NVIDIA is working on a new AI chip, which could be more powerful than the H20, according to a Reuters report. The chip will be based on the company’s new Blackwell architecture, considered a significant leap in processing capabilities. Estimates suggest it can deliver performance seven to thirty times faster than the previous generation of NVIDIA’s AI platforms. The product currently carries the temporary name B30A and will come in a single-chip design, so all its main components will be concentrated on one silicon wafer. Although it will provide only half the computing power of the more advanced Blackwell Ultra chips, which are based on a dual-chip design, it will still include extremely fast memory and NVLink technology for more efficient data transfer between processors.
The decision to develop the new chip likely comes after the Chinese government urged local companies to stop using the H20, mainly in governmental and security contexts. According to reports, regulators in China ordered major companies like Alibaba, Tencent, and ByteDance to freeze purchases from NVIDIA until a national security review was completed. These steps came shortly after the U.S. lifted export restrictions on H20 chips, a move perceived in Beijing as requiring a reassessment of the risks.
The issue of sales to China has been following NVIDIA for many months. In April this year, the U.S. banned the company from selling H20 chips to China due to concerns they could be used for military purposes in developing advanced AI systems. In July, NVIDIA announced that the U.S. administration committed to approving export licenses, and in August, the Financial Times reported that the U.S. even demanded 15 percent of sales profits in exchange for approval.
According to Reuters, the company is still in the final stage of defining the exact specifications of the B30A but hopes to deliver samples to Chinese customers as early as September. However, it is still unclear whether the product will receive all the necessary approvals from U.S. authorities. Former U.S. President Donald Trump said that NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang is expected to meet with him again to discuss the matter—indicating that the development of this chip is at the center not only of a technological battle but also of a broader political and economic struggle.
NVIDIA responded: "We are examining a range of products as part of our roadmap to be ready to compete as governments allow us. All our products are sold with full approval from the relevant authorities and are designed solely for beneficial commercial use."