New High Performance, x86 Compatible Microprocessors from Centaur / VIA

[Jism]

Didnt they had IP from zen 1?

 

[TheLostSwede]

Didnt they had IP from zen 1?

Why would you say that? This isn't Hygon Dhyana CPU.
Centaur is the guys behind the CPU here and they're based in Austin, whereas AMD is based in Santa Clara. AMD does have a campus not too far from Centaur though.

 

[TheLostSwede]

A bit of an update from Centaur about their latest hardware.

Centaur Technology revealed the technology behind its outstanding results on the MLPerf1 inference benchmarks, which were officially certified on a development system for key customers and software developers. Centaur’s first design with its new artificial intelligence (AI) technology combines eight new server-class x86 CPU cores with a 20 tera-operations-per-second (TOPS) coprocessor optimized for inference applications in server, cloud and edge products. Centaur’s system-on-a-chip (SoC) technology allows users to save substantial cost and power over systems that require both an x86 host processor and external AI accelerators.

 

[Tralalak]

THE INDUSTRY’S FIRST HIGH-PERFORMANCE X86 SOC WITH SERVER-CLASS CPUS AND INTEGRATED AI COPROCESSOR TECHNOLOGY

Codename "NCORE", SoC called "CHA" and x86 core "CNS".

• Centaur developed a new x86 microprocessor with high instructions/clock (IPC)
• Microarchitecture designed for server-class applications with extensions such as AVX-512
• New x86 technology now proven in silicon with 8 CPU cores and 16MB L3 caches
• SoC architecture provides an extensible platform with 44 PCIe lanes and 4 channels of PC3200
• Including AI coprocessor, requires less than 195mm2
in 16nm TSMC
• Reference platform running at 2.5GHz today
• Simultaneous execution of x86 cores and 20 TOPS AI Coprocessor
• Delivers 20 peak terabytes/sec to AI Coprocessor from dedicated 16MB SRAM
AI Coprocessor is 34.4mm2 in 16FFC.

Microprocessor Report article will be released on December 2, 2019. This report will be a deep dive into the technical details.

VIA CenTaur Develops a Multi-core x86 Processor for Enterprise with in-built AI Hardware
source: https://www.techpowerup.com/261274/...enterprise-with-in-built-ai-hardware#comments

 

[Tralalak]

Demo system with new x86 CPU & AI coprocessor @ ISC East in New York!

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[Tralalak]

Centaur Adds AI to Server Processor
source: https://www.linleygroup.com/newsletters/newsletter_detail.php?num=6099

 

[lexluthermiester]

I hope these folks do well. The market could use more competition to promote innovation.

 

[Tralalak]

Centaur Unveils Its New Server-Class x86 Core: CNS; Adds AVX-512
source: https://fuse.wikichip.org/news/3099/centaur-unveils-its-new-server-class-x86-core-cns-adds-avx-512/

The core µarch and design choices sound quite nice. At least from a technological point of view Centaur seems to be back.

 

[Tralalak]

Zhaoxin unveils next-generation general-purpose processor design specifications

• Kaisheng 16nm KH-40000 up to 64 cores, DDR4, PCIe 3.0 (officially launched in 2021)
• Kaixian 7nm KX-7000 SoC with DX12 IGPU

source: http://www.zhaoxin.com/InCenterContent.aspx?id=282

 

[Tralalak]

Centaur CNS x86 for VIA / Zhaoxin processors. Haswell or Zen level performance?
source: https://translate.google.com/transl...ha-cpu-jadro-architektura-cns-detaily-rozbor/

The core µarch and design choices sound quite nice. At least from a technological point of view Centaur seems to be back. The core µarch and design choices sound quite nice. At least from a technological point of view Centaur seems to be back. Apparently the first customer is Zhaoxin as join-venture company with VIA Technologies.

