ByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent Order $35 Billion in Nvidia RTX PRO 5500 Chips
Three Chinese tech giants have placed massive orders for Nvidia’s RTX PRO 5500, totaling over $35 billion, though supply constraints loom large.
Key points
- Combined orders exceed 3 million units, valued at over $35 billion
- Nvidia expects to fulfill only 5% to 10% of requested quantities
- Deliveries begin in the first quarter of 2027 for inference tasks
ByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent have collectively ordered more than 3 million RTX PRO 5500 graphics cards from Nvidia, according to Reuters. The report, published Tuesday, cites two sources familiar with the matter. The combined list price for these orders exceeds $35 billion. The Next Web has not independently verified these figures.
Nvidia has informed customers that it cannot guarantee fulfillment of these massive orders. Demand from Chinese technology firms significantly outstrips the production capacity Nvidia has planned. Sources indicate that total orders from customers in China have surpassed 6 million units, creating a substantial supply gap for the chipmaker.
Supply Constraints and Timelines
Nvidia partners have been told they may receive only 5% to 10% of the quantities they requested. One source noted that Nvidia could manufacture no more than 3 million RTX PRO 5500 cards globally in 2027. Customers are expecting early samples in December, with commercial deliveries scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2027. The per-unit cost is approximately $11,400.
Strategic Shift and Export Controls
The RTX PRO 5500 is designed for powerful professional workstations rather than large data-center clusters. It represents one of the most powerful chips available to Chinese buyers under current US export controls. Washington bars sales of Blackwell-based B300 chips to China and reviews older H200 exports case by case. Chinese firms previously showed little interest in the RTX 6000D, a similar card cut down to meet US rules.
Impact on AI Inference
The three companies plan to use these cards primarily for inference, which involves running trained models to handle chatbot requests. Inference generally requires less computing power than training models. Two sources stated that hopes for Washington to allow sales of more powerful chips have faded as restrictions persisted and computing capacity remained scarce. Nvidia has since halted production of the RTX 6000D.
What should you do?
Organizations should monitor their supply chains for potential bottlenecks in high-end graphics processing units. Review current hardware refresh cycles to account for possible delays in new chip availability. Assess whether current inference workloads can be optimized to reduce dependency on specific hardware releases. Stay informed about changes in US export control regulations that may affect hardware sourcing.
What to do and how to stay safe: Nvidia
- Audit current hardware procurement schedules for potential delays in GPU availability
- Evaluate alternative hardware solutions for AI inference workloads
- Monitor official statements from vendors regarding supply capacity
- Review compliance with international export control regulations for hardware
Step-by-step guide: Mobile Device Security: How to Protect Data Beyond Passwords
General security guidance from the Threat Times newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.
Frequently asked questions
How many chips have Chinese companies ordered?
ByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent have ordered more than 3 million RTX PRO 5500 cards, with total Chinese orders exceeding 6 million.
When will deliveries begin?
Early samples are expected in December, with commercial deliveries starting in the first quarter of 2027.
Will Nvidia fulfill all orders?
No, Nvidia has told partners they may receive only 5% to 10% of requested quantities due to production limits.
