Scoop on Huawei's AI Powerhouse: The Ascend 910D
Huawei's quad-chiplet competitor for Nvidia's Rubin AI GPUs may leverage packaging tech equivalent to TSMC, hinting at a robust layout for the Ascend 910D.
Huawei's Ascend 910D is shaping up to be a formidable force in the AI landscape. Here's what we know so far about this upcoming quad-chiplet monster!
The Nitty-Gritty
- Cutting-Edge Design: Huawei has pocketed a patent for a quad-chiplet design that seems to mirror Nvidia's approach. But get this – they're also cookin' up advanced packaging techniques, aiming to rival TSMC's technology. That's some serious secret sauce they're brewin' to dodge those pesky US sanctions and catch up to Nvidia's AI GPU performance in record time [2].
- Release Date: The Alpha dogs are expected to snag test samples of the Ascend 910D as late as May 2025. And based on the chattering class, folks are waiting with bated breath for full-scale production in the second half of that same year [5].
- Performance Boost: The Ascend 910D targets increased power efficiency and aims to slash the performance gap with Nvidia's offerings. It's all about providing a potent AI processor without the need for any foriegone tech [5].
The Strategic Lowdown
- Market Muscle: Huawei's throwing punches in its bid to unseat Nvidia's dominance in the AI hardware market. The Ascend 910D could rattle the cage for Nvidia to innovate speedier or explore new stomping grounds due to stand-offish sales in China [4].
- Different Strokes for Different Folks: The rivalry between Huawei and Nvidia is splintering the global AI infrastructure landscape into two distinct ecosystems: one focusing on size and geopolitical resilience, the other favoring efficiency and per-chip excellence [4].
The Regulatory Rodeo
- Export Limits: The U.S. Department of Commerce has dropkicked some guidelines that forbid Nvidia's Ascend 910B, 910C, and 910D chips to be used for AI purposes, hinting at ongoing legislative hurdles [3].
- Supply Snags: Huawei's grappling with challenges like SMIC's paltry 30% 7nm wafer yield rate and dependency on big-time suppliers like Samsung for HBM2E memory, which could impact the chip's production and distribution [4].
Long story short, the Ascend 910D is Huawei's bid to up its AI game and take on Nvidia, despite lingering regulatory issues and supply chain hiccups. So stay tuned, folks, 'cause this fight ain't over yet!
Want more Tom's Hardware in your life?
- Sign up for the newsletter: Get the cream of the crop from Tom's Hardware, delivered straight to your inbox.
- Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News: Enjoy our up-to-the-minute news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Just click that lovely "Follow" button. It's a no-brainer!
[Source for each section]
[1] Patent EP3631910B1 (Huawei)[2] TSMC's Advanced Packaging Tech Comes Under Threat Amid Huawei Patent Win[3] US Department of Commerce prohibits Huawei’s AI chips for AI purposes[4] Huawei, TSMC compete in AI chip race to challenge Nvidia dominance[5] Huawei's Ascend 910D AI Accelerator enters mass production by late 2025
- The Ascend 910D from Huawei, an upcoming AI powerhouse, promises to revolutionize the AI landscape by leveraging artificial-intelligence and technology, with cutting-edge design that challenges Nvidia's performance dominance.
- Despite regulatory challenges and supply chain issues, the release of Huawei's Ascend 910D could create a significant shift in the AI hardware market, potentially influencing Nvidia to innovate faster or explore new opportunities, as Huawei aims to provide a potent AI processor without relying on foreign technology.