Latest news with #Ascend910C
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Huawei
Huawei's Mate XT Ultimate phone, which launched in February. Credit - Courtesy Huawei As China's tech ambitions feel the squeeze from U.S. export controls, one national champion has been entrusted to plug the gap: Huawei. Seeking to limit China's technological development, Washington has cut its superpower rival off from Nvidia's most advanced AI products. However, Huawei's Ascend 910C AI chip now reportedly achieves up to 60% of performance in inference tasks when compared to Nvidia's latest H100 AI-powered semiconductor chips. Already a market leader in 5G technology, Huawei is now at the vanguard of 6G development as well as several next-generation technologies, including cloud and EVs. Huawei reported 2024 revenue of $118.2 billion, a 22.4% year-on-year rise, and has just launched a laptop with an 18-inch foldable display powered by its own Harmony operating system. 'Huawei is committed to building a solid computing power base in China—and a second option for the world,' Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's chief financial officer (and daughter of co-founder Ren Zhengfei) said in November. Write to Charlie Campbell at
South China Morning Post
19-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
How Huawei's Ascend AI chips outperform Nvidia processors in running DeepSeek's R1 model
Advertisement Jointly written by researchers from Huawei and Chinese AI infrastructure start-up SiliconFlow, the paper described CloudMatrix 384 as a specialised 'AI supernode' that is purpose-built for handling extensive AI workloads. Huawei expected CloudMatrix 'to reshape the foundation of AI infrastructure', according to the paper released this week. It consists of 384 Ascend 910C neural processing units (NPUs) and 192 Kunpeng server central processing units, which are interconnected through a unified bus providing ultra-high bandwidth and low latency. The advanced large language model (LLM) serving solution, dubbed CloudMatrix-Infer, leverages that infrastructure, according to the paper. It surpassed the performance of some of the world's most prominent systems in running DeepSeek's 671-billion-parameter R1 reasoning model. The architecture reflects US-sanctioned Huawei's efforts to overcome Washington's tech control measures , as the company pushes the boundaries of AI system performance. Advertisement Data centres are facilities that house large-capacity servers and data-storage systems, with multiple power sources and high-bandwidth internet connections. More enterprises are using data centres to host or manage computing infrastructure for their AI projects.
AllAfrica
17-06-2025
- Business
- AllAfrica
Huawei chief hasn't a chip worry in the world
In a recent interview with China's state-run People's Daily, Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei provided an assessment of the Chinese semiconductor industry that many might find surprising. An English version of the interview was published by the Communist Party-run Global Times. 'There's actually no need to worry about the chip issue,' Huawei's chief said. 'By leveraging methods such as superposition and clustering, computational results can match the most advanced global standards. In terms of software, thousands upon thousands of open-source software will meet the needs of the entire society in the future.' This optimism comes from objective analysis supported by Huawei's own experience, with some self-deprecation: 'There are many companies in China making chips, and many are doing well; Huawei is just one of them. The US has exaggerated Huawei's achievements – the company isn't that powerful yet. We need to work hard to live up to their evaluation. 'Our single chips still lag behind the US by a generation. We use mathematics to compensate for physics, non-Moore's Law approaches to complement Moore's Law, and group computing to make up for single-chip limitations, which can also achieve practical results.' This squares with the conclusion of Dylan Patel and his colleague at SemiAnalysis, who found that Huawei's Ascend 910C AI processor is more impressive when used in the company's CloudMatrix 394 rack-scale AI data center solution, which is a complete system consisting of 384 Ascend 910C processors, servers, networking, storage, power management and cooling. In their estimation, the CloudMatrix 394 'competes directly' with Nvidia's top-end GB200 Grace Blackwell Superchip. 