NVIDIA GPUs Use RISC-V Cores for Driver Tasks

NVIDIA GPUs hide a secret workforce of RISC-V processors inside their silicon. This discovery matters because these tiny chips manage the heavy lifting for graphics drivers. This architecture contributes to more stable and efficient driver performance. The shift from proprietary cores to open-standard RISC-V marks a significant change in how NVIDIA builds its software stack.

Auxiliary processors handle driver workload since 2018

The GPU vendor uses these RISC-V cores to handle auxiliary tasks that used to burden the main processor. Earlier models relied on a proprietary architecture called Falcon for similar duties. NVIDIA replaced Falcon with RISC-V cores to improve flexibility and reduce chip area constraints. This transition allows the company to update driver logic without redesigning the entire GPU silicon.

• RISC-V Core Count: 10-40 cores
• Previous Architecture: Falcon
• Driver Responsibility Start: 2018

Each GPU model contains between 10 and 40 RISC-V cores depending on the specific variant. These cores have been handling significant portions of the graphics driver workload since 2018. The exact number of cores varies by model, but the range is consistent across recent hardware. This design offloads complex scheduling and memory management tasks from the primary compute units.

Regular users cannot directly program these RISC-V cores for custom tasks. NVIDIA manages the firmware and software running on these auxiliary processors internally. The Falcon architecture previously lacked 64-bit address space and full operating system execution capabilities. RISC-V cores provide a robust foundation for running complex driver software.

This internal architecture detail shows how NVIDIA optimizes driver performance. The use of RISC-V cores for driver tasks has been confirmed for several years. This hardware-software integration supports driver stability. The specific core counts are technical details rather than marketing features.