Subj : Huawei is planning a 256-core CPU monster to take on AMD EPYC and
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Mon Sep 22 2025 18:45:10

Huawei is planning a 256-core CPU monster to take on AMD EPYC and Intel Xeon 
range but it won't land till 2028  at least thats the official line

Date:
Mon, 22 Sep 2025 17:32:00 +0000

Description:
Huawei reveals 256 core CPU target for 2028, but MogDB benchmarks suggest 
Kunpeng 960 has already been tested in large-scale deployments.

FULL STORY
======================================================================Huawei 
outlines Kunpeng roadmap with CPUs scaling to 256 cores by 2028 Benchmarks 
show processor referred to as Kunpeng 960 delivering 4.8 million TPM SuperPoD 
built on Kunpeng 950 aims to replace legacy mainframes in financial sector 

Huawei has outlined plans to expand its Kunpeng processor family with models 
that scale up to 256 cores by 2028. 

In the first quarter of 2026, we will unveil the Kunpeng 950 processor in two 
models: one with 96 cores and 192 threads, and another with 192 cores and 384 
threads," Huaweis rotating chairman Eric Xu said in his keynote speech at its 
recent Connect 2025 event in Shanghai. 

These processors will support the TaiShan 950 SuperPoD, which can include up 
to 16 nodes and 48TB of memory. Kunpeng 960 

Built on the Kunpeng 950, the SuperPoD will be the worlds first 
general-purpose computing SuperPoD, Xu added. 

It is being presented as a replacement option for legacy mainframes and 
mid-range computers still used in the financial sector. 

With GaussDB, Huaweis distributed database system, the SuperPoD can provide a 
reported 2.9x performance boost without requiring modifications to existing 
setups. 

Xu suggested this could make it a candidate to replace systems such as 
Oracles Exadata. 

Looking further ahead, Xu confirmed Huawei is planning a 256-core processor. 

In the first quarter of 2028, we plan to introduce two models, including a 
high-density design with at least 256 cores and 512 threads, he said. 

This chip is intended for virtualization, containers, big data, and warehouse 
workloads. 

A second model will focus on higher single-core performance, improving by 
more than 50% for AI and database use cases. 

 Performance benchmarks from MogDB , the open source database based on 
openGauss, suggest Kunpeng can scale effectively in large deployments. 

Using Memory Optimized Tables, a 256-core Kunpeng setup achieved 4.8 million 
transactions per minute with 768 connections, illustrating how workloads 
improve as concurrency rises. 

Whats interesting is that although Xu didnt name the processor during his 
keynote, in the benchmarks its referred to as the Kunpeng 960. That would 
make sense, as Huawei already uses the 960 designation across its Atlas and 
Ascend product lines. 

Huawei said it will continue refining the Kunpeng microarchitecture and 
packaging technology. 

If delivered as planned, the 256-core processor would mark one of the largest 
general-purpose CPUs available. 

While the official 2028 target seems reasonable, I do wonder if the existence 
of those benchmarks means Huawei is further ahead of schedule than weve been 
led to believe and the chip might arrive sooner. 

Weve reached out to Huawei to find out more about the Kunpeng 960, but were 
not holding our breath. You might also like Huawei debuts AI system that's 
faster than the market leader, the GB200 NVL72 Huawei's journey may be the 
blueprint for a post-Trump, non-US centric technology world Mysterious tech 
firm set to become one of the biggest PC vendors in China



======================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/huawei-is-planning-a-256-core-cpu-monster-to-tak
e-on-amds-epyc-and-intels-xeon-range-but-it-wont-land-till-2028-at-least-thats
-the-official-line


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