I Was Never Meant to Have This Prototype CPU

The video explores an unusual Centaur Technology prototype CPU, which is an x86 processor not manufactured by Intel or AMD. This CPU, with its unique motherboard featuring an Intel socket that is electrically incompatible with Intel CPUs, is part of a development platform with numerous jumpers and switches. The CPU is highly integrated, resembling AMD's Threadripper, and includes an onboard AI accelerator named Encor. Despite its innovative features, the CPU faced stiff competition from established players like Intel and AMD, as well as the rise of GPUs and AI accelerator cards. The video also touches on the history of Centaur Technology, its legal battles, and its eventual sale to Intel. The narrator also humorously interacts with the hardware, demonstrating its capabilities and limitations, and even playing some light games to showcase its performance.

Takeaways

• 🔍 The Centaur CPU is a prototype x86 CPU that is not made by Intel or AMD and is not commonly found on the market.
• 🛍️ The motherboard with the Centaur CPU has an Intel socket LGA 2011 V3 but is electrically incompatible with Intel CPUs.
• 🔩 The development platform has a plethora of jumpers and dip switches, indicating its use for testing and development purposes.
• 🎮 A gaming-related audio sub PCB with a CD audio connector is present, suggesting multimedia or gaming console applications.
• 🤖 The CPU is highly integrated, resembling a Threadripper in that it lacks a separate platform controller hub.
• 🏷️ The board has probe points useful for developers and a label indicating it was manufactured by Kodiak Assembly in September 2019.
• 📈 Centaur Technology was founded in 1995 to create low-cost, energy-efficient CPUs, with its WinChip achieving modest success.
• 🚀 The Centaur Halls (CHA) CPU features an onboard AI accelerator named Encor, designed for high-speed data processing.
• 🛠️ Despite its advanced features, the CPU's performance was underwhelming, with slow speeds and compatibility issues.
• 💻 The CPU was recognized as a Centaur Technology product by CPU-Z, providing detailed information about the hardware.
• 🕹️ The USB-C port on the motherboard is functional and can be used for hardware interfaces or connections to another PC.
• ⏱️ The BIOS build date was in 2021, indicating that development on the platform continued until shortly before Intel acquired Centaur's staff.

Q & A

What is a Centaur CPU?

A Centaur CPU is a prototype x86 CPU that fits into an Intel socket but is not made by Intel or AMD. It is a highly integrated System on Chip (SoC) with up to eight cores and features an onboard AI accelerator named Encor.

How is the Centaur CPU physically different from a typical CPU?

The Centaur CPU is physically similar to a typical CPU but has an Intel socket LGA 2011 V3 that is electrically incompatible with an Intel CPU. It also has a motherboard covered in jumpers and dip switches, indicating it is a development platform.

What is the purpose of the jumpers and dip switches on the Centaur's motherboard?

The jumpers and dip switches on the Centaur's motherboard allow developers to change the characteristics of the CPU itself or the behavior of the motherboard for testing purposes.

What is the significance of the label 'ch001 DC' found on the Centaur CPU?

The label 'ch001 DC' indicates that the board was manufactured by Kodiak Assembly, a company that provides PCB assembly and other fabrication services. The date on the label suggests the board was made in September 2019.

How does the Centaur CPU's AI accelerator, Encor, differ from other CPUs?

The Encor AI accelerator is an onboard feature of the Centaur CPU that provides extremely high-speed, bidirectional 160 Gb per second connection to the CPU itself, allowing faster access to the CPU's level three cache and system memory.

Why was the Centaur CPU not successful in the market?

The Centaur CPU was not successful due to strong competition from established players like Intel and AMD, as well as the rise of GPUs and AI accelerator cards that offered better performance for machine learning tasks.

What is the relationship between VIA Technologies and Centaur Technology?

Centaur Technology was acquired by VIA Technologies in 1999. VIA Technologies is known for its chipsets and continued to develop CPUs under the Centaur brand.

What is the significance of the QR code on the Centaur CPU board?

The QR code on the Centaur CPU board does not lead anywhere, but it is part of the identification marks on the board, possibly used for tracking or quality assurance purposes during development.

Why was the Centaur CPU still being developed in 2021?

The BIOS build date of 2021 indicates that Centaur's engineering team was still working on the development of the platform, possibly due to the complexity of the project or in anticipation of future market needs.

How does the Centaur CPU's performance compare to contemporary CPUs?

The Centaur CPU's performance is significantly lower compared to contemporary CPUs. For instance, its Cinebench R20 score is less than half of what a Ryzen 7 1700X, released seven years prior, achieved.

