Huawei's Ascend 910C Targets To Battle Nvidia’s H100 During US Trade Restrictions
Huawei's new processor, the Ascend 910C, is expected to challenge Nvidia's dominance as Chinese tech heavyweights prepare for its introduction
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Huawei Technologies is apparently preparing to develop a new AI-focused chip that might compete with Nvidia's market-leading products. According to sources quoted by the Wall Street Journal on 13 August, Chinese internet corporations and telecom providers have been testing Huawei's forthcoming processor, the Ascend 910C, in recent weeks.
The Ascend 910C is positioned as a contender to Nvidia's H100 chip, which debuted last year and has quickly established a benchmark in AI computing. Huawei has notified potential clients that its new chip is on par with Nvidia's H100 in terms of performance, in an effort to pique the interest of large Chinese IT giants.
Among the firms apparently in talks to acquire the new chip are ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok; Baidu, a key search engine provider; and China Mobile, the state-owned telecommunications behemoth. According to initial conversations, Huawei might gain orders for more than 70,000 processors, worth approximately USD 2 billion. According to sources, Huawei plans to begin distributing the Ascend 910C as early as October.
The Ascend 910C's development comes at a critical time for Huawei and other Chinese technology companies, as they face increased pressure from US export restrictions. The US government-imposed export limitations on advanced processors and chipmaking equipment to China in 2022 and 2023, focussing on companies such as Nvidia and Lam Research. These limitations are part of a larger campaign to block advances in supercomputing and artificial intelligence that could aid China's military.
The company’s decision to build and market a competitive AI processor demonstrates the company's perseverance and drive to overcome these constraints. The success of the Ascend 910C could be a watershed moment in China's ongoing efforts to lessen reliance on foreign technology and build a more self-sufficient semiconductor industry.
As the global fight for AI technology heats up, Huawei's entry into the high-performance semiconductor industry marks a new era in the conflict between Chinese and American IT companies, with repercussions that may go beyond the economic sector.
