Chinese technology giants including ByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent are set to receive only a limited number of the Nvidia chips they have ordered, according to a Bloomberg report cited by Tom’s Hardware. Based on unnamed sources, the report says only “some tens of thousands, or roughly 1%” of RTX Pro 5500 workstation GPUs will be delivered over the next few months, and suggests the order amount has risen to $70 billion.
Demand for the RTX Pro 5500 has far outstripped Nvidia's planned production. The GPU is particularly attractive to Chinese buyers because it has the same CUDA cores as Nvidia's flagship gaming GPU, the RTX 5090, but with 84GB of GDDR7 memory, making it a strong option for AI workloads. Crucially, unlike the RTX 5090 or AI-focused workstation GPUs such as the H200 and B300, the RTX Pro 5500 is not subject to U.S. export restrictions, allowing it to be shipped to China without limits.
Earlier reports suggested Chinese firms had placed orders worth $35 billion for over 3 million units. The latest report suggests the amount has risen to $70 billion. China is in an arms race with the U.S. to produce better AI models. Nvidia has reportedly halted production of the RTX 5090 to pivot towards its AI-focused enterprise base.
The report suggests Chinese developers expect a first batch of several thousand RTX Pro 5500 GPUs to be delivered by the end of 2026. A total of 700,000 RTX Pro 5500s are expected to be delivered by the end of 2027 as Nvidia increases production, though this could change.
In a statement to Bloomberg, an Nvidia spokesman declined to comment on shipment numbers but criticized U.S. export controls, saying "outdated U.S. export controls, which cover gaming products released nearly half a decade ago" continue to restrict the company, along with "China's own limits on U.S. imports."
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The massive shortfall underscores the intensity of the global AI chip race and Nvidia's inability to meet surging demand from China, despite the absence of formal export restrictions on the RTX Pro 5500.
- The large order from Chinese firms (estimated at $70 billion) highlights how critical access to high-performance GPUs is for China's AI ambitions; the limited deliveries will likely slow its model development.
- The situation may fuel further debate in Washington about the effectiveness of current export controls and whether they push China to develop its own alternatives.
Background
Nvidia dominates the market for GPUs used in AI training and inference. U.S. export controls have restricted the sale of its most advanced chips to China since 2022, prompting Chinese customers to seek alternative products. The RTX Pro 5500, released in 2025, is a workstation GPU that falls outside those restrictions, making it a crucial lifeline for Chinese AI firms.
Key Perspectives
Nvidia: In a statement to Bloomberg, a spokesman criticized U.S. export controls as outdated and said they cover gaming products nearly half a decade old, while also pointing to China's own import limits.
Chinese tech firms: ByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent are among those that placed large orders; they face a long wait for the few thousand GPUs expected by end of 2026, far below their needs.
What to Watch
- Whether Nvidia ramps production of the RTX Pro 5500 to meet the 700,000-unit target by late 2027.
- Any changes to U.S. export policy that might widen or narrow the loophole allowing sale of the Pro 5500 to China.
- China's efforts to boost domestic GPU production as an alternative to relying on constrained Nvidia supply.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedNvidia is set to deliver only 1% of the GPUs in Chinese firms’ $70 billion orders.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “Nvidia can only fulfill 1% of China’s massive $70 billion GPU order for AI chips, report claims”
- SupportedSupply constraints and high demand are choking RTX Pro 5500 deliveries.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “supply constraints choke export-friendly RTX Pro 5500 deliveries despite huge demand.”
- SupportedByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent are among the Chinese technology giants set to receive only a limited number of the chips they ordered.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “Chinese technology giants ByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent, among others, are set to receive only a limited number of Nvidia chips that they've ordered.”
- SupportedBloomberg, citing unnamed sources, reported that only “some tens of thousands, or roughly 1%” of RTX Pro 5500 workstation GPUs will be delivered over the next few months.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “Bloomberg is reporting that, according to unnamed sources, only "some tens of thousands, or roughly 1%" of RTX Pro 5500 workstation GPUs will be delivered over the next few months.”
- SupportedThe latest report suggests the Chinese firms’ order amount has risen to $70 billion.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “This new report suggests that amount has risen to $70 billion”
- SupportedThe RTX Pro 5500 has the same CUDA cores as the RTX 5090, 84GB of GDDR7 memory, and is a good option for AI.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “The RTX Pro 5500 has the same CUDA cores as its flagship gaming GPU, the RTX 5090, but with a boosted 84GB GDDR7 memory count, so it's a good option for AI.”
- SupportedThe RTX Pro 5500 has no export limits and can be shipped to China without restrictions.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “there are no export limits, meaning it can be shipped to China without restrictions.”
- SupportedEarlier reports suggested Chinese firms had orders worth $35 billion for more than 3 million GPUs.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “According to earlier reports, Chinese firms were suggested to have spent $35 billion on orders for over 3 million of the GPUs”
- SupportedChinese developers expect a first batch of several thousand RTX Pro 5500 GPUs by the end of 2026.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “The report suggests that Chinese developers expect a first batch of several thousand RTX Pro 5500 GPUs to be delivered by the end of 2026.”
- SupportedA total of 700,000 RTX Pro 5500s are expected to be delivered by the end of 2027 as Nvidia increases production, though this could change.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “In total, 700,000 RTX Pro 5500s are expected to be delivered by the end of 2027 as Nvidia increases its production, although this could change.”
- SupportedAn Nvidia spokesman declined to comment on shipment numbers in a statement to Bloomberg.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “In a statement to Bloomberg, an Nvidia spokesman declined to comment on shipment numbers”
- SupportedThe spokesman’s quoted remarks about U.S. export controls and China’s import limits match the source.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “stating that "outdated U.S. export controls, which cover gaming products released nearly half a decade ago" continue to restrict it, along with "China's own limits on U.S. imports."”
