China's AI chipmakers raise prices as high-bandwidth memory shortage bites
SMH•Chinese AI chipmakers raise prices as HBM costs climb
Chinese AI chipmakers including Huawei Technologies and Cambricon have sharply raised prices for current and next-generation AI processors, three people familiar with the matter said, as soaring costs for high-bandwidth memory squeeze efforts to build domestic alternatives to Nvidia.
Huawei has lifted the indicated price of its Ascend 950DT accelerator card, which integrates an AI processor with memory and other components, to above 250,000 yuan ($37,255), two people said.
The increase represents a jump of 20% to 50% from prices quoted to customers just two months ago, depending on contract terms, they said. Shenzhen-based Huawei has publicly said the 950DT, its most advanced AI chip, will be available in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Beijing-based Cambricon has also repriced its next-generation chip, tentatively called the 690, at 20% to 30% above levels it indicated two months ago, two sources said, without giving an exact figure. Smaller rivals MetaX and Iluvatar CoreX have made similar increases, the sources said.
