Talk Of VIA Getting Back Into The x86 CPU Space With Zhaoxin

[WolfpackN64]

As a little reminder:
iirc. the Isaiah stuff is comparable to something about AMD Kabini level and few of them can probably be bought in readily soldered complete systems (thin clients maybe).
Transmeta also "emulated" a x86 CPU. They had a RISC design and their code morphing SW did a translation from x86 binary code to something that the RISC could process. Basically a genius concept since RISC is less error prone, low power AND you can update and add any x86-additional instruction sets (e.g. new SSE variants) just with a FW update (well, it's on a different paper how long this can be done with good performance in the hardware). But this also was x86 to the outside.

Zhaoxin, however, might be aiming for a higher performance level that the usual VIA HTPC/embedded solutions we know. But it remains to be seen if they really can live up to their claims...

Aren't you thinking about NexGen? Transmeta used a VLIW design, not RISC.

[marccollin]

I am more curious about ARM with x86 emulation like Qualcomm is reportedly working on:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tiriasresearch/2017/06/16/intel-threatens-microsoft-and-qualcomm-over-x86-emulation/#6e7dd70346c4

If there are 2 additional competitors in the x86 space (via++, Qualcomm) with advanced fab capabilities it will be very interesting for consumers.

video demonstration showed basic thing lag

[microcode]

QEMU emulates an x86 CPU, and it is open source software, no intel license required. How is this different from what is proposed here?

Damages (revenue).

[andreano]

> Does x86 emulation reduce the patent problems?
QEMU emulates an x86 CPU, and it is open source software, no intel license required. How is this different

That reasoning is a common fallacy. Free/libre/open source has nothing to do with giving you rights to use patents! In order to use a piece of software, you need to satisfy two groups: Those who made it, and those who might own any patents (for non-commercial software, the intersection between these groups is going to be the empty set). The software license is there to satisfy the first group. The thing about the second group is that nobody knows, and nobody cares! That's how it works.

Disclaimer: You may of course be right about Intel vs QEMU, but that would not be becase QEMU is open source.

[Vistaus]

I'd be more curious to see what backdoor bullshit they manage to integrate in this thing to please the Chinese government.

That said, really hope they can make a x86 system with less BS than current Intel and AMD designs.

VIA is Taiwanese. I know there are struggles in the Taiwan-China relationship, but most citizens and companies are very much anti-China, so chances are relatively small that they are trying to pull a fast one on us by integrating backdoor bullshit.

[Vistaus]

Interesting but what the world needs us an ARM based processor available to the whole market. Something to rival Apples ARM cores while supporting desktop and laptop I/O. More importantly the hardware needs to be open, that is full documentation for development including the GPU, CPU, and I/O subsystems. Throw in dedicated hardware to support AI and you have a winner.

It's PowerPC rather than ARM, but very interesting nonetheless: https://www.powerpc-notebook.org/cam...tion-campaign/

Also, I've heard that Apple is going to use their own cores in MacBooks as well.

[Vistaus]

QEMU emulates an x86 CPU, and it is open source software, no intel license required. How is this different from what is proposed here?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but QEMU is not commercial like VIA. That's different about it.

[Vistaus]

You really are daft if you expect Chinese CPU to be more secure than American. If it's something thats meant for export anyway.

How many x86 licenses are "floating" around anyway? Russians also manufacture CPU's for their internal military-industrial complex (under code name "Elbrus").

Chinese could simply want the same. If so, then " non-competitive" performance and "older manufacturing process" are something they care very little about.

And you are really daft in you think VIA is Chinese. VIA is Taiwanese.

[Imroy]

Interesting but what the world needs us an ARM based processor available to the whole market. Something to rival Apples ARM cores while supporting desktop and laptop I/O. More importantly the hardware needs to be open, that is full documentation for development including the GPU, CPU, and I/O subsystems. Throw in dedicated hardware to support AI and you have a winner.

ARM isn't open. PowerPC is though, so it may be a better choice. Or RISC-V.

[edwaleni]

still waiting for the VIA Isaiah 2 that was said to be released around 2014, ... ;-)

Never made mass production. Sampled through Fujitsu and TSMC and went no further.

VIA does hold several patents in ARM/x86 processing integration however.