Huawei’s Ascend 910C Poised to Challenge NVIDIA’s H100s in Chinese AI Chip Market: Detailed Spec Overview

Huawei is gearing up to unveil its next significant AI accelerator, the Ascend 910C. With production already underway, we have a clearer picture of what this powerhouse chip will bring to the table.

The Ascend 910C is set to feature cutting-edge technology from both TSMC and SMIC, built on a 7nm process. Huawei plans to ship millions of these AI chips, marking a considerable step forward for the Chinese tech giant. There’s a technological revolution happening in China’s AI industry, largely driven by the increasing demand for computing power with models like DeepSeek’s R1 hitting the market. Huawei is rising as a significant player in this landscape, and the introduction of the Ascend 910C is expected to ramp up the competition. According to an analysis by Lennart Heim, the 910C could provide a real challenge to NVIDIA’s H100 in China.

Lennart Heim tweeted about the Ascend 910C, noting its entry into production and highlighting its capability as China’s premier AI chip thanks to creative sourcing strategies. The performance and strategic implications, he suggests, are impressively competitive.

The information provided reveals that the Ascend 910C’s design isn’t as intricate as some of NVIDIA’s offerings. Huawei is employing a more conventional approach with two silicon interposers bridged by an organic substrate, effectively doubling up Ascend 910B chips to enhance performance. This configuration is estimated to hit 800 TFLOP/s at FP16, along with up to 3.2 TB/s memory bandwidth, bringing it close to the capabilities of the H100.

Huawei’s strategy involves the use of 7nm technology from both TSMC and SMIC. Before the onset of export restrictions, Huawei had already locked in substantial orders with TSMC, which will largely fuel the production of the Ascend 910C. Additionally, SMIC is stepping in to meet production needs, boasting an impressive monthly output potential of around 50,000 wafers, which supports Huawei’s ambitious plans to deliver vast numbers of these AI chips.

Considering the advancements in China’s AI computing sector, the Ascend 910C is undoubtedly a noteworthy milestone. Nevertheless, on a global scale, Huawei still lags behind, trailing by an estimated 10-20 times in computing power. Yet, companies like DeepSeek illustrate that alternative solutions exist, offering hope that talent and innovation can drive the upcoming AI race into a far more competitive arena than ever before.