What is the role of the USB-C port on the Centaur CPU's motherboard?

The USB-C port on the Centaur CPU's motherboard likely connects to some kind of hardware interface or another PC for diagnostic and development purposes.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 The Mysterious Centaur CPU and Its Unique Motherboard

The video introduces a unique CPU called Centaur, which is not manufactured by Intel or AMD. It is a prototype x86 CPU that fits into an Intel socket on a motherboard that is physically the same but electrically incompatible with Intel CPUs. The motherboard features an Intel socket LGA 2011 V3 and is covered in jumpers and dip switches, indicating it is a development platform. It has a highly integrated system with no separate platform controller hub, similar to AMD's Threadripper. The CPU is identified by a label 'ch001 DC' and a QR code leading to Kodiak Assembly, a company providing PCB assembly services. The board was manufactured in September 2019. Centaur Technology was founded in 1995 to create low-cost, energy-efficient CPUs for the sub $1,000 PC market. Despite early success, they faced competition from Intel and were later acquired by VIA Technologies. The video also discusses the motherboard's features, including a USB-C port for hardware interfacing and a unique audio sub PCB.

05:02

🔍 Deep Dive into the Centaur CPU's Specifications and Capabilities

The video provides a detailed look at the Centaur CPU's specifications. It is revealed to be a system on a chip (SoC), code-named Centaur Halls or CHA, with up to eight cores and a clock speed of up to 2.5 GHz. The CPU supports AVX-512, similar to AMD's Zen 4 architecture, and includes an onboard AI accelerator named Encor, which offers a high-speed connection to the CPU. Despite its innovative features, the CPU faced significant competition from established players like Intel and AMD, as well as the rise of GPUs and AI accelerator cards. The video also covers the CPU's development history, legal battles over x86 patents, and the eventual settlement that allowed Centaur to continue creating x86 designs, albeit with limitations. The BIOS build date from 2021 indicates that development on the platform continued until shortly before Intel acquired Centaur's engineering staff.

10:03

🖥️ Testing the Centaur CPU's Performance and Compatibility

The video presents the results of testing the Centaur CPU's performance and compatibility. The system runs Windows 10 due to the lack of a TPM module for Windows 11. Performance tests reveal that the CPU operates at 2 GHz with slow timings. CPU-Z confirms the CPU's identity as a Centaur technology product and its compatibility with AVX2 instruction sets. The video also explores the CPU's ability to mimic other CPU models by changing its reporting ID, demonstrating a trick that allows it to run Cinebench R20, which it would otherwise fail to execute due to its unrecognized model ID. However, the CPU's performance in various benchmarks is significantly lacking when compared to contemporary chips, and gaming performance is also poor, indicating that the CPU is not well-suited for intensive tasks or modern games.

15:03

🏭 The Historical Context and Industry Shift Surrounding Centaur

The video provides a historical context for Centaur's final CPU design, the CHA, and discusses why it did not succeed in the market. Despite being a good idea in 2017, by 2019 the industry had moved too quickly for the CHA to remain relevant. The CPU was intended to compete with Intel's Xeon CPUs at a lower price point, but it faced competition from Intel's low-cost Cascade Lake, high-end Ice Lake, and AMD's EPYC Rome, which offered superior core counts. Additionally, GPUs and AI accelerator cards had already taken over the machine learning tasks from CPUs, offering better performance. The video also mentions that much of Centaur's engineering was sold to Intel by 2021, leaving VIA with mainly intellectual property. This raises speculation about Intel's potential involvement in the cancellation of the Centaur Halls project.

20:04

🎮 Supporting E-Waste Reduction with iFixit's Game Console Parts

The video concludes with a sponsorship message from iFixit, which offers parts and comprehensive guides to repair and give new life to various game consoles, from the newest PlayStation to the Xbox 360. The message encourages a DIY approach to console repair, reducing e-waste and extending the lifespan of gaming devices. The variety of replacement parts available includes faceplates, power supplies, thumbsticks, and screens. The video also references a previous video where the host examined a Xiaoxin CPU and discussed the challenges of obtaining an x86 license.

Keywords

💡Centaur CPU

The Centaur CPU refers to a prototype x86 CPU developed by Centaur Technology, a company founded in 1995 as a subsidiary of IDT. It is not manufactured by Intel or AMD and is designed to fit into an Intel socket on a motherboard that is electrically incompatible with Intel CPUs. The Centaur CPU is significant in the video as it represents a rare instance of an x86 CPU outside the duopoly of Intel and AMD.

