Zhaoxin KX-U6780A x86 CPU Tested: The Rise of China's Chips

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we're looking at roughly the same power draw, if not slightly less, than AMD's A10-9700 that's also fabbed on a 28nm process.

Even with the somewhat unclear power results, we can clearly see the power burden bestowed by the older 28nm process.
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It seems you're implying both chips are fabbed on the same process. The first page says 16nm FinFET.
 
Remember AMD's Phoenix-like rise from the relative ashes of the semiconductor market to the value and performance leader?


I do. It only took one daring new architecture with a massive 52% IPC gain paired with a good-enough 14nm GlobalFoundries process, and perhaps a little bit of luck with Intel's delays on the 10nm node, to upset both the desktop PC and data center markets.
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Except AMD already had what they needed to meet Intel performance wise and their first step was a catch up after using a uArch that was just bad all around. Bulldozer launched to being beaten by K10.5 CPUs in some areas.

You also have to consider that Intel and AMD had a big settlement a few years ago that allowed for cross patent sharing so AMD has a lot to work with to design.

This CPU is extremely underwhelming and will probably only exist in the Chinese market or places that are too cheap to buy AMD or Intel.
 
jimmysmitty said:
Except AMD already had what they needed to meet Intel performance wise and their first step was a catch up after using a uArch that was just bad all around. Bulldozer launched to being beaten by K10.5 CPUs in some areas.

You also have to consider that Intel and AMD had a big settlement a few years ago that allowed for cross patent sharing so AMD has a lot to work with to design.

This CPU is extremely underwhelming and will probably only exist in the Chinese market or places that are too cheap to buy AMD or Intel.
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Zhaoxin is at least capable of making x86-64 CPUs, and there's been a pretty decent uplift in performance over its previous gen chip. Still a long way to go, sure, but I don't think closing the uarch gap is going to be that difficult -- especially if patents and licensing are ignored. I'm sure these chips violate hundreds of Intel and AMD patents, but proving that will be difficult, and as long as they remain a China-only product there's not much to be gained by AMD or Intel in trying to fight it.
 
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What a kind review for a crappy chip.
Can’t wait to see the excitement over the next major achievement...
 
JarredWaltonGPU said:
Zhaoxin is at least capable of making x86-64 CPUs, and there's been a pretty decent uplift in performance over its previous gen chip. Still a long way to go, sure, but I don't think closing the uarch gap is going to be that difficult -- especially if patents and licensing are ignored. I'm sure these chips violate hundreds of Intel and AMD patents, but proving that will be difficult, and as long as they remain a China-only product there's not much to be gained by AMD or Intel in trying to fight it.
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Zhaoxin exist only because China's contingency plans if they are not allowed to buy intel or AMD desktop processors. Thanks to Obama's and Trump's exclusion to buy US technologies, China's 2025 plans is to get away from US technologies in the next few years. In the next few years, the Chinese government will probably use some kind of Linux dist using Risc V chips utilizing open source software.
 
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JarredWaltonGPU said:
Zhaoxin is at least capable of making x86-64 CPUs, and there's been a pretty decent uplift in performance over its previous gen chip. Still a long way to go, sure, but I don't think closing the uarch gap is going to be that difficult -- especially if patents and licensing are ignored. I'm sure these chips violate hundreds of Intel and AMD patents, but proving that will be difficult, and as long as they remain a China-only product there's not much to be gained by AMD or Intel in trying to fight it.
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It's an extremely long way to go. Its using more power and in a lot of cases giving half the performance of an i3.

I don't see AMD or Intel fighting it but still even in China this will only sell well to basic users if that unless the government limits or stops sales from AMD and Intel. No one wants to pay money for a product thats that far behind.
 
Where are you getting that from? These are Chinese market chips by China for China. ARM is garbage to them - they are not interested in selling these to anyone - they are doing this to never have to buy from a reputable company or an operation like AMD.
 
jimmysmitty said:
It's an extremely long way to go. Its using more power and in a lot of cases giving half the performance of an i3.

