Nvidia Stabilizes Blackwell Chip Rollout After Overheating Setbacks
Santa Clara, Saturday, 7 February 2026.
Nvidia has mitigated thermal malfunctions in its Blackwell GPUs that previously stalled AI projects and reportedly cost Oracle $100 million. Updated hardware is now stabilizing the critical AI infrastructure supply chain.
Overcoming Thermal Hurdles
Nvidia (NVDA) appears to have successfully navigated a critical infrastructure challenge regarding its Blackwell graphics processing units (GPUs), with reports from February 7, 2026, indicating that thermal management issues have finally stabilized [1]. Throughout 2025, the integration of Blackwell chips into massive AI clusters proved far more complex than previous generations, with heat emerging as a primary cause of system malfunctions and data loss [1]. Unlike the seamless deployment of earlier hardware, the Blackwell architecture struggled when consolidated at scale; the failure of a single chip could reportedly trigger shutdowns across clusters comprising thousands of units, forcing companies to spend significant capital merely to restart interrupted jobs [1].
The Economic Toll of Integration
The operational friction caused by these thermal defects resulted in substantial financial repercussions for Nvidia’s partners. Oracle, a key player in building AI data centers, absorbed a loss of approximately $100 million due to technical difficulties associated with the Blackwell chips [1]. These setbacks were exacerbated when Oracle’s client, OpenAI, delayed the approval of Blackwell-based servers at a Texas facility [1]. The instability also impacted deployment timelines elsewhere; Microsoft had previously paused plans to deploy 50,000 Blackwell chips at its Phoenix data center due to these architectural concerns [2]. To mitigate client dissatisfaction during this turbulent period, Nvidia reportedly offered partial refunds and discounts to affected hyperscalers [1].
Technical Resolution and Future Outlook
Stability was largely restored following the release of a revised version of the chip, the “GB300,” in the third quarter of 2025, which incorporated necessary design improvements [1]. Major clients, including OpenAI, are now replacing undelivered legacy units with this updated hardware, signaling a resumption of effective scaling [1]. Looking ahead, Nvidia is already pivoting toward its next technological leap. As of January 2026, the company began full-scale manufacturing of its “Rubin” platform, which includes the Vera processor and Rubin graphics chip, designed to power the next generation of agentic AI [7]. Furthermore, CEO Jensen Huang recently reaffirmed the company’s aggressive growth strategy, refuting rumors on February 5, 2026, that Nvidia would scale back a $100 billion investment in data centers [4].