 

[Tralalak]

CPU-Z 1.91 with support of new Centaur CPU
This version also adds the preliminary support of the new Centaur x86 CPU with the AI coprocessor that was announced recently.
source: https://www.cpuid.com/news.html

 

[Tralalak]

x86 CPU Design House Centaur Technology will host an AMA next week, Thursday Jan 23, 2020 @ 12:00pm-3:00pm CST


Come ask Centaur Technology about how they design x86 CPU's and their new AI co-processor. Centaur engineers will be answering the questions.

source:

https://www.reddit.com/r/hardware/comments/ep0lf4

 

[Kapone33]

The Geekbench already has a 2GHz sample of the Chinese x86 Zhaoxin KX-7000 processor. 80% IPC Zen 2

source: https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=sk&sl=cs&tl=en&u=https://www.cnews.cz/procesor-via-zhaoxin-kx-7000-unik-geekbench-2ghz/


AMD FX-8300 3300MHz @ 2.00GHz
Single-Core Score: 306 (65,25%)
Multi-Core Score: 1 705 (52,24%)


vs


KX-7000 ZX-F OctaCore 2000MHz @ 2.00GHz
Single-Core Score: 469 (+53,27%)
Multi-Core Score: 3 264 (+91,44%)


source: https://browser.geekbench.com/v5/cpu/compare/526995?baseline=562975


___________________

source: https://browser.geekbench.com/v5/cpu/562975.gb5
source: https://browser.geekbench.com/v5/cpu/562975

P.S. If you have Geekbench 5 results your modern CPU @ 2.00GHz so pls write here! Thank you.

Why would they run an FX at 1/2 its base speed?

 

[R-T-B]

Why would they run an FX at 1/2 its base speed?

That's how you test IPC.

 

[Kapone33]

That's how you test IPC.

Ok got it

 

[candle_86]

I'm glad their back it's been a two horse race since 1999, with via just hanging out in thin clients connecting to vms.

We used to have options though.

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

I'm glad their back it's been a two horse race since 1999, with via just hanging out in thin clients connecting to vms.

We used to have options though.

if we give them a few more years we can hope they bring something to client systems, they do need more speed though, and comparing to my old FX that was the butt of many a joke about it's IPC specifically doesn't really impress me, that said at higher resolutions and with adequate graphics power it could piss crisis and most AAA's out today at 60fps 1440p or 4k I would imagine so at the right price who knows what market they could gain if they tried.

it would get depressing fps comparatively to a modern AMD or Intel system at 720p or 1080p

 

[Assimilator]

LOL, Geekbench.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I'm glad their back it's been a two horse race since 1999

Not really..

We used to have options though.

.. still do. Most of all the computers on the planet run on ARM CPU's anyway. There are tons of choices.

 

[Deleted member 193706]

.. still do. Most of all the computers mobile devices on the planet run on ARM CPU's anyway. There are tons of choices.

FTFY

Yes they are technically computing devices but still not really in the same market space as desktops/laptops etc

 

[lexluthermiester]

FTFY

I'm not up on "leetspeek". Care to translate?

Yes they are technically computing devices but still not really in the same market space as desktops/laptops etc

Yes, mobile devices ARE fully functional computers. And as more people have a mobile device as a primary computing device than a PC or notebook, my point is valid within the context of that "market space" perspective.

 

[Deleted member 193706]

I'm not up on "leetspeek". Care to translate?

Yes, mobile devices ARE fully functional computers. And as more people have a mobile device as a primary computing device than a PC or notebook, my point is valid.

Actually not it's not, you're talking symantics yes mobiles are "computers" but the OP is about x86 microprocessors which are predominantly used in desktop computers, laptops, servers etc not cell phones otherwise we could mention Samsung and huawei in the same breath as being just as relevant to the discussion which of course they're not.

 

[lexluthermiester]

being just as relevant to the discussion which of course they're not.

Sure they are. Mobile devices are not modular like PC's, but then neither are laptops anymore. However, buyers still have a great deal of choice as to what CPU/GPU combinations they can get in mobile device much like PC's. It is not symantics, it is valid choice and a wide variety of such. If your perspective and focus is too narrow to see the bigger picture, YOU have the problem.

 

[Deleted member 193706]

You're arguing about mobile CPU's/SOC's in a thread about x86 and desktop processors, I'm not saying they aren't computing devices or CPU's but it's apples to oranges, anyway, this is taking the OP off topic so yea...

 

[dorsetknob]

I'm glad their back it's been a two horse race since 1999,

Its NEVER BEEN A TWO HORSE RACE
More of a Horse v Pony Race....