[News] NVIDIA Reportedly Taps Samsung to Double GDDR7 Supply for China-Targeted RTX PRO 6000D

Amid geopolitical pressures causing H20 shipment uncertainties, NVIDIA is reportedly developing more China-focused chips and has asked Samsung to double its GDDR7 order, prompting the South Korean memory giant to boost production, according to etnews.

The report indicates that the additional GDDR7 will be used for AI accelerators, underscoring the deepening collaboration between the two companies. All mass production preparations are complete, and the expanded supply chain is expected to go live as early as this month, with production imminent, as per etnews.

Notably, etnews further suggests that this large batch of GDDR7 from Samsung is reportedly intended for NVIDIA’s RTX PRO 6000(D), formerly known as “B40,” as the China-targeted variant will use GDDR7 instead of HBM.

As Tom’s Hardware previously reported, for now, the newest addition to NVIDIA’s China-exclusive GPU lineup is the RTX 6000D, distinct from the RTX PRO 6000D under development. Built on TSMC’s 4nm process, it features GDDR7 memory with roughly 1,100 GB/s bidirectional bandwidth and is designed to deliver near-HBM-class performance—all while complying with current U.S. export regulations, the report noted.

TrendForce anticipates that the custom-spec NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 will be introduced in the second half of this year. However, the product is also facing challenges as Huawei Ascend 910c is considered a cost-effective alternative and already sufficient for many use cases. The 910c is expected to ramp up production volumes soon, gradually replacing the existing 910B solution, as per TrendForce.

Avril Wu, Senior Vice President of Research at TrendForce, notes that NVIDIA has adopted a diversified memory procurement strategy tailored to different product categories. SK hynix serves as the primary supplier of HBM for high-end AI GPUs, with Micron as the secondary source. LPDDR is mainly supplied by Micron, while GDDR memory relies heavily on Samsung.

From GDDR7 to HBM?

According to etnews, while the exact scale of Samsung’s GDDR7 order from NVIDIA remains undisclosed, industry estimates put it between several hundred billion and trillions of Korean won, with substrate demand alone around 200 billion won. As NVIDIA’s orders ramp up, the report also highlights the potential for Samsung’s GDDR7 partnership to extend to HBM memory, with the company reportedly aiming to supply NVIDIA with 6th-generation HBM (HBM4) built on the latest 1c memory cells, targeting a market rebound.

As per Chosun Biz, SK hynix and Micron are reportedly set to enter the final stage of HBM4 testing with NVIDIA this month. On the other hand, Samsung is about two months behind its competitors in testing and is working intensively to accelerate its timeline, the report adds.

Read more

• [News] NVIDIA Reportedly Develops China-Focused Blackwell AI Chip, with Test Samples Possibly in Sep.
• [News] Samsung Reportedly Passes NVIDIA HBM4 Sample Test, 30% HBM3E Discount to Challenge SK hynix

(Photo credit: NVIDIA)