NVIDIA investigates H100 chip breaches tied to China and Super Micro Computer. Credit: EconoTimes

NVIDIA is probing how restricted H100 chips are ending up in China. Allegations of forged serial numbers and questionable distributor practices, including Super Micro Computer, have triggered a sweeping investigation into compliance breaches.

NVIDIA Investigates Chip Exports Amid US Scrutiny

The US Department of Commerce has reportedly requested that NVIDIA look into the origins of the chips that are still subject to export regulations and how they ended up in China, according to a recent article in The Information.

In response, NVIDIA has requested that its main distributors, such as Super Micro Computer and Dell, perform random audits of their local clientele.

NVIDIA is especially worried about the methods used by some Chinese end-users to fake server serial numbers and get around the current US export restrictions.

An April Baidu search by WCCFTECH turned up many posts, one of which boasted about a massive shipment of NVIDIA H100 chips "arriving in Hong Kong in two weeks, and can be picked up in Shenzhen or Zhengzhou." Data sheets with the Super Micro Computer logo were also attached to some of the posts.

Super Micro Computer's Role in H100 Chip Distribution

Also at the time, someone was promoting Super Micro Computer's H100 chips in a ZOL post.

This news arrives at a time when relations between NVIDIA and Super Micro Computer are looking tense.

In November, Digi Times revealed that NVIDIA was shifting some of its orders away from SMCI and toward other vendors.

Super Micro Computer Faces Allegations and Nasdaq Scrutiny

In a similar vein, when an analyst questioned Super Micro Computer's CEO Charles Liang on the timing of Blackwell revenues entering the company's books, Liang lamented that "we are asking NVIDIA every day [for those chips]."

For those who may have missed it, in August, Hindenburg Research detailed a laundry list of misconducts at Super Micro Computer in their scathing accusations.

After then, the company put off releasing its annual report for FY 2024 and its quarterly financial statements for Q1 2025 due to such accusations. This excessive delay was determined by the Nasdaq exchange to be incompatible with its listing standards.

Nevertheless, Super Micro Computer was granted a reprieve until February 25, 2025, after Nasdaq accepted their plan to reestablish compliance with the exchange's listing standards on December 6, 2025.

Super Micro Computer's Stock Plunge and Index Removal

In the meantime, SMCI's stock price has fallen so precipitously that it is no longer included in the Nasdaq 100 index.