Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) is working on a new artificial intelligence chip for China based on its latest Blackwell architecture, which will be more powerful than the current H20 model it is permitted to sell, Reuters reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter.
The new chip, tentatively called the B30A, will feature a single-die design expected to deliver about half the raw computing power of the dual-die configuration in Nvidia’s flagship B300 accelerator, the sources said.
The chip is expected to include high-bandwidth memory and Nvidia’s NVLink technology for fast data transfers between chips, features also found in the H20 model built on the company’s previous Hopper architecture, the sources said.
The specifications of the chip are still being finalized, but Nvidia aims to provide samples to Chinese customers for testing as early as next month, the sources added.
Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) did not immediately respond to Seeking Alpha’s request for comment.
China’s access to advanced AI chips, which accounted for 13% of Nvidia’s revenue in the last fiscal year, remains one of the most contentious issues in U.S.-China trade relations.
Nvidia was only cleared in July to resume sales of the H20, a chip it had developed specifically for China after U.S. export restrictions were imposed in 2023. The company, however, was abruptly ordered to halt sales in April.
President Donald Trump indicated last week that he might allow Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) to sell a scaled-down version of its most advanced AI chip to China.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said he would consider a deal permitting shipments of the company’s Blackwell processors if they were made less powerful. “It’s possible I’d make a deal on a somewhat enhanced — in a negative way — Blackwell,” he said, suggesting the chip’s capabilities could be reduced by “30% to 50%.”