Nvidia is reportedly demanding Chinese customers pay up front for H200 AI chips with no refunds if Beijing blocks the imports. This comes as ByteDance plans to spend $14 billion on them in 2026, but Nvidia faces a major inventory and production gamble.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says he’s “perfectly fine” with a proposed California ballot measure that could levy a one-time 5% tax on billionaires. The tax could cost Huang nearly $8 billion based on his estimated $155 billion net worth.
The global memory market is on a tear, with revenue expected to jump by over 20% in 2025 and a staggering 40%+ in 2026. AI-driven demand for High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) and shortages in general-purpose chips are creating a perfect storm for growth.
AMD is expanding its AI processor lineup beyond laptops. The new Ryzen AI 400 series, based on Zen 5 and XDNA 2, will be available for both mobile and desktop AM5 platforms starting in Q1 2026.
AMD is all-in on AI for 2026, announcing new desktop and laptop processors alongside FSR 4. The company claims massive performance leads over Intel and even Apple’s M5. It’s a bold play for the AI PC future.
Qualcomm has unveiled its mid-range Snapdragon X2 Plus processors for Windows 11 Copilot+ PCs. Announced at CES 2026, they promise major speed gains over the 2024 models and are set to land in devices by June. This is a key move in Qualcomm’s push to compete with Intel, AMD, and Apple’s Macs.
A deep dive reveals the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme uses TSMC’s new 3nm N3X process, prioritizing speed over efficiency. Despite hitting 5.00GHz and packing 31 billion transistors, it still lags behind Apple’s silicon in key tests.
Shanghai Biren Technology, a Chinese AI chip designer, saw its shares jump nearly 76% in its Hong Kong trading debut on Friday. The IPO raised $717 million, fueled by intense investor demand for AI and China’s tech self-sufficiency drive. But the road ahead is fraught with challenges.
In a New Year address, Samsung’s co-CEO for chips highlighted strong customer feedback on its upcoming HBM4 memory. The company is in talks to supply these crucial components to AI giant Nvidia as it tries to catch rival SK Hynix.
New trade data shows South Korea’s export engine is still humming, even after the US imposed a 15% tariff. The relentless demand for semiconductors, up 43.2% in December, is doing most of the heavy lifting. This resilience gives the central bank crucial breathing room.
