# Episode 28: A Whole Lot of Custom Going On

- Show: [The Circuit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit)
- Published: 2023-08-07
- Length: 40m
- Episode: 30
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2023-08-07-episode-28-a-whole-lot-of-custom-going-on
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/a8607c40

## Summary

Ben Bajarin and Jay Goldberg discuss the hidden growth of custom silicon, highlighting Amazon's aggressive push with Graviton, Inferentia, and Trainium chips to achieve performance parity and energy efficiency. They explore how hyperscalers like Google, Microsoft, and AWS are developing semi-custom networking chips (e.g., Nitro) to reduce latency for AI workloads, while noting that automotive OEMs in China are increasingly licensing RISC-V IP for critical systems like ADAS and sensor fusion. The hosts analyze why these custom efforts remain under-reported and how consumer electronics marketing strategies may eventually drive automakers to brand their own silicon.

## Chapters

- [0:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2023-08-07-episode-28-a-whole-lot-of-custom-going-on#t=18) Introduction: Custom Silicon Trends and Amazon's Strategy
- [4:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2023-08-07-episode-28-a-whole-lot-of-custom-going-on#t=267) Amazon Graviton Evolution: Performance, Power, and TCO
- [10:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2023-08-07-episode-28-a-whole-lot-of-custom-going-on#t=629) AI-Driven Software Optimization and AWS Architecture Limits
- [17:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2023-08-07-episode-28-a-whole-lot-of-custom-going-on#t=1051) Semi-Custom Networking Chips at Hyperscalers (Google, Microsoft, AWS)
- [23:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2023-08-07-episode-28-a-whole-lot-of-custom-going-on#t=1420) Automotive Custom Silicon: RISC-V, Chinese OEMs, and Consumer Marketing
- [35:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2023-08-07-episode-28-a-whole-lot-of-custom-going-on#t=2118) RISC-V vs. ARM Core Volume and Market Tracking

## Topics

- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Amazon (company)
- Graviton (product)
- Inferentia (product)
- Trainium (product)
- Nitro (product)
- Google (company)
- Microsoft (company)
- Qualcomm (company)
- NXP (company)
- RISC-V (chip)
- Apple (company)
- Tesla (company)
- Ford (company)
- Broadcom (company)
- Marvell (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [How Much is Enough for Hyperscale Companies?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2019-07-26-how-much-is-enough-for-hyperscale-companies) (EE Times Current)
- [Infineon’s $10B Gambit |Wally Rhines at DAC | IEEE ‘Reviewgate’](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2019-06-07-infineons-10b-gambit-wally-rhines-at-dac-ieee-reviewgate) (EE Times Current)
- [Silicon 100: Startups Worth Watching in 2023](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2023-08-01-silicon-100-startups-worth-watching-in-2023) (EE Times Current)
- [Monte Carlo Formula E Race | Trade War: China’s View | AI @ Hot Chips](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2019-05-31-monte-carlo-formula-e-race-trade-war-chinas-view-ai-hot-chips) (EE Times Current)
- [Interview: AMD CTO Papermaster | Interview: Imagination CEO Black | Where to Invest in 2020](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2020-01-24-interview-amd-cto-papermaster-interview-imagination-ceo-black-where-to-invest-in) (EE Times Current)

## Citing this page

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