Huawei is gearing up to unveil its latest AI powerhouse, the Ascend 910C, soon, and with production already underway, we’re getting a clearer picture of what to expect.
Huawei’s Ascend 910C: A Game-Changer with TSMC/SMIC 7nm Process; Promising Shipments in the Millions
It’s no exaggeration to say that China’s AI sector is undergoing a significant transformation. With innovative models like DeepSeek’s R1 leading the charge, there’s a surging demand for enhanced computing capabilities in the domestic market. Huawei, a standout among Chinese AI chip makers, is poised to up the ante with its forthcoming Ascend 910C chips, setting the stage for a more competitive landscape. Industry expert @ohlennart has shared insights into the 910C chip, suggesting it could rival NVIDIA’s H100 in China.
According to a detailed analysis shared by Lennart Heim on Twitter, Huawei’s new AI accelerator not only marks a breakthrough for the company but also for the entire region. The tweet hints at the potential for Huawei’s Ascend 910C to match or even exceed the capabilities of NVIDIA’s H100, suggesting a competitive edge this year.
Diving deeper into the specifications, it’s evident that while the Ascend 910C may not adopt NVIDIA’s intricate designs, it promises remarkable performance through a different approach. Huawei is opting for two separate silicon interposers connected by an organic substrate—a more traditional method. Essentially, this design involves pairing two Ascend 910B chips to deliver higher combined output. The 910C aims to achieve an impressive 800 TFLOP/s at FP16 and up to 3.2 TB/s memory bandwidth, nearly matching the H100’s performance.
Image: Huawei’s Ascend 910C Chip
On the technical front, Huawei is leveraging the advanced 7nm technology from both TSMC and SMIC. The company wisely secured substantial 7nm orders with Taiwan’s TSMC before certain export restrictions were implemented, ensuring a significant portion of the Ascend 910C’s production. Meanwhile, China’s own SMIC is stepping up, having made notable advancements in 7nm technology with a monthly output projected at about 50,000 wafers. This collaboration is crucial as Huawei targets the ambitious goal of shipping "millions" of these AI chips.
Considering China’s strides in domestic AI computing, the Ascend 910C is a major milestone and a positive leap forward. However, on a global scale, Huawei still faces a considerable gap, trailing by 10-20 times in computing power. Yet, companies like DeepSeek are demonstrating innovative ways to compensate for these deficits, and with China’s pool of talent, the future AI race is shaping up to be far more energized and competitive.
