DeepSeek orders 160,000 Huawei chips for China inference cluster
DeepSeek is building a gigawatt-scale data center in Ulanqab and intends to install at least 160,000 Huawei Ascend 950DT chips for inference, creating the largest known cluster of Chinese-made AI silicon. The 950DTs will be used only for inference because previous Ascend generations failed in training attempts, so DeepSeek reverted to Nvidia for training. Huawei cannot make enough 950DTs quickly due to high-bandwidth memory (HBM) shortages and state rationing, so deliveries could take over a year and leave most of the site's capacity unexplained, while export controls and smuggling allegations shape the wider compute mix.
DeepSeek ordered 160,000 Ascend 950DT chips for inference.
Context
The U.S. restricted advanced HBM and some chips in late 2024. China then pushed domestic firms to use local hardware. Next, Huawei deliveries may be slow and other hardware could fill the site.
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