A Survey on Hardware Accelerators for Large Language Models
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Abstract (arXiv)
Large Language Models (LLMs) have emerged as powerful tools for natural language processing tasks, revolutionizing the field with their ability to understand and generate human-like text. As the demand for more sophisticated LLMs continues to grow, there is a pressing need to address the computational challenges associated with their scale and complexity. This paper presents a comprehensive survey on hardware accelerators designed to enhance the performance and energy efficiency of Large Language Models. By examining a diverse range of accelerators, including GPUs, FPGAs, and custom-designed architectures, we explore the landscape of hardware solutions tailored to meet the unique computational demands of LLMs. The survey encompasses an in-depth analysis of architecture, performance metrics, and energy efficiency considerations, providing valuable insights for researchers, engineers, and decision-makers aiming to optimize the deployment of LLMs in real-world applications.
Key facts. Cited by 15 papers in the map (data through 7 Oct 2026). Builds on 14 of its 33 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 18 Jan 2024.
Builds on
14 of 33 references.
References · 14
- 2023Accelerating Large Language Model Decoding with Speculative Samplingcited by 975
- 2020SpAtten: Efficient Sparse Attention Architecture with Cascade Token and Head Pruningcited by 228
- 2023LLM in a flash: Efficient Large Language Model Inference with Limited Memorycited by 170
- 2022Speculative Decoding: Exploiting Speculative Execution for Accelerating Seq2seq Generationcited by 169
- 2020A3: Accelerating Attention Mechanisms in Neural Networks with Approximationcited by 97
- 2020FTRANS: Energy-Efficient Acceleration of Transformers using FPGAcited by 52
- 2022DFX: A Low-latency Multi-FPGA Appliance for Accelerating Transformer-based Text Generationcited by 46
- 2020Hardware Accelerator for Multi-Head Attention and Position-Wise Feed-Forward in the Transformercited by 42
- 2021Energon: Towards Efficient Acceleration of Transformers Using Dynamic Sparse Attentioncited by 26
- 2023X-Former: In-Memory Acceleration of Transformerscited by 25
- 2021LightSeq2: Accelerated Training for Transformer-based Models on GPUscited by 19
- 2021NPE: An FPGA-based Overlay Processor for Natural Language Processingcited by 15
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Citing papers per year: 2024: 9; 2025: 2; 2026: 4.
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- 2024Large Language Model-Brained GUI Agents: A Surveycited by 160
- 2024Mobile Edge Intelligence for Large Language Models: A Contemporary Surveycited by 125
- 2024A Survey on Large Language Model Acceleration based on KV Cache Managementcited by 125
- 2024On-Device Language Models: A Comprehensive Reviewcited by 101
- 2024Large Language Model Inference Acceleration: A Comprehensive Hardware Perspectivecited by 36
- 2024Designing Efficient LLM Accelerators for Edge Devicescited by 13
- 2025A Survey on Inference Engines for Large Language Models: Perspectives on Optimization and Efficiencycited by 12
- 2024CritiPrefill: A Segment-wise Criticality-based Approach for Prefilling Acceleration in LLMscited by 7
- 2024Deploying Foundation Model Powered Agent Services: A Surveycited by 4
- 2026Trusting What You Cannot See: Auditable Fine-Tuning and Inference for Proprietary AIcited by 3
- 2024PIM-AI: A Novel Architecture for High-Efficiency LLM Inferencecited by 2
- 2025Multimodal Data Storage and Retrieval for Embodied AI: A Surveycited by 2
3 more
- 2026Energy Efficient Software Hardware CoDesign for Machine Learning: From TinyML to Large Language Modelscited by 0
