processors from AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm now include fast AI accelerators that have recently surpassed the base version of the Jetson Orin Nano in speed.
The Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit is described by Nvidia as a System-on-Module (SoM). The board includes a soldered ARM processor with an integrated graphics unit, RAM, and all necessary ports. Essentially, it is a fast single-board computer, similar to a larger Raspberry Pi. The kit is aimed at developers of AI applications as well as hobbyists looking to train their own AI models.
The ports on the Jetson Orin Nano Super remain the same as the previous version. Nvidia has not introduced a new processor for the Jetson Orin Nano Super, so the technology is not entirely new. The processor combines six older ARM cores of the Cortex-A78AE type, which ARM introduced in 2020, and a GPU with 1024 shader cores from Nvidia’s earlier Ampere generation. This GPU was also used in the GeForce RTX 3000 series. Additionally, 32 Tensor cores handle matrix calculations for AI algorithms.
Nvidia achieves the increased performance by boosting the GPU clock speed from 635 to 1020 MHz. This allows the Tensor cores to perform 67 billion operations per second, or 67 TOPS, in the common INT8 data format, up from 40 TOPS previously. To feed data to the processing units faster, Nvidia has soldered faster LPDDR5-6400 memory, which transfers 102.4 GB/s—50% more than the predecessor. This is particularly beneficial for large language models (LLMs). It is unclear if the SDK also increases memory speed on older boards.
The CPU cores receive a small boost from 1.5 to 1.7 GHz. Without a new chip, Nvidia achieves the additional performance through higher power consumption. The Super version can be configured from 7 to 25 watts, compared to the previous 7 to 15 watts.
The carrier board offers standard connection ports, including Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbit/s), USB-C, DisplayPort 1.2, two camera connections, and dual M.2 slots with Key M and Key E for an NVMe SSD and a Wi-Fi module.
Further details are available on the Nvidia blog. Technical specifications can be found in the datasheet of the Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit. German retailers currently list only the older, slower version at a high price of over 500 euros. Note: The Jetson Nano (without Orin) uses a slower processor and is priced from 249 euros.