By Reuters | Updated: 09 November 2023
SHANGHAI, Nov 9 (Reuters) – Nvidia (NVDA.O) is planning to release three new chips for China, local media reported on Thursday, weeks after the U.S. blocked it from selling two high-end artificial intelligence (AI) chips and one of its top gaming chips to Chinese firms.
The STAR Market Daily news outlet, citing people familiar with the matter, said that the chips are called the HGX H20, L20 PCIe and L2 PCIe and that Nvidia could announce them on Nov. 16 at the earliest.
Nvidia declined to comment when asked about the report.
Last month, the U.S. AI chip giant said new export restrictions announced by Washington would block it from selling two of its modified advanced AI chips – the A800 and H800 – both of which were created for the Chinese market last year to comply with previous export rules.
One of the company’s top-of-the-line gaming chips, the L40S chip, which it announced in August, would also be affected, it said.
On Oct. 24, Nvidia said those curbs would take immediate effect, as U.S. regulators had sped up an original deadline.
Nvidia has commanded more than 90% share of China’s $7 billion AI chip market, and analysts have said the U.S. curbs are likely to create opportunities for domestic firms such as Huawei Technologies (HWT.UL) to make inroads.
Chinese internet giant Baidu (9888.HK) placed a sizeable order for Huawei AI chips this year, sources have said. One said Baidu had done so before the U.S. curbs were announced as it was preparing for a future when it would no longer be able to purchase from Nvidia.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
