DigiTimes said in a July 24 report that Nvidia's 800V HVDC high-voltage direct current power architecture for next-generation AI data centers has not been pushed onto a different production path. Market concerns that large-scale adoption in 2027 could slip to some point after 2028 were driven mainly by a misunderstanding of the product validation process, according to the report.
SemiAnalysis had previously said growth across the AI power supply chain could be affected if the rollout of 800V HVDC were delayed. Supply-chain sources cited by DigiTimes said the current holdup is tied to a longer design-validation cycle for first-generation products, not to any shift in the underlying technology roadmap. Power cabinets, battery backup units, battery packs, and related parts have been resubmitted for validation, and testing is moving ahead smoothly, the report said.
Delta expected to begin small-scale production by late Q1 2027
Supply-chain sources said Taiwan-based power supplier Delta Electronics is expected to start small-scale production of 800V HVDC products near the end of the first quarter of 2027. Shipments are then expected to increase gradually from the second quarter as customer deployment schedules advance.
The timing adjustment was linked to the early system validation process. DigiTimes said potential short-circuit risks were identified at that stage, prompting a U.S. customer to ask for additional testing. That extended the timeline for system design optimization and certification, affecting delivery schedules for related suppliers including Delta Electronics, Sunonwealth and Chicony Power.
Sources say the bottleneck is validation and certification, not manufacturing
Industry sources said the issue is not whether the products can be manufactured. The remaining work lies in completing design modifications and customer certification. Over the longer term, they said, 800V HVDC is still expected to be an important direction for high-power power-supply architecture in AI data centers.
The same sources also said market claims that the need for 800V HVDC has fallen are based on a misunderstanding. Under Nvidia's Rubin platform, the 50V power architecture is mainly used for in-rack power distribution, while 800V HVDC is designed for high-voltage power delivery between the data center and the rack. The two systems serve different functions and do not conflict with each other.
±400V HVDC and 800V HVDC may develop in parallel at first
As Rubin Ultra and later AI platforms push single-rack power demand to 600kW to 1MW, traditional AC power systems and lower-voltage architectures face higher current loads, greater transmission losses, and rising heat dissipation pressure, the report said.
DigiTimes said ±400V HVDC and 800V HVDC are expected to develop in parallel in the early stage. In that setup, ±400V HVDC would act as a transitional solution, while 800V HVDC would gradually expand its penetration as platform upgrades continue and validation work is completed.
The market generally views the latest adjustment as a change in shipment timing rather than a deterioration in demand, according to the report. It added that cloud service providers are expected to keep increasing investment in AI infrastructure from 2027, which could drive another growth cycle for power suppliers and related component makers.