Huawei tests its newest AI chip, Ascend 910D, as the company aims to replace NVIDIA in Chinese markets. According to Wall Street Journal reports, partners will receive sample chips around late May. This comes as NVIDIA faces stricter export rules for selling tech to China.
The Ascend 910D might outperform NVIDIA's H100 chips, which Chinese AI companies once favored. Earlier models from Huawei fell short of expectations but still competed with some NVIDIA products. Huawei also created the CloudMatrix 384 AI cluster, which performs similarly to NVIDIA's Blackwell servers by focusing on power rather than efficiency.
Supply chain problems remain Huawei's biggest challenge. The company uses chips from SMIC and some older TSMC components acquired before trade restrictions took effect. Limited supplies prevent Huawei from meeting all market demand. They must use older memory technology like HBM2 and find creative ways to boost performance without worrying about energy efficiency.
The Ascend 910D might outperform NVIDIA's H100 chips, which Chinese AI companies once favored. Earlier models from Huawei fell short of expectations but still competed with some NVIDIA products. Huawei also created the CloudMatrix 384 AI cluster, which performs similarly to NVIDIA's Blackwell servers by focusing on power rather than efficiency.
Supply chain problems remain Huawei's biggest challenge. The company uses chips from SMIC and some older TSMC components acquired before trade restrictions took effect. Limited supplies prevent Huawei from meeting all market demand. They must use older memory technology like HBM2 and find creative ways to boost performance without worrying about energy efficiency.
