AMD to Custom-design CPUs for the Chinese Government

[btarunr]

AMD could custom-design enterprise CPUs for the Chinese Government. The move was announced in the company's latest quarterly results. China's quest for its "own" hardware and software running government and state-run companies and institutions, hit a roadblock with the government's inability to come up with a reliable enterprise processor, particularly one that runs on the x86 architecture. That need could be fulfilled by Sunnyvale, California-based AMD; which could design special enterprise CPUs under close supervision of the Chinese authorities under a joint-venture with a state-run company. This deal could earn AMD USD $293 million in cash.

In a joint venture between AMD and THATIC (Tianjin Haiguang Advanced Technology Investment Co., Ltd.), AMD's x86 expertise could be put to use in developing everything between tiny SoCs to large, multi-socket CPUs that drive enterprise machines (data-centers, HPC farms, military cyber infrastructure), for the Chinese government, and state-run companies. At this point, neither of the companies are commenting on which kind of x86 core architecture from AMD could be adopted. AMD has two distinct types of x86 cores, low-power, high-density cores such as "Jaguar," which can be found on devices such as the Sony PlayStation 4, and large modular cores such as the ones found on its FX-series and Opteron X-series CPUs.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[the54thvoid]

The world of corporate communism and political oppression welcomes AMD to its fold.

We always knew (or get told) Nvidia is evil so at least AMD can join the state funded chicanery.

One in the eye for the banner waving 'AMD are charitable saints and in no way a private company seeking wealth' brigade.

FWIW, any Intel or Nvidia do they same replies don't matter as this post is all about why they're all the same.

 

[suraswami]

Enter The Dragon!!

 

[wagana]

May contain red traces

 

[ZoneDymo]

The world of corporate communism and political oppression welcomes AMD to its fold.

We always knew (or get told) Nvidia is evil so at least AMD can join the state funded chicanery.

One in the eye for the banner waving 'AMD are charitable saints and in no way a private company seeking wealth' brigade.

FWIW, any Intel or Nvidia do they same replies don't matter as this post is all about why they're all the same.

ermm...what?
I guess the lesson here is: Don't drink and post

 

[NC37]

In Communist China, CPUs process you!

 

[Caring1]

In Communist China, CPUs process you!

So do BIOS's, Routers and Hard Drives with their "special" firmware.

 

[Ferrum Master]

So a reminder... don't do suspicious s*it on any kind of smart internet connected device... if you need it actually.

 

[Xzibit]

Under the deal, AMD said it had licensed x86 chip technology to a new venture it is forming with Tianjin Haiguang Advanced Technology Investment Co., which will use the technology to develop chips for server systems to be sold only in China. In exchange, AMD said it expects to receive $293 million in licensing fees plus royalties on sales of any chips developed by the venture.

 

[RejZoR]

Good for them. China is big, if China will depend on AMD for the CPU's, that could be a big business opportunity for them. I just hope they'll cash it in properly. I just fear this is a one time deal and then China will just copy the design. I mean, we all know how China goes these days...

 

[john_]

Intel is already doing it with Sofia SOCs. AMD is doing it with server CPUs. Nothing strange here. Intel was targeting the mobile market, and AMD is targeting the server market.

 

[Xzibit]

Dejavu

Today, Intel announced a new joint venture to design chips through a research partnership with Tsinghua University and Montage Technology Global Holdings. Intel will put $100 million into the venture. The deal arrives just after rival Qualcomm announced it would codesign ARM-based server chips in a $280 million joint venture with a province in China.

Intel Newsroom - Intel, Tsinghua University and Montage Technology Collaborate to Bring Indigenous Data Center Solutions to China

 

[HumanSmoke]

Intel is already doing it with Sofia SOCs. AMD is doing it with server CPUs. Nothing strange here. Intel was targeting the mobile market, and AMD is targeting the server market.

So long as those server deployments don't contravene the list of workloads deemed offensive to the U.S. The China+Intel friendship has already been reined in in some HPC deployments - it wouldn't be hard to see the same measures being taken here if the products end up irking the U.S. Government

 

[Basard]

ermm...what?
I guess the lesson here is: Don't drink and post

Kinda takes all the fun out of it....

 

[silentbogo]

Apparently China lost its interest in Russian Elbrus-8C CPU, which gets re-announced every 6 months since 2014
Good for AMD

 

[xkm1948]

Funny some people still think China is communist country.

 

[GhostRyder]

Well, lets hope they get quite a big amount of bucks for this not only up front but from the royalties. Its something!

 

[mouacyk]

Funny some people still think China is communist country.

Just because they don't practice it everyday doesn't make them not communist. If some people still think China is communist, that is wisely based on the fact that we don't know the floor or ceiling to their laws.

 

[the54thvoid]

Funny some people still think China is communist country.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_China

It is. It rules under that auspice. It is also has a protectionism favouring capitalist economy.

Don't confuse capitalism with democracy. And on that front democracy is also not to be confused with a free egalitarian society.

 

[cdawall]

Well under communism everyone is equal so what they just said is amd is equal to Intel because China says so. Boom.

 

[the54thvoid]

Well under communism everyone is equal so what they just said is amd is equal to Intel because China says so. Boom.

But some are more equal than others.

 

[Casecutter]

I just fear this is a one time deal and then China will just copy the design. I mean, we all know how China goes these days...

I would think bedding with any entity where they're getting deep into the inter-sanctum of your intellectual property it might be a dance with the devil. If I was AMD I'd think they'd be smart to work from their second tier and/or mature technology. I'd look to build a China chip that targets the specific enterprise tasks and the software used.

I'm not sure how the x86 architecture/licensing would work, I'm sure Intel will have something to say about all this

 

[SK-1]

Better Dead than RED

 

[dont whant to set it"']

Since it's a tech related arcticle(yeah software too, damned be the lag), shit like this public can t be treu, or is it? [hretorical]

 

[cdawall]

But some are more equal than others.

Right now amd would be the more equal since they are buying them.

I would be curious since they have a say in it if China will copy Intel chips and make amd produce them. That is the Chinese thing to do.