I don't see AMD or Intel fighting it but still even in China this will only sell well to basic users if that unless the government limits or stops sales from AMD and Intel. No one wants to pay money for a product thats that far behind.
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There is no fighting it - VIA has a valid x86 license.
 
jimmysmitty said:
It's an extremely long way to go. Its using more power and in a lot of cases giving half the performance of an i3.

I don't see AMD or Intel fighting it but still even in China this will only sell well to basic users if that unless the government limits or stops sales from AMD and Intel. No one wants to pay money for a product thats that far behind.
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This will be one of the DE FACTO mandatory processors in China - the goal here is not parity with either Intel or AMD but to be good enough to never have to buy another CPU From either Intel or AMD.

These are the underdogs, the ones that AMD sold out on is the ones that are already on par with current CPUs...
 
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pug_s said:
Zhaoxin exist only because China's contingency plans if they are not allowed to buy intel or AMD desktop processors. Thanks to Obama's and Trump's exclusion to buy US technologies, China's 2025 plans is to get away from US technologies in the next few years. In the next few years, the Chinese government will probably use some kind of Linux dist using Risc V chips utilizing open source software.
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The Ban was on exporting a certain level of technology... had nothing to do with Buy US - We have been doing this since Carter.

RISC V is garbage, and dead in the water - deal with it - nothing new, nothing revolutionary, will go on the trash pile with the dozens of "revolutionary" other designs.
 
JarredWaltonGPU said:
Zhaoxin is at least capable of making x86-64 CPUs, and there's been a pretty decent uplift in performance over its previous gen chip. Still a long way to go, sure, but I don't think closing the uarch gap is going to be that difficult -- especially if patents and licensing are ignored. I'm sure these chips violate hundreds of Intel and AMD patents, but proving that will be difficult, and as long as they remain a China-only product there's not much to be gained by AMD or Intel in trying to fight it.
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These are sourced via VIA - which has a valid license - TECHNICALLY they are on the right side of licensing...
 
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nofanneeded said:
China CPU making Potential is in the ARM not the X86 market ... their Huwawei Kirin ARM CPU is the thing not X86 Chips.
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Their CPU Potential is whatever they want it to be - these are NOT for export - they are going to be MANDATED to be used in China. The whole ARM thing is like RISCV - sideshows to the main event... The main event here is NEVER HAVING TO BUY ANOTHER INTEL OR AMD CPU - EVER.
 
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Deicidium369 said:
These are sourced via VIA - which has a valid license - TECHNICALLY they are on the right side of licensing...
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It's a grey area for sure, but I'm not sure if even Via has a complete license to everything. Plus, licensing the ability to make an x86 chip isn't quite the same as avoiding the patents that apply to how to do certain things. Like I said, there's likely a good reason Zhaoxin isn't going into much technical detail on the various pipelines, architecture, GPU, etc.
 
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Deicidium369 said:
This will be one of the DE FACTO mandatory processors in China - the goal here is not parity with either Intel or AMD but to be good enough to never have to buy another CPU From either Intel or AMD.

These are the underdogs, the ones that AMD sold out on is the ones that are already on par with current CPUs...
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I agree. At this point while China made processors are not as great as what we are used to, it has made a huge step forward to produce something that works and works well. Over the years if the continue to refine it, it will become a viable replacement should US decide to just cut them off completely like they are already doing/ threatening them all the time. I feel the most important point is, China never really had to worry about relying on other countries for technology needs, and so don't really put a lot of focus on it. And now with this pressing need for technology independence, this CPU is a start for them to hone their skills/ expertise.
 
Deicidium369 said:
Their CPU Potential is whatever they want it to be - these are NOT for export - they are going to be MANDATED to be used in China. The whole ARM thing is like RISCV - sideshows to the main event... The main event here is NEVER HAVING TO BUY ANOTHER INTEL OR AMD CPU - EVER.
Click to expand...

They already have ARM CPU that outperforms this crap. Actually their ARM is better than US ARM
 
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