The American chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA.O) unveiled a tweaked version of a sophisticated gaming chip on Thursday that is intended to be used in China and complies with export laws.
According to an Nvidia representative who talked to Reuters, Chinese customers will be able to purchase the chip beginning in January. The business claims that it provides a “quantum leap in performance, efficiency and artificial intelligence-driven graphics“.
“The GeForce RTX 4090 D was created with complete adherence to export regulations set forth by the US government. We worked closely with the U.S. government in creating this product, the spokesperson stated.
The GeForce RTX 4090 D is the company’s first chip aimed specifically at the Chinese market since the Biden Administration’s October export regulations prohibited the sale of two upgraded artificial intelligence (AI) chips—the A800 and H800—that Nvidia had developed for the Chinese market in order to comply with earlier export regulations. The RTX 4090 is the company’s top gaming chip.
Early in November, the semiconductor industry journal SemiAnalysis reported that Nvidia would reveal three new AI processors targeted at the Chinese market as soon as November 16 in reaction to the October export regulations.
Reuters, however, revealed late last month that Nvidia had informed Chinese customers that the release of one of these chips would be postponed until the first quarter of the next year. Neither of the other two is currently visible on Nvidia’s Chinese website.
More than 90% of China’s $7 billion AI chip industry is controlled by Nvidia, and analysts predict that the U.S. restrictions will open doors for local companies like Huawei Technologies (HWT.UL) to gain traction.
In a December 11 interview with Reuters, U.S. Commerce Secretary Raimondo stated that Nvidia can sell AI processors to China, but only if they are the most powerful ones.
The Nvidia representative claimed that the China-focused RTX 4090 D is “5% slower in gaming and creating” than the outlawed RTX 4090.
At 12,999 yuan ($1,842), the China-focused RTX 4090 D will cost 350 yuan ($50) more than the second most sophisticated chip in the product series that is offered to Chinese consumers.
