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Nvidia B300 Servers Hit $1M in China as US Curbs Tighten Supply

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Nvidia’s advanced B300 AI servers are reportedly selling for nearly 7 million yuan, around $1 million, in China as stricter US export controls and anti-smuggling crackdowns sharply reduce supply. According to industry sources, prices have almost doubled from roughly 4 million yuan late last year, creating a major scarcity premium in the Chinese grey market.

The B300 server, equipped with eight B300 GPUs, costs around $550,000 in the United States, but Chinese demand for high-end AI computing has pushed prices far beyond that level. Chinese technology companies are aggressively seeking cost-efficient hardware to power AI inference and token generation, while many remain cautious about directly holding Nvidia systems due to sanctions concerns.

Reuters reports that pressure increased after US authorities prosecuted Supermicro co-founder Wally Liaw in March, disrupting key black-market supply channels. Nvidia emphasized that B300 systems are restricted from sale in China and warned that unauthorized diversion would receive no support or service from the company.

Some Chinese firms unable to afford direct purchases are instead turning to rentals, with short-term annual contracts reaching 190,000 yuan per month. At the same time, domestic players like Huawei are trying to capitalize on Nvidia’s restricted access, challenging Nvidia’s estimated 55% Chinese AI chip market share.

The surge highlights how geopolitical restrictions are reshaping China’s AI infrastructure market, driving up costs while accelerating local competition in advanced computing hardware.

Intel’s SambaNova Investment Clears U.S. Antitrust Review

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Intel has secured U.S. antitrust clearance for its expanded investment in AI chip startup SambaNova, removing a potential regulatory hurdle as the semiconductor giant deepens its position in one of the industry’s fast-growing artificial intelligence infrastructure segments.

Intel invested $35 million in SambaNova earlier this year, increasing its ownership stake to 8.2% from 6.8%, and plans an additional $15 million investment. The approval signals that U.S. regulators do not currently view the deal as posing significant competitive concerns, despite Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan also serving as chairman of SambaNova.

The move is strategically significant as Intel seeks broader exposure to AI hardware markets beyond its traditional CPU dominance. SambaNova specializes in AI accelerators and enterprise-scale machine learning systems, placing it in direct competition with other advanced AI chipmakers operating in a rapidly expanding market shaped by surging demand for generative AI, inference, and large-scale data center compute.

For Intel, the deal may serve multiple purposes: financial upside through startup growth, strategic influence in AI infrastructure, and diversification as the company works to strengthen its broader semiconductor relevance amid fierce competition from Nvidia, AMD, and emerging AI-focused firms.

Regulatory approval also highlights how government scrutiny is increasingly focused not only on large acquisitions, but also on minority strategic investments that could affect competitive dynamics in critical technology sectors. While the current transaction passed review, Intel’s growing involvement with SambaNova may continue attracting attention as AI chip competition intensifies.

The broader implication is clear: major semiconductor players are increasingly using targeted startup investments to secure positioning in the next phase of AI compute expansion, where ownership, partnerships, and ecosystem control may prove as important as chip performance itself.

Qualcomm Shares Surge on AI and Smartphone Recovery Outlook

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Qualcomm shares climbed more than 13% after investors responded positively to CEO Cristiano Amon’s confidence in a coming rebound for the smartphone market and the company’s aggressive push into AI and data center chips. Despite issuing a weak third-quarter forecast, Qualcomm’s broader growth narrative centered on diversification beyond traditional smartphone dependency helped restore investor confidence.

The company, historically reliant on handset chip sales, is expanding into high-growth sectors including data center processors, AI accelerators, ASIC chips, and autonomous vehicle technology. Qualcomm plans to begin shipping data center products before year-end, signaling a major strategic shift as smartphone manufacturers face rising memory prices and weaker consumer demand.

Qualcomm’s long-term challenge remains Apple’s move toward in-house modem chips, which could reduce Qualcomm’s component share after their licensing agreement ends in 2027. Analysts note this creates pressure on Qualcomm’s smartphone business, especially as Apple and Samsung dominate premium markets.

Still, investor sentiment improved as Qualcomm’s AI ambitions and broader semiconductor strategy overshadowed concerns about near-term smartphone weakness. Reports linking Qualcomm and MediaTek to an OpenAI-focused AI smartphone project further fueled optimism. Following earnings, at least 14 brokerages raised their price targets, reflecting confidence that Qualcomm’s transition into AI infrastructure and enterprise chips could offset future handset risks.