Sugon's Hygon processors adopt AMD's SP5 packaging

According to a discovery by hardware leaker @YuuKi_AnS (via X), Sugon's 4th generation Hygon processor utilizes AMD's latest SP5 packaging technology. A brief online search indicates that this CPU resembles AMD’s latest Zen 4-based processors, particularly regarding memory and interface compatibility.

The Chinese firm seems to have primarily adopted this new packaging to enable features such as DDR5 memory support rather than integrating AMD’s recent chipsets rooted in the Zen 4 or Zen 5 microarchitecture. Available on a Chinese online auction platform, Sugon's Hygon C86-7490 processor is encased in the SP5 packaging typically reserved for high-performance data center processors.

While the package indicates the product was "Designed in Chengdu" and "Made in China," this is consistent with Hygon's previous-generation CPUs based on the Zen architecture. The silicon dies were originally manufactured in the U.S. by GlobalFoundries, but supported China-specific encryption algorithms that were disabled on AMD-branded parts.

Interestingly, a Google search led to a Chinese server manufacturer offering machines based on the Hygon C86-4G that can support 2-way and 4-way configurations, boasting 48 DDR5 memory slots. This implies that Sugon has innovatively connected first-generation Zen chiplets to AMD's latest input/output dies (IODs), complete with a DDR5 memory controller.

While U.S. sanctions prevent the sale of advanced processors to China, there are no restrictions on shipping highly advanced IODs and platforms to the country. However, pairing the original Zen chiplets, manufactured using a 14nm-class process, with an N6 (6nm-class) based IOD from AMD's latest Zen 4 CPUs may pose challenges due to differing voltage requirements.

While the exact specifications of Sugon's Hygon 4G processors remain uncertain, the information suggests they utilize some of AMD's most advanced technologies. Further details are needed to clarify the capabilities of these Chinese-developed processors.