NVIDIA tried to play by the rules with a new graphics card made just for China. But it seems the market isn’t biting. The company’s new RTX 6000D, designed to fit within US export limits, is facing a cold shoulder from big Chinese tech firms. This could leave NVIDIA with millions of unsold cards.
Sources told Reuters recently that major players like Alibaba, Tencent, and ByteDance aren’t placing large orders for the RTX 6000D. This is a big problem for NVIDIA, which crafted the card specifically to adapt to US trade restrictions. The card is an AI accelerator, a crucial piece of hardware for advanced computing.
The main issue seems to be the card’s perceived performance and price. Many see the RTX 6000D as less powerful than the RTX 5090. That’s a tricky situation because the RTX 5090 is technically banned from formal sale in China. However, it still pops up in the “gray market” at much lower prices than the 6000D’s official tag.
The Price Tag and Future Bets
The RTX 6000D carries a hefty price tag of around 50,000 yuans, which is about R$ 37,000. For many potential buyers, this cost doesn’t line up with the card’s performance. It seems these companies are waiting for clearer signals on other powerful options. They are holding out for the H20 or perhaps even the B30A, which could be more potent alternatives. This waiting game is further slowing down orders for the 6000D.
Analysts from banks like JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley have looked at the numbers. They believe NVIDIA might produce between 1.5 million and 2 million units of the RTX 6000D by the end of 2025. If the current low demand continues, NVIDIA could end up with a massive pile of unsold graphics cards. This situation highlights the difficult balance tech companies face when navigating complex international trade policies.