Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang [Getty Images]
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang [Getty Images]

Nvidia's next-generation AI server platform is expected to be delayed by more than a year due to manufacturing challenges, analysts say — a setback that could hand rivals AMD and Google an opening in the AI infrastructure market.

Semiconductor research firm SemiAnalysis said Monday that Nvidia's next-generation AI server, the Kyber NVL144, is now expected to launch in 2028, more than 12 months behind its original schedule.

SemiAnalysis identified printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing difficulties as the primary cause of the delay.

The Kyber NVL144 is designed to pack 144 high-performance AI chips into a single server rack, functioning as one unified computer. Nvidia had originally planned to release it next year alongside its next-generation AI platform, Vera Rubin Ultra.

Nvidia proposed an alternative configuration — an "NVL72x2 back-to-back" setup linking two server racks of 72 chips each — but customers pushed back, citing the specialized design and high operational burden. The proposal was ultimately withdrawn.

The NVL576 system, which connects eight server racks via optical networking, is also likely to face delays or be produced only in limited quantities due to technical hurdles, according to the analysis.

SemiAnalysis also projected that the Rubin Ultra AI chip would ship with reduced specifications compared to initial plans. The high-performance variant featuring four compute dies is expected to be canceled, leaving only a two-die model — meaning overall performance will likely fall short of original expectations.

The delays are expected to ripple through Nvidia's AI data center expansion strategy. If server scaling for large-scale AI training falls behind schedule, the buildout of massive computing clusters could be pushed back as well.

"If Nvidia's scaling timeline slips, competitors such as AMD and Google — which face relatively fewer hurdles in scaling up — could stand to benefit," SemiAnalysis said.

Nvidia did not respond to a request for comment from CNBC regarding the analysis.


sjy@heraldcorp.com