AsianFin -- Alibaba, ByteDance and other Chinese technology companies remain eager to secure Nvidia’s artificial intelligence chips even as regulators in Beijing urge them to scale back such purchases, according to four people familiar with procurement talks.
Executives want confirmation that orders for Nvidia’s H20 chip — which the U.S. firm regained approval to sell in China in July — are moving forward, two of the people said. They are also closely watching Nvidia’s development of a more powerful model, tentatively named the B30A, built on its Blackwell architecture.
If cleared by Washington, the B30A is expected to sell for roughly twice the price of the H20, which currently costs between $10,000 and $12,000, the sources said. Even at that premium, Chinese companies view it as attractive value, given expectations the chip could deliver up to six times the performance of the H20.
Both the H20 and B30A are customized, pared-down versions of Nvidia’s global offerings, designed to comply with U.S. export controls.
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Insights
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How might the geopolitical landscape affect the future of chip procurement for Chinese firms?
What are the potential long-term impacts of U.S.-China relations on the semiconductor industry?
What historical precedents exist for technology companies navigating regulatory challenges?
How do the customized versions of Nvidia's chips differ from their global counterparts?
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In what ways are Chinese companies adapting to the current international climate for tech procurement?
What are the expected trends in the AI chip market in the coming years?
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