- Huawei Technologies is set to test its Ascend 910D AI processor, aiming to outperform Nvidia’s H100, with samples expected by late May, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
- Facing U.S. sanctions banning Nvidia’s H100 and B200 chips since 2022, Huawei seeks to bolster China’s AI capabilities with the 910D, building on prior Ascend processors’ progress.
Huawei Technologies is intensifying its challenge to U.S. chip dominance by preparing to test its latest artificial-intelligence processor, the Ascend 910D, which aims to surpass the performance of Nvidia’s H100, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar with the matter. The Chinese tech giant has engaged domestic companies to evaluate the technical feasibility of this new chip, with the first samples expected to be delivered as early as late May. This development marks a significant step in Huawei’s ongoing efforts to bridge the gap with Nvidia (NVDA), whose advanced AI chips, including the flagship B200, have been restricted from the Chinese market due to U.S. export controls imposed since 2022 to curb China’s technological and military advancements.
The Ascend 910D represents Huawei’s ambition to create a domestically produced alternative capable of powering sophisticated AI model training, a domain where Nvidia’s H100 has set a high benchmark with its robust computational capabilities. U.S. sanctions, notably the 2022 ban on the H100 before its launch in China, have created a vacuum that Huawei seeks to fill, leveraging its expertise to develop chips that can compete in performance and efficiency. The company’s earlier Ascend processors, such as the 910B and 910C, have gained traction among Chinese firms like ByteDance and Baidu, with the 910C reportedly achieving 60% of the H100’s inference performance, indicating incremental progress in Huawei’s AI chip portfolio.
Huawei’s push with the Ascend 910D is bolstered by China’s broader drive for technological self-reliance amid escalating U.S.-China trade tensions. The company has navigated production challenges, including reliance on China’s SMIC for 7nm fabrication and prior access to TSMC’s manufacturing before tighter restrictions. The anticipated testing phase for the 910D will be critical, as Huawei aims to demonstrate superior performance to secure orders from China’s burgeoning AI sector, which faces growing demand for high-performance computing. While Nvidia remains the global leader with its H100 and B200 chips, Huawei’s strategic advancements, potentially culminating in the 910D’s deployment, signal a competitive shift in China’s AI landscape, driven by necessity and innovation in the face of external constraints.
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