technology ·
Nvidia cracks down on overseas cloud AI GPU rentals for China
Nvidia-based compute is getting scarce and expensive for Chinese AI labs on both of their main routes, buying export-compliant cards and renting abroad, and the Financial Times reports that Nvidia’s own crackdowns are part of the reason.
Nvidia has told cloud partners worldwide that at least 51% of their services must go to non-Chinese firms, while Chinese companies have bought more than 1 million Nvidia gaming and workstation cards this year to cover the shortfall. At the same time, a B300 rack that sells for about $600,000 internationally reportedly fetched $2.8 million in China last month.
Chinese customers have ordered more than 6 million of Nvidia’s export-compliant RTX Pro 5500 cards. That is at least twice the 3 million that the company could reportedly manufacture in 2027.
One source told CNBC that it was proposed that Moonshot pay 30% to 50% more upfront, in comparison to a non-Chinese entity. Many Chinese groups have relied on overseas leases for advanced AI work, which can include model training, and these tech groups have been the biggest clients for data centers in Southeast Asia.
