The NVIDIA Blackwell GB200 AI server is expected to see massive shipping volumes in Q4 2024, with Microsoft being the most “aggressive” acquirer of the new AI server.
NVIDIA Will Make Billions Alone From Blackwell AI Servers, Quarterly Demand Expected to Increase 250%
Team Green’s Blackwell Architecture is well on its way to making history in terms of NVIDIA’s expected revenuewill earn from it andcapabilities it will bring to the AI industry. Not only is Blackwell about to dethrone Hopper in terms of market popularity, but every mainstream tech company is also looking to acquire NVIDIA’s latest AI offering.
In a new report by leading analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, NVIDIA is expected to ship 150,000–200,000 units of their GB200 AI servers in Q4 alone, with QoQ growth projected at 250%, indicating aggressive industry demand.
Blackwell’s chip production ramp-up began in early 4Q24. Taking into account throughput rates and test efficiency, estimated shipments are around 150,000–200,000 units in 4Q24, with significant projected growth of 200–250% QoQ to 500,000–550,000 units in Q1 2025.
Microsoft 4Q24 GB200 orders recently jumped 3–4x from the previous 300–500 racks (mainly NVL36) to around 1,400–1,500 racks (around 70% NVL72). Microsoft’s next order will primarily focus on NVL72.
Other CSP orders, such as Amazon’s 300–400 GB200 NVL36 racks in 4Q24 and the Meta architecture focused on Ariel rather than Bianca, had much lower order volumes than Microsoft. It’s important to note that this doesn’t necessarily indicate conservatism from other CSPs, but Microsoft’s current demand for the GB200 is much higher than other CSPs.
via Media
NVIDIA has the potential to ship 500,000–550,000 Blackwell AI server units in the first quarter of 2025, meaning the one million unit mark can only be reached in a matter of quarters. In terms of companies expected to acquire NVIDIA Blackwell servers, Microsoft is said to be the biggest beneficiary, said to be purchasing the NVL36 and NVL72 variants of the GB200 AI cluster, with the NVL36 model expected to ship this quarter. . Microsoft has increased its orders by 3 to 4 times, notably including the NVL72 variant in its list.
Foxconn and Quanta are responsible for providing Microsoft’s Blackwell systems, and based on independent surveys from both organizations, Microsoft is the leading CSP in terms of orders, and the company is said to be rapidly expanding its AI computing capabilities, especially with the debut of NVIDIA’s Blackwell. Companies like Amazon and Meta have much lower order volumes, which suggests that Microsoft is indeed determined to take advantage of Blackwell’s capabilities.
NVIDIA’s Blackwell is expected to go mainstream in Q4 2024, where we’ll likely see its architecture in action, giving AI companies computing power that will boost their technology development.
