In a strategic move aimed at the Chinese market, Nvidia has announced the release of the RTX 4090D, a slightly less powerful version of its high-performance RTX 4090 GPU. This decision comes as a direct response to the US government's efforts to restrict the export of advanced goods and services from American providers to China, as tensions between the two countries continue to escalate. The new regulations are primarily focused on hindering China's quest for dominance in artificial intelligence technology.
At the heart of the matter, the recently unveiled RTX 4090D boasts 14,592 CUDA processing cores, compared to the 16,384 cores found in the standard RTX 4090. Additionally, it has a slightly lower power draw of 425W, as opposed to the 450W of its predecessor. As a result, the 4090D is only 5% less powerful than the original GPU, but it still adheres to the 4,800 TOPS (trillion operations per second) speed limit set by the United States, which allows American hardware to be sold in China.
It is worth noting that the new GPUs do not support overclocking, further reinforcing their adherence to the specified limitations. On paper, there seems to be no way to tweak the 4090D to enhance its performance. This limitation may be seen as a measure to ensure compliance with the export controls imposed by the US government.
The release of the RTX 4090D follows the US government's decision to include the flagship RTX 4090 gaming GPU in its list of banned exports to China in October. In response, an Nvidia spokesperson emphasized that the GeForce RTX 4090D has been specifically designed to fully comply with US government export controls. The company claims to have extensively engaged with the US government during the development process.
The US has been increasingly stringent in its efforts to restrict the export of advanced AI accelerators and high-performance chips to China. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo recently warned chipmakers about attempts to circumvent these sanctions, stating that any chip redesigned to enable AI capabilities would still fall under US control. This warning appeared to be aimed directly at Nvidia's attempts to develop compliant chips, which the company seems to have achieved with the RTX 4090D.
In summary, Nvidia's release of the RTX 4090D is a strategic maneuver to cater to the Chinese market while adhering to the US government's export restrictions. By offering a slightly less powerful variant of its flagship GPU, Nvidia aims to continue providing cutting-edge technology to Chinese consumers while ensuring compliance with regulatory limitations. This move showcases Nvidia's ability to navigate geopolitical tensions and adapt its products to meet the demands of different markets.
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