Nvidia's RTX PRO 6000D (B40) graphics processors, dubbed as Blackwell GPUs, rumored to replace the banned H20 accelerators in China's market.
It looks like Nvidia is cooking up something fresh for the Chinese market, reportedly unveiling a new GPU codenamed the RTX Pro 6000D or B40, rumored to replace the recently banned H20. Here's a lowdown on what we know so far:
Construction and Pricing
This newGPU is lined up to be based on Nvidia’s Blackwell architecture, abandoning the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in the H20. Instead, it will utilize traditional GDDR7 memory, a move that could help ease new U.S. export controls, as well as keep costs down. The B40 is expected to retail between $6,500 and $8,000, a considerable price cut compared to the H20's tag of $10,000- $12,000.
Potential Silicon Configurations
There are two possibilities for the underlying silicon of the B40: either the datacenter-grade GB1XX Blackwell or the consumer-grade GB2XX Blackwell (GB202). The more likely choice would be the GB202, as it aligns with the reported GDDR7 memory usage and avoids NVLink support.
Performance and Scalability
The B40 will employ conventional server-class GPU technology rather than TSMC’s CoWoS packaging technology. This design choice may lead to some limitations in multi-GPU setups, as NVLink connectivity is expected to be absent. Nvidia may instead rely on networking solutions like Spectrum-X for scaling beyond eight GPUs.
A Pivotal Move
The introduction of the B40 is a strategic response by Nvidia to navigate the seemingly never-ending cat-and-mouse chase with U.S. regulators over export policies, while also remaining competitive in China's lucrative $50 billion data center market. Keep an eye on this space for more updates on the B40 as they emerge.
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Data-and-cloud-computing technology is a likely market for the new Nvidia GPU, the B40, which is reportedly based on the GB202 silicon and utilizes GDDR7 memory, a move that could help maintain costs and potentially ease new U.S. export controls. The price of the B40 is expected to range between $6,500 and $8,000, marking a considerable price cut compared to the H20.
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