According to a report from The Information, NVIDIA’s “world’s most powerful AI chip,” the GB200, is said to be experiencing yield issues, leading to a one-quarter delay in mass shipments.
As per sources cited by a report from the Economic Daily News, it’s suggested that the problem likely lies in the yield rates of advanced packaging, mainly affecting the non-reference-designed GB200 chips.
The supply of the reference-designed GB200 chips remains stable, with Foxconn being the sole contract manufacturer receiving an adequate supply of these chips. Foxconn is set to ship according to the original schedule in the fourth quarter.
Furthermore, the sources cited by the same report point out that Foxconn is currently the only manufacturer able to meet the scheduled shipment of the GB200 in the fourth quarter. This is primarily due to Foxconn securing NVIDIA’s reference-designed GB200 chips orders, which are prioritized for shipment amid the supply shortage.
The term “reference-designed” refers to the GB200 AI servers ordered by NVIDIA for production at Foxconn and other manufacturers. These products are made according to NVIDIA’s reference designs and are not customized. Once produced, they can be sold to cloud service providers (CSPs) and other clients.
In contrast, “non-reference-designed” refers to customized versions of the GB200, which are tailored to specific customer requirements. The current yield issues are affecting the production of these non-reference-designed items, with the priority given to shipping the reference-designed products first.
Following the reports addressing the tight supply of GB200, customers are said to be scrambling to secure their orders from Foxconn due to its ample chip supply. Foxconn, traditionally silent on customer and order details, will reveal the latest status of its product lines during the press conference on August 14th.
The GB200 was originally scheduled for mass shipments starting in the fourth quarter of this year. However, over the weekend, reports emerged about yield issues, pushing the mass shipment timeline to the first quarter of next year, causing a stir among the market.
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(Photo credit: NVIDIA)