During 's Q3 2026 earnings call, and confirmed that GPUs are no longer depreciating assets. Huang noted a useful life of over eight years, while Musk highlighted that older units deliver higher intelligence per watt as models evolve.
B200 GPUs currently trade at a 58 percent premium to launch prices, with residual values hitting 158 percent of original costs. reports that A100 and H100 models also exceed standard three to five-year straight-line depreciation schedules.
The economics of AI compute remain robust, with 1 GW costing $50 billion but generating $40 billion in annual revenue. Musk stated that short-term compute rental contracts are renewing at higher rates, resulting in a payback period of less than one year.