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Computing China solves 'century-old problem' with new analog chip that is 1,000 times faster than high-end Nvidia GPUs News By Owen Hughes published 31 October 2025 Researchers from Peking University say their resistive random-access memory chip may be capable of speeds 1,000 faster than the Nvidia H100 and AMD Vega 20 GPUs. * * * * * * * Comments (0) () When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's how it works. The technician laying the CPU chip in the motherboard's socket. (Image credit: Narumon Bowonkitwanchai/Getty Images) Scientists in China have developed a new chip, with a twist: it's analog, meaning it performs calculations on its own physical circuits rather than via the binary 1s and 0s of standard digital processors. What's more, its creators say the new chip is capable of outperforming top-end graphics processing units (GPUs) from Nvidia and AMD by as much as 1,000 times. In a new study published Oct. 13 in the journal Nature Electronics, researchers from Peking University said their device tackled two key bottlenecks: the energy and data constraints digital chips face in emerging fields like artificial intelligence (AI) and 6G, and the "century-old problem" of poor precision and impracticality that has limited analog computing. You may like * an illustration of a data network over a city Scientists develop 'full-spectrum' 6G chip that could transfer data at 100 gigabits per second -- 10,000 times faster than 5G * AI computer chip. China's 'Darwin Monkey' is the world's largest brain-inspired supercomputer * A Google quantum computer Google's breakthrough 'Quantum Echoes' algorithm pushes us closer to useful quantum computing -- running 13,000 times faster than on a supercomputer When put to work on complex communications problems -- including matrix inversion problems used in massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems (a wireless technological system) -- the chip matched the accuracy of standard digital processors while using about 100 times less energy. By making adjustments, the researchers said the device then trounced the performance of top-end GPUs like the Nvidia H100 and AMD Vega 20 by as much as 1,000 times. Both chips are major players in AI model training; Nvidia's H100, for instance, is the newer version of the A100 graphics cards, which OpenAI used to train ChatGPT. The new device is built from arrays of resistive random-access memory (RRAM) cells that store and process data by adjusting how easily electricity flows through each cell. Unlike digital processors that compute in binary 1s and 0s, the analog design processes information as continuous electrical currents across its network of RRAM cells. By processing data directly within its own hardware, the chip avoids the energy-intensive task of shuttling information between itself and an external memory source. Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now Get the world's most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. [ ][ ]Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands[ ]Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors[Sign me up] By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. "With the rise of applications using vast amounts of data, this creates a challenge for digital computers, particularly as traditional device scaling becomes increasingly challenging," the researchers said in the study. "Benchmarking shows that our analogue computing approach could offer a 1,000 times higher throughput and 100 times better energy efficiency than state-of-the-art digital processors for the same precision." Old tech, new tricks Analog computing isn't new -- quite the opposite, in fact. The Antikythera mechanism, discovered off the coast of Greece in 1901, is estimated to have been built more than 2,000 years ago. It used interlocking gears to perform calculations. For most of modern computing history, however, analog technology has been written off as an impractical alternative to digital processors. This is because analog systems rely on continuous physical signals to process information -- for example, a voltage or electric current. These are much more difficult to control precisely than the two stable states (1 and 0) that digital computers have to work with. You may like * an illustration of a data network over a city Scientists develop 'full-spectrum' 6G chip that could transfer data at 100 gigabits per second -- 10,000 times faster than 5G * AI computer chip. China's 'Darwin Monkey' is the world's largest brain-inspired supercomputer * A Google quantum computer Google's breakthrough 'Quantum Echoes' algorithm pushes us closer to useful quantum computing -- running 13,000 times faster than on a supercomputer Where analog systems excel is in speed and efficiency. Because they don't need to break calculations down into long strings of binary code -- instead representing them as physical operations on the chip's