Huawei’s Ascend 910C AI chips are poised for market entry, reportedly tightening the competitive landscape against NVIDIA.
Huawei’s Ascend 910C Chips: Aiming to Outperform NVIDIA’s GB200 with High Power Demands
In a bold move to reclaim its influence in the AI sector, Huawei is introducing its next-generation Ascend AI chip, which is anticipated to challenge the dominance of Western tech giants. According to a report from SemiAnalysis, insightful details have emerged regarding Huawei’s advanced rack-scale architecture, which will be powered by the impressive CloudMatrix 384 AI cluster featuring the Ascend 910C chips. This development signifies that China is increasingly self-sufficient in high-performance computational technologies.
The CloudMatrix 384 (CM384) AI cluster boasts a configuration of 384 Ascend 910C chips arranged in an “all-to-all topology.”Notably, Huawei overcomes architectural limitations by incorporating five times more chips than NVIDIA’s GB200. This indicates a strategic decision by Huawei to prioritize performance metrics over power efficiency or cost-effectiveness, as its primary aim is to overshadow NVIDIA’s capabilities. The CM384 is believed to achieve an impressive 300 PetaFLOPS of BF16 computing, nearly doubling the performance of NVIDIA’s GB200 NVL72, supplemented by an enhanced high-bandwidth memory (HBM) capacity that is expected to yield remarkable computational outcomes.
Designed as a robust domestic computing alternative, Huawei’s rack solution aligns seamlessly with China’s ambition for self-reliance in advanced technology. However, one significant drawback is the expected power consumption of the CM384, which is projected to exceed that of the GB200 NVL72 by 3.9 times. This results in notably lower performance-per-watt metrics across various AI workloads. Nevertheless, this power demand is less of a concern for China, which possesses ample capabilities for power generation to support such intensive AI clusters.
The CM384’s architecture is specifically tailored for the Chinese market, indicating that Huawei’s Ascend 910C AI chips are set to thrive despite potential pricing and power constraints. A pivotal concern remains the production volume of these AI clusters by Huawei and its collaborators, which include international players like TSMC and Samsung, beyond domestic firms.
Meanwhile, NVIDIA faces increasing challenges in retaining its foothold in the Chinese market under the constraints imposed by the previous U. S.administration. As competition from domestic enterprises escalates, the tech giant must explore alternative strategies to remain relevant, as Huawei continues on par with NVIDIA in this high-stakes race.
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