China's future processor with artificial intelligence

Moore Threads has unveiled the Yangtze SoC with 8 cores and 50 TOPS of AI power. The new chip will power AIBook laptops and AICube mini computers, directly challenging China's dominance of Intel and AMD in the AI PC space.

Photo: Moore Threads

Chinese company Moore Threads, previously known primarily for its GPUs, has made an ambitious move into the AI PC market. Named after the mighty Yangtze River, its latest product is a fully integrated system-on-a-chip (SoC) that combines processor cores, graphics, and a specialized machine learning unit. The Yangtze SoC features eight processor cores that clock at up to 2.65 GHz. While these frequencies may seem lower than the latest Western models, which exceed 5 GHz, the main focus of this chip lies elsewhere – in its specialization for AI tasks.

The heart of the system is a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) with a capacity of 50 TOPS (INT8). This multi-core architecture is optimized for image and speech recognition, allowing devices to quickly process complex algorithms locally without relying on the cloud. In addition, the integrated graphics unit (iGPU) serves not only 3D rendering, but also the acceleration of large language models (LLM). The video processor (VPU) is also modern, supporting AV1, H.264 and H.265 formats, and allows playback in 8K resolution at 30 frames per second or 4K at 60 frames per second.

The display unit (DPU) can drive two 8K displays or eight 4K displays simultaneously, suggesting use in demanding work environments. For multimedia enthusiasts, there is a built-in DSP with AI noise reduction and an ISP that supports cameras up to 32 MP with HDR function. The first products to hit the market will be the MTT AIBook laptop and the MTT AICube mini PC, which support up to 64 GB of LPDDR5X system memory with a bandwidth of over 100 GB/s.

With this chip, China is strengthening its independence in a market where it faces competition from companies such as Intel, AMD, Apple and NVIDIA. At a time when some manufacturers such as Apple are paying high premiums for memory chips due to market fluctuations, Moore Threads offers a complete domestic solution. Despite the impressive specifications, caution remains in place; with new hardware, software stability is key, especially considering the fact that 100% security does not exist. The Yangtze SoC is China's first serious attempt to make an AI PC an affordable and domestic product.