Subj : Data centers in China are
To : All
From : Mike Powell
Date : Thu May 01 2025 10:15 am
Data centers in China are dumping rare 48GB Nvidia RTX 4090D GPUs for nearly
$6,000, but the exact reason remains a mystery
Date:
Wed, 30 Apr 2025 17:31:00 +0000
Description:
Data centers in China are selling off rare 48GB Nvidia RTX 4090D GPUs for
nearly $6,000.
FULL STORY
======================================================================Chinese
AI centers are dismantling 4090D GPUs and selling them off Reselling idle
GPUs yields faster profits than waiting on rental returns Some say its
overcapacity, others claim preparation for newer tech
Some Chinese AI data centers are dismantling and reselling China-specific
Nvidia RTX 4090D GPUs, reports have claimed.
A report from DigiTimes Asia says these 48GB cards, designed to circumvent
U.S. export restrictions on the flagship AD102 gaming GPU, and initially
deployed as part of Chinas AI infrastructure push, are now being pulled from
racks, refurbished, and sold on the open market.
Data center operators are reportedly finding that this offers a faster and
more profitable return than waiting three to five years to recover their
investment through GPU rental.
An alternative theory
Each RTX 4090D sells for between CNY20,000 and CNY40,000 (around US$2,735 to
US$5,470), and even if lightly used, the cards require modification for
consumer resale.
Typically this means converting them from fan-style to blower-style coolers,
which are better suited to dense server environments but less effective for
single-GPU use.
DigiTimes Asia says this move reflects deeper financial pressure, with many
AI data centers struggling to keep their heads above water amid low demand.
According to the report, data centers need utilization rates of at least 70%
to break even - but current rates are often below 20%. That leaves expensive
infrastructure sitting idle while loan repayments loom.
This isnt an isolated case. As we reported recently, Chinas rapid AI
infrastructure expansion - encouraged by state policy - has led to
overbuilding.
Hundreds of data center projects were launched across the country in 2023 and
2024, but actual usage has lagged behind expectations . It's no surprise
therefore that developers are now offloading hardware to reduce losses.
Although overcapacity is likely at least part of the reason behind the
selloff, some operators may simply be clearing space for newer technology.
With interest moving from large-scale model training to real-time inference,
older training-focused systems may no longer be as relevant as they once
were.
Combined with the latest US export restrictions, which affect chips like
Nvidias H20, Chinese data centers will be looking at offloading old hardware
and shifting to inference-ready setups.
======================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/data-centers-in-china-are-dumping-rare-48gb-nvid
ia-rtx-4090d-gpus-for-nearly-usd6-000-but-the-exact-reason-remains-a-mystery
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