Nvidia quietly launches free software update for its AI mini PC which turns it into an external AI accelerator for Apple's MacBook Pro (www.techradar.com)

Nvidia has quietly rolled out a significant software update that transforms its DGX Spark AI mini PC into an external AI accelerator for Apple's MacBook Pro, enabling users to offload heavy AI processing tasks. This update focuses on enhancing support for local open-source AI frameworks and models, allowing users to run large language models without depending on cloud infrastructure. Powered by the GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip, the DGX Spark features a robust combination of CPU and GPU cores with 128GB of unified memory, streamlining workflow for AI developers and creatives alike. The update promises performance boosts of up to 2.5x, primarily through improvements in TensorRT-LLM, quantization, and decoding techniques. Notably, the implementation of DGX Spark playbooks will simplify the setup process by providing reusable workflows tailored for on-premises execution, minimizing custom configuration efforts. Furthermore, the integration of tools like PyTorch and LlamaIndex, along with optimizations for models such as Qwen-235B, aims to enhance user efficiency significantly. This development is particularly important for professionals in AI and creative fields, as it allows for seamless integration of AI capabilities into existing systems, ultimately reducing rendering times for complex tasks like video generation and 3D workflows.