Russia's CPU Substitution Plan Hits a Snag

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

Russia's CPU Substitution Plan Hits a Snag

Russian PC makers cannot get Russian CPUs from TSMC, other foundries.

www.tomshardware.com

Russian PC makers cannot get Russian CPUs from TSMC, other foundries.

Comments (22)

(Image credit: MCST)

Leading CPU makers AMD and Intel left the Russian market after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, and right now it is not easy for Russian PC makers to obtain the chips they need.

There are several Russian companies that design their own processors, but those chips are made by TSMC, and Taiwan no longer allows their export to Russia. As a result, the country cannot replace foreign CPUs with its own, reports Kommersant business daily.

Russian makers of PCs and servers this year reportedly supplied just 15,000 PCs and 8,000 servers based on Elbrus and Baikal processors designed in Russia and then fabbed in Taiwan, according to Russia's Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media.
"We would have a lot more [PCs and servers based on Russian CPUs] this year if those batches of Russian processors, Elbrus, Baikals, which were ordered and produced, were shipped," said Maksut Shadayev, the head of the ministry. "Intellectual property and all documentation are Russian, but there are no production facilities in Russia that could produce those CPUs, which is why production was ordered in other countries."


The most advanced fab in Russia can produce chips on a 90nm node, whereas MCST's most sophisticated CPUs were made by TSMC on its 16nm fabrication process.
Due to restrictions imposed on high-tech exports to Russia by the United States, United Kingdom, and the European Union, leading Taiwanese companies were among the first to cease working with Russia after the country started a war against Ukraine several months ago.

In June, Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) officially issued its list of high-tech products that are barred from shipping to Russia and Belarus in a bid to not allow the countries to use advanced technology for military purposes. In particular, Taiwan authorities banned exports of processors that have performance of over 5 GFLOPS, operate at 25 MHz or higher, feature an external interconnection with a data transfer rate of 2.5 MB/s or over, and/or have an ALU that is wider than 32 bits. Essentially, Taiwan does not allow exports of advanced processors to Russia, so TSMC cannot ship the chips was contracted to produce for the country. And TSMC isn't the only company that can't or won't ship chips to Russia.
"Foreign manufacturers that produce processors based on blueprints of Russian developers refused to fulfill orders in 2022, including shipping already produced chips," said Shadayev, reports RBC.

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

While it is true Russian chips are behind the West in terms of performance, it is sufficient for civilian and military use. Russians are sort of like Amish. They prefer simple happier healthier lifestyle.

@Beny Karachun @sammuel @gambit @Oldman1 @mike2000 is back @Ali_Baba @Viet @nahtanbob @Beast @MH.Yang

 

[Muhammed45]

Russia's CPU Substitution Plan Hits a Snag

Russian PC makers cannot get Russian CPUs from TSMC, other foundries.

www.tomshardware.com

Russian PC makers cannot get Russian CPUs from TSMC, other foundries.

Comments (22)

(Image credit: MCST)

Leading CPU makers AMD and Intel left the Russian market after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, and right now it is not easy for Russian PC makers to obtain the chips they need.

There are several Russian companies that design their own processors, but those chips are made by TSMC, and Taiwan no longer allows their export to Russia. As a result, the country cannot replace foreign CPUs with its own, reports Kommersant business daily.

Russian makers of PCs and servers this year reportedly supplied just 15,000 PCs and 8,000 servers based on Elbrus and Baikal processors designed in Russia and then fabbed in Taiwan, according to Russia's Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media.
"We would have a lot more [PCs and servers based on Russian CPUs] this year if those batches of Russian processors, Elbrus, Baikals, which were ordered and produced, were shipped," said Maksut Shadayev, the head of the ministry. "Intellectual property and all documentation are Russian, but there are no production facilities in Russia that could produce those CPUs, which is why production was ordered in other countries."


The most advanced fab in Russia can produce chips on a 90nm node, whereas MCST's most sophisticated CPUs were made by TSMC on its 16nm fabrication process.
Due to restrictions imposed on high-tech exports to Russia by the United States, United Kingdom, and the European Union, leading Taiwanese companies were among the first to cease working with Russia after the country started a war against Ukraine several months ago.

