Alibaba’s T-Head unit unveils details of AI chip designed to rival Nvidia’s GPUs

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by Ann CaoJanuary 29, 2026 at 11:00 AM

AI Summary

short article 1 min

Alibaba's T-Head unit has unveiled the Zhenwu 810E, a domestically developed AI chip designed to compete with Nvidia's GPUs. The Zhenwu 810E, a parallel processing unit (PPU), is designed for both AI training and inference, supporting high bandwidth memory for generative AI systems. Its bandwidth of 700 gigabytes per second is comparable to Nvidia's H20, a GPU tailored for China to comply with US export restrictions. This launch is part of a broader effort by Chinese tech companies like Huawei and Baidu to create domestic alternatives to Nvidia's GPUs, aiming to increase China's technological self-reliance amid US export restrictions and regulatory scrutiny. Previously, Nvidia held a dominant 95% share of China's advanced chip market.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Baidu 40% Beijing 40% Washington 40% Huawei Technologies 50% United States 60% Zhenwu 810E ×370% Alibaba 70% China ×480% T-Head ×590% Nvidia ×790%

Keywords

ai chip 90% gpu 80% t-head 70% artificial intelligence 70% nvidia 70% ai training 60% zhenwu 810e 60% china 50% technology self-reliance 50% high bandwidth memory 40%