SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Nvidia’s Data Center business has experienced a monumental surge in sales, reaching $18.4 billion in the fourth quarter and surpassing analysts’ expectations. This growth underscores the significant impact of the current artificial intelligence boom on the computer chip industry.
The company’s fourth-quarter earnings, released on Wednesday, revealed a staggering 409% growth in its data center unit compared to the previous year. This exponential expansion has investors closely monitoring Nvidia’s Data Center business, particularly in relation to the company’s H100 graphics cards, which are widely utilized in powering generative AI applications such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Since the debut of ChatGPT in November 2022, major tech companies like Alphabet and Meta, as well as startups like Anthropic and Cohere, have increasingly unveiled more advanced versions of their large language models, all of which demand substantial computing power.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg indicated in January that the social networking giant plans to incorporate 350,000 H100 graphics cards into its computing infrastructure by the end of 2024, highlighting the billions of dollars being invested in Nvidia’s computer chips for artificial intelligence efforts.
Nvidia’s data center unit has experienced significant growth over the past three quarters, solidifying its position as the leading supplier of computer chips for AI research and products. The company’s fiscal third quarter in 2023, which concluded just before the release of ChatGPT, marked the beginning of this remarkable upward trajectory.
The rapid increase in data center unit sales is evident: with revenue of $14.51 billion in fiscal Q3 2024, up 279% from the previous year, and $10.32 billion in fiscal Q2 2024, up 171% from the year prior. This growth trend further underlines the immense demand for Nvidia’s products in the current market.
Overall, Nvidia’s Data Center business has proven to be a pivotal player in the computer chip industry, with its substantial growth reflecting the widespread significance of AI technologies in today’s digital landscape.
