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đȘ TWiC: TPU v8, Intel Rises Up, Marvell-Polariton
Brief
TPU v8, Intel's comeback, and Marvell's Polariton acquisition are the focus of Vikram Sekar's Apr 24, 2026 TWiC. Google introduced two TPU v8 SKUs â v8t for training and v8i for inference â noting the 8i has substantially larger onâchip SRAM (3Ă the training chip) and higher HBM capacity, and uses Arm Axion CPUs as head nodes. Google is also shifting networking: Virgo (OCS, high radix) replaces Jupiter for scaleâout, while a Boardfly approach connects 4 chips/board Ă 8 boards/rack Ă 36 groups/pod for 1,152 TPUs per pod; training retains a 3D torus. Intelâs AI business now represents ~60% of revenue with 40% YoY growth, plus EMIB packaging demand and improving 18A yields; Eric Demers was hired as Chief GPU architect in 2026. Marvell bought Polariton to deploy SPPâbased plasmonic phase shifters that promise lower capacitance, faster modulation, and reduced power for photonics.
Why it matters
Google (announced at Google Cloud Next, Apr 2026) launched TPU v8 as two SKUs â v8t for training and v8i for inference â with the 8i featuring 3Ă more onâchip SRAM than the training chip and higher HBM capacity; Arm Axion CPUs are used as head nodes.
Key details
- Google changed datacenter networking: Virgo (using highâradix Optical Circuit Switches) replaces Jupiter; scale-up for inference uses a Boardfly approach (4 TPU 8i per copper board, 8 boards per rack via AEC, 36 groups per pod via OCS) yielding 1,152 TPUs per pod, while training still relies on a 3D torus.
- Intel reported AIâdriven business is ~60% of revenue and grew 40% yearâoverâyear (per its earnings call); the company is seeing EMIB packaging backlogs, improving 18A yields, and hired Eric Demers earlier in 2026 as Chief GPU architect.
- Marvell announced acquisition of Swiss startup Polariton Technologies to integrate plasmonic phase modulators: electroâoptic dielectric waveguides that use surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) to enable very small modulators with low parasitic capacitance, higher modulation speed, and lower power.