Spotted at Computex: Let Bygones be Bygons, with a Sugon Hygon
by Ian Cutress on May 30, 2019 4:00 PM EST- Posted in
- CPUs
- AMD
- x86
- Enterprise
- Trade Shows
- EPYC
- Computex 2019
- Dhyana
- Hygon
- Sugon
Big credit to Patrick Kennedy from ServeTheHome for spotting this gem on the show floor, but it looks like if you want a Chinese branded EPYC CPU with some minor changes, it’s coming. Back in 2016, AMD and Hianjin Jaiguang Advanced Technology Investment Co. (THATIC) formed a joint venture (JV) to develop custom Zen-based processors just for the Chinese market. Within the JV, AMD would provide its Zen microarchitecture, whereas the rest of the SoC would be designed by the JV. AMD owns 49% of the company, while THATIC owns 51%. The first product out of that partnership is the Hugon Dhyana family of processors, and the first retailer with systems is Sugon.
There are lots of questions surrounding exactly what these CPUs are. A Weibo user from China has published a screenshot allegedly taken on one of Hugon Dhyana-based machines which reveals that the eight-core Dhyana 3185 features 768 KB L1 cache, 4 MB L2 cache, and 16 MB L3 cache, the same configuration as AMD’s low-end eight-core EPYC processors. They look like EPYC processors, but with different cryptography engines inside the chip. Differences beyond that are unknown, but it still uses the same packaging and the same socket as EPYC. Now with a visual image, we can tell another key significant difference – while the carrier for Threadripper is orange, and for EPYC is blue, with Hygon CPUs it is red. This is very important.
Other details about the CPU were not present – we found the CPU in a system being developed by one of the JV OEM partners. We’re working with that partner to hopefully get a system in for testing.
Interestingly enough, we got the bottom right of the CPU translated. A literal translation is
'Using Cores to Calculate The Future'
However, the second character used in the slogan is a homonym, which could be translated as:
'Using Passion to Calculate The Future'
For a Chinese CPU, the synergestic phrasing is very poetic.
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Note, if anyone from Sugon or Hygon wants to get in touch to talk about a review, please email our CPU editor Dr. Ian Cutress: ian@anandtech.com
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evernessince - Saturday, June 1, 2019 - link
Oh please, flimsy reasoning is America's calling card and Trump as president is proof of that.intr0 - Monday, June 3, 2019 - link
You’re correct. It’s a sign of irrationality on your part.John_M - Sunday, June 16, 2019 - link
Animals just don't feel hatred. It's a purely human emotion.wilsonkf - Thursday, May 30, 2019 - link
Intel did smth similar (Atom mobile cpu related) I think. It's just that you aren't aware.sgeocla - Friday, May 31, 2019 - link
Intel licensed x86 and AMD64 IP to Spreatrum to build smartphone chips in China years before AMD did the THATIC JV.Intel fanboys are calling out AMD only because they don't know Intel failed at that JV financially.
But the IP still got into the hands of the Chinese.
PeachNCream - Thursday, May 30, 2019 - link
I don't care what company sells to or works with what nation. If a company makes a product I want and sells it at a price I'm willing to pay (one that's lower than any competitors in particular) then I'm happy to buy said product. The geopolitical stuff isn't a consideration at all.Lord of the Bored - Friday, May 31, 2019 - link
AMD sells processors to your mom? SCANDALOUS!Slash3 - Friday, May 31, 2019 - link
The United States itself sells technology to enemies of the United States.evernessince - Saturday, June 1, 2019 - link
Better boycott Intel as well, they licensed tech to the Chinese a few years back as well.intr0 - Tuesday, June 4, 2019 - link
I had no idea they supplied the White House with tech...