'The engineering advantage,' they write, 'is at the system level not just at the chip level, with innovation at the accelerator, networking, optics, and software layers… Huawei is a generation behind in chips, but its scale-up solution is arguably a generation ahead of Nvidia and AMD's current products on the market.' With regard to the ongoing effort to develop the basic semiconductor devices needed to support the country's consumer electronics, automotive and other industries, Ren said, 'China has opportunities in low- and mid-range chips, with dozens or even hundreds of chip companies working hard. The opportunities are even greater for compound semiconductors.' One prominent example is China's rapid advance in silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors, which have become standard in electric vehicles (EVs). Approximately two-thirds of the world's electric vehicles (EVs) are manufactured in China, making this both an obvious opportunity and a strategic necessity. Compared with ordinary silicon, SiC-based power devices are more energy-efficient and reliable. They improve the performance of not only electric vehicles and battery chargers, but also industrial machinery, solar and wind power and data centers. In March, BYD announced a new high-speed EV charging system, which enables 400 kilometers of driving in five minutes – about twice the performance of Tesla's supercharger. According to DigiTimes, 'Silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors played an instrumental role in this technological advancement, as key advantages of the wide bandgap material, including high voltage and temperature resistance and low energy loss, help enhance the efficiency and reliability of electric drive systems to support high-voltage charging.' Nomad Semi wrote that, 'This achievement was made possible by BYD Semiconductor's breakthrough in high-power 1,500V SiC chips. It marks the first large-scale application of 1500V SiC chips in the global automotive industry.' BYD is also starting to make its own SiC wafers, which should give it a complete internal SiC supply chain from substrates to chips and modules. Established in 2002, BYD Semiconductor also makes other types of discrete power semiconductors, power management ICs, microcontroller units (MCUs), sensors and optoelectronic devices used in new energy vehicles (NEVs, which include both battery-powered and hybrid vehicles). BYD appears to be well on its way to self-sufficiency in automotive semiconductors. Ren also emphasized the importance of theoretical scientific research. 'We must understand and support those doing theoretical work,' he said. 'We need to appreciate their vision; their great, quiet dedication… those engaged in theoretical research are the hope for our country's future.' Huawei is doing its part: 'We invest 180 billion yuan (US$25 billion) in research and development each year, with approximately 60 billion yuan allocated to basic theoretical research, which is not subject to performance evaluation. About 120 billion yuan is invested in product research and development, which is subject to evaluation. Without theoretical support, there can be no breakthroughs, and we will not be able to catch up with the US.' For example, more than 20 years of research into hybrid stochastic number systems has led to the development of a Hybrid Stochastic Computing SoC (System-on-Chip) for high-performance computing at the School of Electronic and Information Engineering of the Beijing University of Aeronautic and Astronautics (BUAA). Led by Professor Li Hongge, the research and development team combined binary (0 – 1) and stochastic (probability-based) values, in-memory computing, and heterogenous SoC design (multiple specialized processing units) using open-source RISC-V architecture, which is beyond the reach of US government sanctions. As reported by the Guangming Daily, the hybrid chip features higher fault tolerance, stronger resistance to interference, and much greater energy efficiency than conventional binary digital chips. As translated by TrendForce, 'Professor Li explains that stochastic computing expresses values through the probability of a CMOS logic signal remaining 'high' during a given time period. In other words, the frequency of high-level pulses represents the numerical probability.' BUAA is already applying the technology to touch recognition, instrument display panels, and flight control. Beyond that, the research team is working on more complex functions such as voice and image processing and AI model acceleration. The chips themselves are fabricated by the Chinese IC foundry SMIC. Similar R&D programs are underway in the US, Japan and Europe, but for the time being, China leads the world in the practical application of hybrid stochastic computing. The negative implications for the US policy of technology containment should be obvious. 'For the US semiconductor industry, China is gone,' electronics industry analyst Handel Jones told The New York Times. Jones is the founder and CEO of California consulting firm International Business Strategies, Inc. 'He projects that Chinese companies will have a majority share of chips in every major category in China by 2030.' Follow this writer on X: @ScottFo83517667
Economic Times
13-06-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
US says China's Huawei can't make more than 200,000 AI chips in 2025