💡Intel socket LGA 2011 V3

Intel socket LGA 2011 V3 is a specific type of CPU socket mentioned in the video that is physically the same as the one used for Intel CPUs but electrically incompatible. This socket is part of the motherboard discussed, which was designed to work with the Centaur CPU and features jumpers and dip switches for development purposes.

💡Development platform board

A development platform board, as indicated by the presence of numerous jumpers and dip switches on the motherboard in the video, is a type of circuit board used for testing and development of hardware. It allows developers to change the characteristics of the CPU or the behavior of the motherboard, which is crucial for debugging and feature development.

💡Onboard AI accelerator

The onboard AI accelerator, code-named Encor, is a feature of the Centaur CPU that is designed to provide high-speed access to the CPU's level three cache and system memory. It is intended to be a distinguishing feature of the CPU, offering a competitive edge in the realm of AI and machine learning applications.

💡AVX-512

AVX-512 stands for Advanced Vector Extensions-512, which is a set of instructions for performing certain types of mathematical operations more efficiently on a CPU. In the video, the Centaur CPU is noted to support AVX-512, similar to AMD's recent Zen 4 architecture, which is significant for its potential performance in scientific and engineering applications.

💡Probe points

Probe points on the development platform board are essential for developers as they allow for the monitoring and testing of various aspects of the hardware, such as power delivery or data buses. They are highlighted in the video as a key feature for debugging and understanding the inner workings of the Centaur CPU.

💡Kodiak assembly

Kodiak assembly is mentioned in the video as a company that provides PCB assembly and other fabrication services. The date on the board indicates that the board was manufactured in September of 2019, suggesting that the development of the Centaur CPU was quite recent at the time of the video.

💡Cross-licensing agreement

The cross-licensing agreement mentioned in the video refers to a legal arrangement between VIA Technologies and Intel that allowed VIA/Centaur to continue creating x86 designs as long as they were not compatible with Intel chipsets. This agreement was crucial for Centaur's ability to develop and manufacture the Centaur CPU.

💡System on a Chip (SoC)

A System on a Chip (SoC) is an integrated circuit that integrates all components of a computer or other electronic system into a single chip. The Centaur CPU is described as a highly integrated SoC, which means it includes the CPU, GPU, and other components on a single chip, differing from traditional setups where these might be separate components.

💡CPU ID

The CPU ID is a unique identifier for a CPU that can be changed or manipulated for various purposes, such as compatibility or security. In the context of the video, the ability to change the CPU ID is discussed as a feature that allows the Centaur CPU to mimic other CPU models, which can be useful for testing or running certain applications.

💡Cinebench R20

Cinebench R20 is a benchmarking software that tests the performance of a CPU for rendering tasks. It is used in the video to evaluate the Centaur CPU's performance. The results from Cinebench R20 provide a comparative measure of the CPU's capabilities against other processors.

Highlights

The Centaur CPU is a prototype x86 CPU not made by Intel or AMD.

It fits into an Intel socket on a motherboard but is electrically incompatible with Intel CPUs.

The motherboard features an Intel socket LGA 2011 V3 but should not have an Intel CPU inserted.

The CPU is highly integrated, lacking a platform controller hub, similar to AMD's Threadripper.

The development platform board is covered in jumpers and dip switches, indicating its use for testing and development.

The CPU has an onboard AI accelerator named Encor, providing high-speed bidirectional connectivity to the CPU.

Centaur Technology was founded in 1995 to create low-cost, energy-efficient CPUs for the sub $1,000 PC market.

Centaur was acquired by VIA Technologies in 1999, and their CPUs found success in embedded systems.

The CPU supports AVX-512, similar to AMD's recent Zen 4 architecture.

The BIOS build date is from 2021, indicating active development two and a half years prior.

The CPU can be configured to mimic different CPU models, potentially bypassing application compatibility checks.

The CPU performed poorly in benchmarks, scoring significantly lower than a 7-year-old Ryzen 7 1700X.

The CPU's performance issues make it unsuitable for modern gaming or high-demand applications.

Centaur's engineering staff was sold to Intel in 2021, shortly before the BIOS build date.

The CPU is capable of running Windows 10, but not Windows 11 due to firmware limitations.

The CPU's development and potential cancellation may have been influenced by Intel's market dominance and legal actions.

Centaur's final CPU design, the CHA, was intended to compete with Intel's Xeon CPUs but faced significant market challenges.

The CHA CPU represents a link between Centaur's past designs and the current state of x86 CPU development.