Huawei and SMIC quietly rolled out a new Kirin 9000C processor.

Chinese foundry SMIC may have broken the 5nm process barrier, as evidenced by a new Huawei laptop listed with an advanced chip with 5nm manufacturing tech — a feat previously thought impossible due to U.S sanctions.

  • TheModerateTankie [any]@hexbear.net
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    11 months ago

    I just read an article about how the only reason they got to 7nm was because they were abusing their less advanced methods by being willing to make a ton of faulty chips for every good one, and that it was incredibly inefficient and only feasible because of STATE INTERVENTION which is a free-market cheat code. Basically the human-wave attack propaganda but for microprocessors, lol.

    Seems like they figured some things out on their own.

    • edge [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      11 months ago

      They can’t imagine a mode of production centered on actually producing things instead of just making money.

    • RyanGosling [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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      11 months ago

      I just read an article about how the only reason they got to 7nm was because they were abusing their less advanced methods by being willing to make a ton of faulty chips for every good one

      So… research and development?

    • Hexbollah [he/him, any]@hexbear.net
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      11 months ago

      You always have low yield when developing new processes. You can’t make a 7nm process by just running 14nm at high throughput/low yield. This is just R&D and process development.

      • TheCaconym [any]@hexbear.net
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        11 months ago

        Exactly right; IIRC just how many of the produced chips are actually functional is systematically kept secret by manufacturers, too, but there are a lot of duds.

    • Tankiedesantski [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      11 months ago

      Basically the human-wave attack propaganda but for microprocessors, lol.

      The one with the rifle shoots. The one without zero follows. When the one with the rifle is killed, the one following zero picks up the rifle and shoots.

    • Dessa [she/her]@hexbear.net
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      11 months ago

      STATE INTERVENTION … is a free-market cheat code

      They’re speedrunning chip development by using exploits the capitalists didn’t intend. Sure, this looks impressive, but I only respect glitchless runs