NVIDIA is finally launching a "new" GPU made specifically for the Chinese PC gamer market. The GPU is the GeForce RTX 4090 D and it went on sale Thursday on the company"s China website.
As you might have figured out, this "new" GeForce RTX 4090 D is a version of the company"s high-end GeForce RTX 4090 graphics chip. However, it has been modified so that it can comply with the current US export rules regarding the sales of US computer and tech parts to China.
While the standard 4090 GPU has 16,384 CUDA cores, the 4090 D version has slightly fewer cores available, at 14,592. Also, while the regular 4090 uses 450W of power, the 4090 D version uses 425W of energy. Reuters reports that, according to an NVIDIA spokesperson, the overall effect is that the 4090 D GPU offers 5 percent less performance for PC gamers in China compared to the standard 4090 chip.
The same NVIDIA spokesperson stated that the company "extensively engaged with the U.S. government" with the development of the GeForce RTX 4090 D so it could comply with the country"s tech export limits. NVIDIA is selling the GPU in China for 12,999 yuan which is about $1,842 in US dollars.
NVIDIA is making the extra effort to create China-only versions of its GPU because of the huge market for its products in that country. However, due to the export rules set up by the Biden Administration, it has run into delays in launching new GPUs in China.
Specifically, it has delayed the release of its new H20 artificial intelligence (AI) chip from a planned launch last November until the first quarter of 2024 in China. These delays have allowed rival companies like Huawei to step in and sell their own AI-based GPUs to Chinese companies. It remains to be seen if the US export rules could greatly curb NVIDIA"s market in China.