ASIC server shipment growth momentum in 2026 is expected to surpass that of Nvidia-led GPU servers, with Google's TPU servers accounting for the largest shipment volume. Inventec, one of the key suppliers, is optimistic about the 2026 server market, projecting double-digit annual shipment growth for ASIC servers.
GPU servers led by Nvidia continue to dominate AI, but ASIC servers are rapidly catching up, with shipment growth far outpacing GPUs. DIGITIMES Research predicts that ASIC server shipments will grow 64.2% in 2026, compared with only 43.8% growth for GPU servers. All major cloud service providers (CSPs) are accelerating development of their own ASIC servers, and Google's TPU servers make up the largest share among them. According to DIGITIMES Research's AI accelerator statistics, Google is expected to ship 3.325 million TPUs in 2026, far exceeding AWS's 1.47 million, Meta's 600,000, and Microsoft's 330,000 units.
ASIC servers offer a clear cost advantage over GPUs. Additionally, CSPs are eager to reduce reliance on Nvidia's dominant chip position and seek ASICs as a strategic alternative. Google's recently launched Gemini 3 model demonstrated competitive performance against ChatGPT running on GPUs, further promoting ASIC server adoption.
ODMs also have high expectations for ASIC servers, partly because Nvidia intends to tighten control over its supply chain to ensure smoother shipments of next-generation products. This includes unifying key component designs and narrowing the list of approved ODM assemblers. Although Nvidia has not finalized whether L10 assembly will be consolidated to three ODMs, its intentions are clear. If Nvidia continues to narrow its supplier base, ODM profit margins will shrink, and CSPs will only accelerate their push into ASIC servers. Regardless of Nvidia's strategy, CSP adoption of ASIC servers will not slow down.
In comparison to Nvidia's GPU servers, ASIC servers have lower unit prices and more customized design flexibility, which increases ODM margins. This is why all major ODMs, including Quanta, Foxconn, Wiwynn, Wistron, Inventec, and Mitac, are pursuing ASIC server orders and remain optimistic about shipment momentum in 2026.
Inventec is a supplier for Google's TPU servers, though the company has not commented on individual customers. The company is optimistic about 2026 server demand, expecting double-digit growth, and says that the usual seasonal decline will not surface in the first quarter of 2026. ASIC server shipments are also expected to grow at a double-digit pace.
Inventec posted NT$52.156 billion (US$1.7 billion) in revenue for November 2025, down 4.76% month-over-month and 14.30% year-over-year. Notebook shipments reached 1.7 million units, up 100,000 units from the previous month. Entering the traditional off-season, fourth quarter notebook shipments will see a slight correction compared with the third quarter. For servers, rack shipments dominated in the first half of the year, with more L6 shipments in the second half. Nvidia's HGX server shipments are expected to continue rising in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Article edited by Jerry Chen
