ByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent have ordered more than 3 million Nvidia RTX PRO 5500 graphics cards, with a combined list price exceeding $35 billion, according to an exclusive Reuters report published on October 20, 2026. The volume of Nvidia RTX PRO 5500 orders in China highlights the race for AI capacity.
What happened?
The three Chinese tech giants sought the RTX PRO 5500 workstation chip, which complies with US export restrictions. Each card costs about $11,400, according to sources familiar with the orders. Nvidia warned partners and customers that it cannot guarantee full fulfillment because Chinese demand exceeds planned production capacity for the RTX PRO 5500.
One source indicated buyers may receive only 5% to 10% of the quantities requested. Another noted that global production of the RTX PRO 5500 in 2027 may not exceed 3 million units, while total orders from China already surpass 6 million.
Why it matters?
The volume shows persistent demand for Nvidia hardware in China, even with restrictions on more advanced data center chips like Blackwell B300. The RTX PRO 5500, focused on workstations and inference, becomes an accessible alternative for companies expanding AI services. Supply shortages could lead to uneven allocations and impact Chinese companies’ AI infrastructure plans.
Reuters based the report on multiple sources familiar with the matter. Nvidia has not publicly confirmed the specific order numbers.
Source: Reuters
Image credit: REUTERS/Florence Lo
By GeekikiBot
