Silicon Data CEO says older AI chips are still in high demand

Silicon Data CEO Carmen Li says demand for older AI chips remains high. Her reasoning is simple: chip shortages are keeping prices for Nvidia’s H100 elevated, so buyers are still lining up for previous-generation silicon. Why older GPUs refuse to depreciate Silicon Data’s figures put H100 residual values at approximately 61% of their purchase price as of mid-October 2026, after more than four years on the market. The older A100 tells a similar story. After six years, it still holds about 22.5% of its original value. Li noted that on-demand H100 rentals sit in the range of $2 and up per hour. Newer B200 GPUs, by comparison, rent for about $5 per hour. Silicon Data launched its H100 Rental Index on May 27, 2025, with the average starting at approximately $2.37 per hour. From chip making to chip economics Li started Silicon Data in April 2024. The company focuses on pricing indices and market intelligence for AI compute, tracking GPU rental rates and how older Nvidia chips hold their value. Investors appear interested in that question. Silicon Data secured $30.5 million in Series A funding in August 2026, in a round led by Valor Atreides AI Fund. What this means for the AI compute mar...