To comply with U.S. restrictions on exporting advanced semiconductor technologies to China, chipmakers Nvidia and AMD may soon start selling new GPUs specifically designed for AI workloads in the Chinese market. This news comes from Taiwan's technology media outlet Digitimes, citing sources within the supply chain.
According to Digitimes, Nvidia is planning to launch a streamlined version of its AI GPU, codenamed "B20", while AMD aims to meet AI workload demands through its new Radeon AI PRO R9700 workstation GPU. The report also mentions that these companies might begin selling these AI chips in China starting from July.
Earlier this week, Reuters reported that Nvidia is developing a new cost-effective AI chip for the Chinese market based on its Blackwell architecture, with an expected price range of $6,500 to $8,000. In contrast, the company's current H20 GPUs are priced at $10,000 to $12,000 each.
Nvidia stated on Wednesday that licensing requirements affecting its ability to sell H20 AI chips to Chinese companies resulted in $4.5 billion in charges during the first quarter. Additionally, restrictions prevented the company from shipping another $2.5 billion worth of H20 chips in the same period. The company anticipates that licensing requirements will impact its revenue by $8 billion in the second quarter.