NCP-AII Question 6
Single answerA data scientist reports that an AI training job running on a server with multiple GPUs has suddenly slowed down significantly. Upon investigation, you notice that one GPU is running at a much higher temperature and has significantly reduced performance compared to the others. What is the most likely cause of the issue?
- A
The GPU's fan may have failed, causing it to overheat.
- B
The AI training job is not optimized for multi-GPU execution.
- C
The network card is experiencing high latency, causing delays in data transfer.
- D
Insufficient system memory is causing the GPU to throttle its performance.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The most likely cause of the issue is a failed GPU fan, as the overheating and reduced performance are classic signs of thermal throttling. This highlights the importance of monitoring hardware health and ensuring cooling systems are functioning correctly.
- A. Correct.
A failed GPU fan can cause the GPU to overheat, triggering thermal throttling that slows down performance. This is consistent with the symptoms described in the scenario (one GPU overheating and underperforming).
- B. Incorrect.
While poor optimization for multi-GPU execution can affect performance, it would not explain why one GPU is overheating and underperforming compared to the others.
- C. Incorrect.
Network card issues can affect data transfer speed, but they are unlikely to cause overheating or isolated performance issues on a single GPU.
- D. Incorrect.
Insufficient system memory can result in system-wide performance degradation but is not directly related to overheating or isolated GPU performance issues.