The Linux 7.2 Kernel Patches have seen the addition of a next-gen NVIDIA GPU architecture, cleverly listed as "Blackwell-Next".
NVIDIA Ramps Up Support For Next-Gen GPU Architectures, Including Blackwell-Next, For Linux 7.2
NVIDIA's GPU architectures are not a mystery since the company has been outlining them in roadmaps for years now. We knew that Rubin was going to replace Blackwell years before its launch, and now we know that Feynman will replace Rubin. NVIDIA has only started volume production of Rubin, but internally, the company is prepping some big support for its next-generation architectures before they even ship.
Phoronix spotted the listing of NVIDIA's Blackwell-Next in a recent Pull Request. The update adds "CXL DVSEC-based" readiness polling for Blackwell-Next. Now, it isn't clear what NVIDIA refers to as Blackwell Next since Blackwell Ultra and Rubin are both successors to the original Blackwell chip. The update is made to the nvgrace-gpu vfio-pci variant driver.
Add CXL DVSEC-based readiness polling for Blackwell-Next in the nvgrace-gpu vfio-pci variant driver, including interruptible, lockless waits to support worst case spec defined timeouts. (Ankit Agrawal)
We know that Grace is the CPU that is coupled with Blackwell GPUs, and Vera is the CPU coupled with Rubin GPUs. But if we were to make a guess, this looks very much like readiness for Rubin being added to the Linux 7.2 kernel.
Now we know that some of us would want to relate this addition to a consumer-oriented product, and as much as we want to see that happen, that isn't unfortunately the case here. NVIDIA is yet to make any concrete announcements on its future consumer products, & while there have been rumors of a GeForce RTX 50 "SUPER" on the horizon, I'd just say that the memory situation isn't making things easier for gamers.
With that said, NVIDIA's AI and HPC lineup continues to see multiple products with Blackwell, Blackwell Ultra, and now Rubin. Next up, NVIDIA will be introducing Rubin Ultra and Feynman, each bringing in massive generation updates, with Feynman bringing a brand new architecture.
About the author: A Software Engineer by training and a PC enthusiast by passion, Hassan Mujtaba serves as Wccftech's Senior Editor for hardware section. With years of experience in the industry, he specializes in deep-dive technical analysis of next-generation CPU and GPU architectures, motherboards, and cooling solutions. His work involves not only breaking news on upcoming technologies but also extensive hands-on reviews and benchmarking.
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