China's Huawei Technologies is capable of producing no more than 200,000 advanced artificial intelligence chips in 2025, a top US exports controls official told lawmakers on Thursday, warning that though the number is below the company's demand, China is quickly catching up to U.S. capabilities. Since 2019, a slew of U.S. export rules aimed at curbing China's technological and military advancements have limited access by Huawei and other Chinese firms to high-end U.S. chips and the equipment needed to produce them. The issue has become a flashpoint in U.S.-China relations. Facing those restrictions, Huawei aims to ship its Ascend 910C AI chips to Chinese customers as an alternative to those made by the United States' Nvidia, the global leader. "Our assessment is that Huawei Ascend chip production capacity for 2025 will be at or below 200,000 and we project that most or all of that will be delivered to companies within China," Jeffrey Kessler, Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security at the Commerce Department, told a congressional hearing. Kessler said that the U.S. should not take comfort in the figure. "China is investing huge amounts to increase its AI chip production, as well as the capabilities of the chips that it produces. So, it's critical for us not to have a false sense of security, to understand that China is catching up quickly," he told the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs South and Central Asia subcommittee. White House AI Czar David Sacks said on Tuesday that China was only 3-6 months behind the US in AI. The White House later said he was referring to China's AI models, adding that Chinese AI chips are one to two years behind their U.S. counterparts. Huawei's CEO Ren Zhengfei told Chinese state media on Tuesday that the company's chips were a generation behind those of US competitors, but that it invests more than $25 billion annually to improve performance. Nvidia's AI chips are more powerful than Huawei's but Washington's export controls on its most sophisticated chips have caused it to lose market share. The U.S. and China reached a tentative trade truce at talks in London this week after a previous agreement faltered over China's continued curbs on minerals exports. That prompted the Trump administration to apply additional export controls on shipments of semiconductor design software, jet engines for Chinese-made planes and other goods. Democratic Representative Greg Meeks expressed concern that the Trump administration had conflated U.S. exports controls with broader discussions on trade. "What I will say is export controls have been strong and I'm confident that they will remain strong," Kessler said. Kessler said he was not planning any immediate new restrictions on U.S. semiconductors sold to China, but that the Commerce Department will "remain active in this space." "It's a constantly evolving landscape, and we need to make sure that our controls remain effective," he said.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
US says China's Huawei can't make more than 200,000 AI chips in 2025
Live Events China's Huawei Technologies is capable of producing no more than 200,000 advanced artificial intelligence chips in 2025, a top US exports controls official told lawmakers on Thursday, warning that though the number is below the company's demand, China is quickly catching up to U.S. 2019, a slew of U.S. export rules aimed at curbing China's technological and military advancements have limited access by Huawei and other Chinese firms to high-end U.S. chips and the equipment needed to produce them. The issue has become a flashpoint in U.S.-China relations. Facing those restrictions, Huawei aims to ship its Ascend 910C AI chips to Chinese customers as an alternative to those made by the United States' Nvidia, the global leader."Our assessment is that Huawei Ascend chip production capacity for 2025 will be at or below 200,000 and we project that most or all of that will be delivered to companies within China," Jeffrey Kessler, Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security at the Commerce Department, told a congressional said that the U.S. should not take comfort in the figure."China is investing huge amounts to increase its AI chip production, as well as the capabilities of the chips that it produces. So, it's critical for us not to have a false sense of security, to understand that China is catching up quickly," he told the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs South and Central Asia House AI Czar David Sacks said on Tuesday that China was only 3-6 months behind the US in AI. The White House later said he was referring to China's AI models, adding that Chinese AI chips are one to two years behind their U.S. counterparts. Huawei's CEO Ren Zhengfei told Chinese state media on Tuesday that the company's chips were a generation behind those of US competitors, but that it invests more than $25 billion annually to improve AI chips are more powerful than Huawei's but Washington's export controls on its most sophisticated chips have caused it to lose market U.S. and China reached a tentative trade truce at talks in London this week after a previous agreement faltered over China's continued curbs on minerals prompted the Trump administration to apply additional export controls on shipments of semiconductor design software, jet engines for Chinese-made planes and other Representative Greg Meeks expressed concern that the Trump administration had conflated U.S. exports controls with broader discussions on trade."What I will say is export controls have been strong and I'm confident that they will remain strong," Kessler said he was not planning any immediate new restrictions on U.S. semiconductors sold to China, but that the Commerce Department will "remain active in this space.""It's a constantly evolving landscape, and we need to make sure that our controls remain effective," he said.
