NVIDIA announces next-generation Turing GPU architecture with architectural advances succeeding Pascal and Volta generations.

According to Reuters, NVIDIA is launching a brand new Turing GPU sometime next month. This news comes just days after the "Ampere" codename surfaced, raising questions about whether the Ampere leak was incorrect or whether these represent two different GPUs entirely. The timing creates an interesting fray of rumor and speculation, though no one except NVIDIA really knows the answer. The revelation that a Turing GPU is launching means either NVIDIA is undergoing a massive rebranding campaign or that Volta will not be making it to the consumer side of things.

The Turing codename refers to Alan Turing, who is considered the father of modern computing and was the chief architect of the British program to break Enigma machine encryption, used by Germany to encrypt communications during World War II. Turing is also the person behind the concept of the Turing machine, a hypothetical device that can simulate any algorithm regardless of how complex it is. Programming languages that can simulate this device are referred to as Turing complete languages.

Two possibilities emerge from this situation. The first is that NVIDIA decided to ditch the Ampere codename because it is very similar to another company—an ARM server maker called Ampere. The second possibility is that NVIDIA decided to fork the upcoming architecture into two distinct flavors, namely Ampere and Turing. Both possibilities are just as likely as NVIDIA has been known to discredit the leak scene in the past, as exemplified by the GeForce GTX 800 series.

The second possibility is more exciting, as it could mean NVIDIA is preparing two distinct products in the consumer space. Since rumors have circulated about a cryptocurrency-focused product from the company soon, the Turing GPU could be marketed as the mining variant. This makes sense because Alan Turing is well known for his work on cryptography and was part of the team that cracked the Enigma machine. If Alan Turing's cryptographic roots are indeed being honored in this new product, it could mean NVIDIA is becoming very serious about cryptocurrencies. The company has already given its customers free reign to use GeForce GPUs in data center environments as long as they are used for 'blockchain mining' purposes, so this wouldn't be entirely out of character.

Of course, there remains the remote possibility that Reuters is simply wrong about this and there is only one GPU which will in fact be called Ampere after all. Before this story can go further, there is not much except speculation, so until NVIDIA makes an official announcement, all claims should be regarded with appropriate caution.