- 2026Focus Session: Hardware and Software Techniques for Accelerating Multimodal Foundation Modelscited by 0
- 2026Recent Developments in Transformer Inference Deployment on FPGA Platforms: A Surveycited by 0
- 2026Recent Developments in Transformer Inference Deployment on FPGA Platforms: A Survey1 Sep 2026
- 2026Focus Session: Hardware and Software Techniques for Accelerating Multimodal Foundation Models23 Apr 2026
- 2026Energy Efficient Software Hardware CoDesign for Machine Learning: From TinyML to Large Language Models24 Mar 2026
- 2026Trusting What You Cannot See: Auditable Fine-Tuning and Inference for Proprietary AI8 Mar 2026
- 2025Multimodal Data Storage and Retrieval for Embodied AI: A Survey19 Aug 2025
- 2025A Survey on Inference Engines for Large Language Models: Perspectives on Optimization and Efficiency3 May 2025
- 2024A Survey on Large Language Model Acceleration based on KV Cache Management27 Dec 2024
- 2024Deploying Foundation Model Powered Agent Services: A Survey18 Dec 2024
- 2024Large Language Model-Brained GUI Agents: A Survey27 Nov 2024
- 2024PIM-AI: A Novel Architecture for High-Efficiency LLM Inference26 Nov 2024
- 2024Large Language Model Inference Acceleration: A Comprehensive Hardware Perspective6 Oct 2024
- 2024CritiPrefill: A Segment-wise Criticality-based Approach for Prefilling Acceleration in LLMs19 Sep 2024
3 more
- 2024Large Language Model-Brained GUI Agents: A Surveycited by 160
- 2024Deploying Foundation Model Powered Agent Services: A Surveycited by 4
- 2024Deploying Foundation Model Powered Agent Services: A Survey18 Dec 2024
- 2024Large Language Model-Brained GUI Agents: A Survey27 Nov 2024
- 2024Mobile Edge Intelligence for Large Language Models: A Contemporary Surveycited by 125
- 2024On-Device Language Models: A Comprehensive Reviewcited by 101
- 2024Designing Efficient LLM Accelerators for Edge Devicescited by 13
- 2025A Survey on Inference Engines for Large Language Models: Perspectives on Optimization and Efficiencycited by 12
- 2024CritiPrefill: A Segment-wise Criticality-based Approach for Prefilling Acceleration in LLMscited by 7
- 2026Trusting What You Cannot See: Auditable Fine-Tuning and Inference for Proprietary AIcited by 3
- 2024PIM-AI: A Novel Architecture for High-Efficiency LLM Inferencecited by 2
- 2025Multimodal Data Storage and Retrieval for Embodied AI: A Surveycited by 2
- 2026Energy Efficient Software Hardware CoDesign for Machine Learning: From TinyML to Large Language Modelscited by 0
- 2026Focus Session: Hardware and Software Techniques for Accelerating Multimodal Foundation Modelscited by 0
- 2026Recent Developments in Transformer Inference Deployment on FPGA Platforms: A Surveycited by 0
- 2026Recent Developments in Transformer Inference Deployment on FPGA Platforms: A Survey1 Sep 2026
- 2026Focus Session: Hardware and Software Techniques for Accelerating Multimodal Foundation Models23 Apr 2026
- 2026Energy Efficient Software Hardware CoDesign for Machine Learning: From TinyML to Large Language Models24 Mar 2026
- 2026Trusting What You Cannot See: Auditable Fine-Tuning and Inference for Proprietary AI8 Mar 2026
- 2025Multimodal Data Storage and Retrieval for Embodied AI: A Survey19 Aug 2025
- 2025A Survey on Inference Engines for Large Language Models: Perspectives on Optimization and Efficiency3 May 2025
- 2024PIM-AI: A Novel Architecture for High-Efficiency LLM Inference26 Nov 2024
- 2024CritiPrefill: A Segment-wise Criticality-based Approach for Prefilling Acceleration in LLMs19 Sep 2024
- 2024On-Device Language Models: A Comprehensive Review26 Aug 2024
- 2024Designing Efficient LLM Accelerators for Edge Devices1 Aug 2024
- 2024Mobile Edge Intelligence for Large Language Models: A Contemporary Survey9 Jul 2024