NVIDIA wants full payment upfront for AI chips in China
NVIDIA is telling Chinese buyers they have to pay the entire amount upfront—no refunds, no changes—if they want its powerful H200 AI chips.
This comes as Chinese tech companies rush to order over 2 million of these chips (each around $27,000), even though NVIDIA only has about 700,000 available.
Why is this happening?
China's government is still deciding how many foreign chips can be imported versus homegrown ones, so it's told companies to hold off on orders.
But with domestic alternatives lagging way behind NVIDIA's tech, many firms are taking the risk and locking in non-refundable orders anyway.
In the end, all the financial risk lands on buyers who aren't even sure if their shipments will get approved.
Why should you care?
This is a rare peek at how global tech power struggles play out in real time—and how much companies are willing to gamble just to stay ahead in AI.
If you're into tech or business drama (without the drama), it's a reminder that access to cutting-edge hardware really does shape who leads in AI.