AMD Will Not Extend x86 Technology Licensing to China

by Hilbert Hagedoorn on: 06/05/2019 06:52 AM | source: tomshardware | 11 comment(s)

Some time ago AMD entered a joint-venture arrangement with a Chinese chip producer Chengdu Haiguang IC Design Co, which to date is fabbing x86-based server processors that are virtually indistinguishable from AMD's EPYC processors. That arrangement is no longer prolonged.

The processors would only be sold in China. AMD receives royalties per processor sold. During Computex last week, Lisa Su, CEO of AMD, confirmed that it has no further plans to license the joint venture for its new Zen 2 architecture, which we will see in the third generation of Ryzen and Epyc Rome processors. According to Su, the original deal includes a license for one generation of technology. So the agreement will not be extended for other products and technologies.

AMD does not specifically mention the current trade war between the United States and China being the reason.

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fantaskarsef
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#5676906 Posted on: 06/05/2019 07:34 AM

Well the past deal not being prolongued doesn't mean at all they couldn't sign another one-generation-deal.

btw @Hilbert Hagedoorn have some coffee boss. Seems you missed something in the last sentence:

While AMD does not specifically mention the trade war between the United States and China Su.

sverek
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#5676908 Posted on: 06/05/2019 07:39 AM

fantaskarsef
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#5676910 Posted on: 06/05/2019 08:10 AM

Is there something wrong with China Su?

-25 social credits for @fantaskarsef

Oh I just thought it was supposed to read "the US and China sue".
Damn, not going to be able to visit China then, -25 credits means I probably can't visit important sites like the Tian’anmen or the Temple of Konfizius

magiQx
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#5676912 Posted on: 06/05/2019 08:12 AM

Is there something wrong with China Su?

-25 social credits for @fantaskarsef
I loled. I read that line while sipping coffee and saw nothing wrong with it.

bigfutus
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#5676917 Posted on: 06/05/2019 08:42 AM

-25 social credits for @fantaskarsef

Today he can't buy train tickets, tomorrow he gets a free ride to gulag for reeducation.

fantaskarsef
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#5676919 Posted on: 06/05/2019 08:48 AM

Today he can't buy train tickets, tomorrow he gets a free ride to gulag for reeducation.

Ah I'm still in the positives I guess. Not sure if China would tell me though before I enter the country.
Much like the US and their controlling your social media as well these days.

All of this still has nothing to do with the OP though.

schmidtbag
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#5676990 Posted on: 06/05/2019 02:23 PM

For anyone wondering, these pseudo-Epyc chips are known as "Hygon Dhyana".

Seems kinda weird they'd only support one generation, considering they were working on that for a while now. Just recently in May they added Coreboot support. Why put all this effort into software when obsolescence is planned so soon?

waltc3
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#5677016 Posted on: 06/05/2019 04:11 PM

China dictatorship says: "Give us your IP for free and we will let you do limited business inside China, so long as you agree to censor what we tell you to censor, and to say the things we want said--and if you do not give it to us for free, we will take it anyway."

Reddoguk
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#5677018 Posted on: 06/05/2019 04:29 PM

I don't blame them for doing that.

They will probably give a license once AMD has flooded the market with 3XXX chips.

EspHack
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#5677054 Posted on: 06/05/2019 07:56 PM

if they were already fabbing the chips by themselves i dont see why would they stop that now, specially considering they were meant for china market only, so i expect business as usual for them

Atmosphere__
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#5677105 Posted on: 06/05/2019 11:56 PM

Wasnt the license about the x64 parts and basicly SoC tech? Pretty sure Intel has the papers for x86 tech

But isnt it actually that the are not extending the license to include their newer tech.. the joint-venture can still make their OWN chips, based on the license tech, and improve upon that design if they close to do so...

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