How It Works

Unlock Your Project's Potential

Discover how Bolt empowers projects across various industries with advanced graphics processor solutions, tailored support, and comprehensive integration services.

What is Ray Tracing?

Ray Tracing simulates how light interacts with a scene or environment, providing realistic reflections, shadows, and more. It can be used to create photorealistic renders (like a camera) or stylized renders that blend artistic intent with physical form and lighting.

Ray Tracing is utilized across industries like film production, architecture, game development, product design and advertising. It has grown exponentially over the past few years and can now be used to create the impossible.

But most people have no idea about the process behind creating these digital assets even though it’s most industries’ go-to rendering technique. The film industry has shared the most about creating ray traced visuals and models, so we compiled some videos showing the process to get to a ray traced film.

Reduce Power Consumption Without Compromising Performance

Not only does ray tracing take a ton of time, it also consumes a considerable amount of power – a small installation of 500 modern CPU servers can consume 550,000 watts when rendering.

As electricity costs rise, we’re aware of the added cost of running this power hungry hardware. Unfortunately, most render farms have a combination of new and older, even less efficient CPU’s, so that number is likely much higher. Those older CPU’s are even slower and more power hungry than newer generations.

To help put power consumption in perspective, the chart below shows common household appliances compared to high-end GPUs:

Power Consumption

of Household Appliances

Appliance

Average Watts/Month

Refrigerator

50,000

High-End Nvidia GPU

48,000

Dishwasher

28,000

Electric Dryer

27,600

Washing Machine

5,220

Speed Or Visuals: Have It All

Currently, adding ray tracing features in a real-time application (games, real-time renderers, metaverse experiences) lowers performance by more than half.
A game without ray tracing enabled can achieve 60+ fps.
The same game sees <30 fps when ray traced shadows and reflections are added.

We hear terms like “real-time ray tracing,” but know that it’s not there yet. Architects and designers can walk through their 3D models in “real-time” with their clients, but it’s not the same visual compared to the fully rendered video or image in their presentations – see comparison below.

Rendering Before and After Ray Tracing

Crafted with Industry Leaders in Mind

Bolt collaborates very closely with server builders and cloud providers to deliver a turnkey, highly optimized solution for your needs.

This optimized solution enables fastest time to market while eliminating any effort required to stand up new systems at scale.

About Our Processor

Bolt’s graphics processor introduces a new paradigm to revolutionize and democratize creative design, making immersive experiences more accessible to all.

Cost-Effective

Eliminates need for expensive, inefficient hardware and is endlessly scalable.

Fast

Users spend less time waiting for renders and more time bringing their ideas to life.

Intuitive

We designed our product with ease of use in mind. No special knowledge or technology needed: truly, it’s plug and play.

Connectivity

Discover What’s Possible

Bolt’s market-leading graphics IP is already being integrated inside various silicon projects.

Software Integrations

We are building support for Bolt graphics processors in the following software programs:

Autodesk Maya, 3ds Max
Unreal Engine
Unity
Blender
SideFX Houdini
Foundry Nuke
Autodesk AutoCAD, Revit
SketchUp

If your preferred tool is not on the list, please reach out.

Pre-Ordering

Starting in 2025, reserve access to development kits and production boards.

Exclusive pre-order information will be shared to our newsletter following leading up to our 2025 release.