Abstract Vortex introduces an ISA extension to RISC-V that supports GPGPUs and graphics, aiming to reduce the complexities associated with open-source GPU frameworks. This paper details the design and implementation of Vortex, a PCIe-based software and hardware stack.

Key Insights:

• Minimized ISA changes for sustainable ecosystem development
• Implementation on FPGA showing feasibility of OpenCL and OpenGL support
• Scalability up to 32 cores with 25.6 GFlops performance at 200 MHz

Opinion: The proposed minimal changes to the ISA make Vortex a promising project for the future of open-source GPU infrastructure. This approach could significantly influence future developments in machine learning, graph analytics, and graphics rendering. Further research could explore the optimization of these extensions to enhance performance and compatibility.