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The quantum computing narrative is intensifying, and IonQ’s CEO claims that their quantum chips will outperform those from NVIDIA and AMD.
**IonQ Plans to Scale Up Quantum Chips to 10,000 Qubits by 2027, but Could They Replace Traditional GPUs?**
There have always been questions about the future of computing or whether GPU manufacturers like NVIDIA or AMD could rely on architectural advancements and even Moore’s Law to scale up performance. One prospect is using quantum computers for applications requiring immense processing power, leading several QC firms to emerge in the market. IonQ, one of these firms, claims they could surpass classical GPUs in various applications, even with the “known age of the universe.”
Of course, IonQ’s CEO Niccolo de Masi’s claims are debatable, but he also stated that NVIDIA’s Blackwell architecture might become outdated by 2027 due to IonQ’s upcoming 10,000-qubit quantum chip. Let’s examine whether QC firms could actually compete with NVIDIA/AMD.
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At their current state, quantum computers excel in specific applications such as optimization, chemistry, and cryptography. However, the situation is different for classical computing.
IonQ’s CEO was speaking to Bloomberg about the acquisition of Oxford Ionics, which has accelerated the company’s roadmap. By 2027, IonQ expects 10,000 physical qubits on a single chip.
Quantum chips are equipped with both physical and logical qubits. Physical qubits act as superconducting circuits to hold encoded data, while logical qubits run error-corrected quantum algorithms that developers use for computation.
Even if we reach two million qubits by 2030, problems classical GPUs can’t handle will become solvable. According to de Masi, Blackwell chips will look outdated long before then—by 2027, with 10,000 qubits developed in partnership with Oxford Ionics, these quantum chips will outperform every supercomputer on Earth.
Comparing quantum chips with classical GPUs is like comparing a Formula 1 car to a cargo truck. The latter excels in parallel workloads with predictable results, while qubit chips target problems that grow exponentially harder for classical machines. The only way companies like IonQ can compete with NVIDIA or AMD GPUs is by increasing logical qubits, which remains the greatest challenge today.
