Nvidia has rolled out the RTX6000D, its newest AI inference chip tailored for the Chinese market, but initial uptake has been underwhelming. Priced at around 50,000 yuan ($7,000), the RTX6000D is viewed by some firms as expensive for the performance it delivers.
Early tests show the RTX6000D trailing the older RTX5090 gaming chip—a model banned for official sale by the U.S. yet still available through grey-market channels for less than half the price. That gap has prompted major tech names like Alibaba, Tencent, and ByteDance to pause on large orders.
Meanwhile, these tech giants are waiting for clear signals on Nvidia’s H20 shipments, which resumed regulatory approval in July but have yet to restart. They’re also eyeing the B30A, a far more powerful model, in hopes it will gain export clearance.
All three chips—the RTX6000D, H20, and B30A—are downgraded versions of international models, redesigned to comply with U.S. export restrictions aimed at reining in advances in AI development. Sell-side analysts remain optimistic: JPMorgan projected 1.5 million RTX6000D units in the second half of the year, and Morgan Stanley put the pipeline at 2 million.
Shipments of the RTX6000D began this week, but muted demand suggests Nvidia may need to rethink its pricing and performance balance to win over China’s competitive AI market.
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Nvidia's new RTX6000D chip for China finds little favor, sources say
cgtn.com
