Pay and pray: Nvidia reportedly wants money up front for Chinese H200 orders

Nvidia's H200 GPUs could begin trickling into China as soon as this quarter, but there's a catch. Due to all the geopolitical turmoil that's ravaged US-China trade relations over the past year, buyers may need to pay up front for the coveted AI accelerators. And they won't get a refund if China decides to block the imports!

On Thursday, Bloomberg reported that authorities in Beijing could green-light shipments of H200s - currently the most powerful GPU Uncle Sam has ever allowed Nvidia to sell in China - as soon as this quarter.

However, on the off chance that the Chinese government changes its mind, Reuters, citing multiple anonymous sources, reports Nvidia is requiring advance payment for the chips with no option for a refund if they're canceled.

These conditions, the report notes, aren't entirely new. Apparently, Nvidia has previously required advance payments from customers in the ...