NVIDIA is preparing to sell its new Vera central processors in China after export restrictions limited the company's GPU shipments. The move allows NVIDIA to maintain hardware sales in a key market where it previously held significant share with data center accelerators. Clients can now place orders for the chips, which target artificial intelligence workloads.
Chinese cloud providers place large orders for the new 88-core processors
The Vera CPU uses an 88-core Olympus Arm design and ships as part of the MGX rack platform. Each processor connects to up to 164 MB of L3 cache and 166 MB of L2 cache. The chip supports PCIe Gen6, CXL 3.1, and NVLink I/O for high-speed data transfer.
Spec comparison
| Spec | Vera CPU |
|---|---|
| CPU Cores | 88 Olympus Arm cores |
| L3 Cache | 164 MB |
| Memory Support | Up to 1.5 TB LPDDR5X SOCAMM2 |
| Interconnects | PCIe Gen6, CXL 3.1, NVLink I/O |
Memory configurations reach up to 1.5 TB per CPU using LPDDR5X SOCAMM2 modules or provide unified memory across the rack. NVIDIA lists thermal design power ratings between 250W and 450W depending on the specific configuration. The company claims these systems deliver up to 90% faster performance in AI applications compared with standard x86 servers.
Pricing estimates place single Vera CPUs north of $20,000 while full MGX racks reach approximately $10 Million. One major Chinese cloud provider plans an order for more than 300 servers, each containing two Vera CPUs. AMD EPYC and Intel Xeon processors currently compete aggressively in this segment.
NVIDIA targets availability for August 2026 after delivering samples to major US AI firms. The company previously reported that its China GPU share dropped to zero following regulatory restrictions on Hopper and Blackwell exports. NVIDIA is shifting focus to its Vera CPUs to generate revenue as the wider industry waits for next-generation accelerators.
NVIDIA has confirmed that clients can order the Vera CPUs now with availability set for August 2026. The company ships samples to US AI firms and targets Chinese cloud providers for volume orders. Each chip features 88 Olympus Arm cores, supports PCIe Gen6 and CXL 3.1, and carries a price north of $20,000.
Discussion
0 comments
Log in to join the thread with a thoughtful take, question, or correction.