In June, Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) officially issued its list of high-tech products that are barred from shipping to Russia and Belarus in a bid to not allow the countries to use advanced technology for military purposes. In particular, Taiwan authorities banned exports of processors that have performance of over 5 GFLOPS, operate at 25 MHz or higher, feature an external interconnection with a data transfer rate of 2.5 MB/s or over, and/or have an ALU that is wider than 32 bits. Essentially, Taiwan does not allow exports of advanced processors to Russia, so TSMC cannot ship the chips was contracted to produce for the country. And TSMC isn't the only company that can't or won't ship chips to Russia.
"Foreign manufacturers that produce processors based on blueprints of Russian developers refused to fulfill orders in 2022, including shipping already produced chips," said Shadayev, reports RBC.

Nice work, gotta start from somewhere.

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

Nice work, gotta start from somewhere.

Russia started making chips in the 70s. It is one of the most experienced in terms of chip making. The first chips in the world were made in the 70s. By comparison, China only started making chips in the 90s.

Angstrem (company) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Muhammed45]

Russia started making chips in the 70s. It is one of the most experienced in terms of chip making. The first chips in the world were made in the 70s. By comparison, China only started making chips in the 90s.

Angstrem (company) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

They possibly dropped for cost efficiency. Taiwanese cheap labor and mass production line hence low cost assissted by western high tech convinced them to go for theirs.

Russian chips surely would not be cost effective but essential to neutralize western imposed sanctions.

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

They possibly dropped for cost efficiency. Taiwanese cheap labor and mass production line hence low cost assissted by western high tech convinced them to go for theirs.

Russian chips surely would not be cost effective but essential to neutralize western imposed sanctions.

Russia lacks the industrial capacity of China. China can make 100 times as any chips as Russia can. China has a shitload of chip factories.

 

[Muhammed45]

Russia lacks the industrial capacity of China. China can make 100 times as any chips as Russia can. China has a shitload of chip factories.

Russia won't depend on China and we know why, Let's not pretend. It would be enough for Russian local consumption at higher price.

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

Russia won't depend on China and we know why, Let's not pretend. It would be enough for Russian local consumption at higher price.

Russia has no choice. Chinese men have the brains. Chinese making 14 nm chips by now. Russia's domestic chips are 3,000 nm chips from the 80s. While it is fine and dandy for civilian and military use in Russia, it ain't competitive with Chinese chips.

Angstrem (company) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Viet]

While it is true Russian chips are behind the West in terms of performance, it is sufficient for civilian and military use. Russians are sort of like Amish. They prefer simple happier healthier lifestyle.

@Beny Karachun @sammuel @gambit @Oldman1 @mike2000 is back @Ali_Baba @Viet @nahtanbob @Beast @MH.Yang

Tsmc makes for the Russians.
Russia has no chip production, if anything still using some remembrance of the USSR. Putin’s focus is always oil, gas, weapons production, not anything of civil use.

Now with sanctions in place, 100k engineers leaving the country, Russia domestic chip production is below freezing point.

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

Tsmc makes for the Russians.
Russia has no chip production, if anything still using some remembrance of the USSR. Putin’s focus is always oil, gas, weapons production, not anything of civil use.

Now with sanctions in place, 100k engineers leaving the country, Russia domestic chip production is below freezing point.

Russia does have chip production. They make 500 nm to 350 nm chips. These are mid to late 90s tech. While not state of the art, these are sufficient for civilian and military use. I remember back in the 90s I used to play all kinds of computer games. Wolfenstein 3D, Age of Empires. The less technology, the happier and healthier people are. America's peak era was the 80s. Back then there was hardly any PC and no smartphone. Americans were full of life and energy in the 80s.

KOMDIV-32 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Now with sanctions in place, 100k engineers leaving the country, Russia domestic chip production is below freezing point.

True, but Chinese make chips for Russians. Huawei has 7nm chip production technology. After Americans sanctioned China's chip industry, Chinese revenged that by making chips for Russians who are enemies of Americans.

 

[BHAN85]

They can buy with overcost to third countries, like the Cubans always did it.
Those wide use civilian pieces can't be forbidden, it's everywhere.

 

[Hack-Hook]

They possibly dropped for cost efficiency. Taiwanese cheap labor and mass production line hence low cost assissted by western high tech convinced them to go for theirs.

Russian chips surely would not be cost effective but essential to neutralize western imposed sanctions.

russia stuck in 90s . look at the the best process they can built 90nm , its early 2000 process
and thats even in just one line of one fab , the rest of their fab work in like 130-250 nm effectively mid 90

Russia has no choice. Chinese men have the brains. Chinese making 14 nm chips by now. Russia's domestic chips are 3,000 nm chips from the 80s. While it is fine and dandy for civilian and military use in Russia, it ain't competitive with Chinese chips.

Angstrem (company) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

its true they are old but not that old