circuitry -- analog chips can handle large volumes of information simultaneously while using far less energy. This becomes particularly significant in data- and energy-intensive applications like AI, where digital processors face limitations in how much information they can process sequentially, as well as in future 6G communications -- where networks will have to process huge volumes of overlapping wireless signals in real time. RELATED STORIES --'Crazy idea' memory device could slash AI energy consumption by up to 2,500 times --'Rainbow-on-a-chip' could help keep AI energy demands in check -- and it was created by accident --Scientists create ultra-efficient magnetic 'universal memory' that consumes much less energy than previous prototypes The researchers said that recent advances in memory hardware could make analog computing viable once again. The team configured the chip's RRAM cells into two circuits: one that provided a fast but approximate calculation, and a second that refined and fine-tuned the result over subsequent iterations until it landed on a more precise number. Configuring the chip in this way meant that the team was able to combine the speed of analog computation with the accuracy normally associated with digital processing. Crucially, the chip was manufactured using a commercial production process, meaning it could potentially be mass-produced. Future improvements to the chip's circuitry could boost its performance even more, the researchers said. Their next goal is to build larger, fully integrated chips capable of handling more complex problems at faster speeds. TOPICS China Owen Hughes Owen Hughes Owen Hughes is a freelance writer and editor specializing in data and digital technologies. Previously a senior editor at ZDNET, Owen has been writing about tech for more than a decade, during which time he has covered everything from AI, cybersecurity and supercomputers to programming languages and public sector IT. Owen is particularly interested in the intersection of technology, life and work - in his previous roles at ZDNET and TechRepublic, he wrote extensively about business leadership, digital transformation and the evolving dynamics of remote work. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Logout Read more an illustration of a data network over a city Scientists develop 'full-spectrum' 6G chip that could transfer data at 100 gigabits per second -- 10,000 times faster than 5G AI computer chip. China's 'Darwin Monkey' is the world's largest brain-inspired supercomputer A Google quantum computer Google's breakthrough 'Quantum Echoes' algorithm pushes us closer to useful quantum computing -- running 13,000 times faster than on a supercomputer Channels etched into silicon. Microsoft unveils new liquid-cooled computer chips -- they could prevent AI data centers from massively overheating Two people work in an electrical engineering laboratory Electronics breakthrough means our devices may one day no longer emit waste heat, scientists say Quantum computing concept (artist's impression). A qubit, short for "quantum bit," is the fundamental unit of information in quantum computing. Unlike classical bits, which can be either 0 or 1, a qubit can exist in a superposition of both states simultaneously, enabling powerful computational possibilities - digitally generated image 'This moves the timeline forward significantly': Quantum computing breakthrough could slash pesky errors by up to 100 times Latest in Computing A Google quantum computer Google's breakthrough 'Quantum Echoes' algorithm pushes us closer to useful quantum computing -- running 13,000 times faster than on a supercomputer Quantum computing conceptual illustration. Quantum computing 'lie detector' finally proves these machines tap into Einstein's spooky action at a distance rather than just faking it Somebody wearing the prototype picoRing mouse and accompanying wristband. New smart ring is a novel way to control your computer -- it has the humble mouse firmly in its sights Quantum computing concept (artist's impression). A qubit, short for "quantum bit," is the fundamental unit of information in quantum computing. Unlike classical bits, which can be either 0 or 1, a qubit can exist in a superposition of both states simultaneously, enabling powerful computational possibilities - digitally generated image 'This moves the timeline forward significantly': Quantum computing breakthrough could slash pesky errors by up to 100 times Computer generated image of a laser beam creating a triangular shape in the center of the image. 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Ancient 'frosty' rhino from Canada's High Arctic rewrites what scientists thought they knew about the North Atlantic Land Bridge Artist illustration of a pack of Nanotyrannus attacks a juvenile T. rex Nanotryrannus 'proven beyond a reasonable doubt' to be new species of dinosaur, not just a teenage T. rex LATEST ARTICLES 1. the moon over the ocean 1 Beaver Supermoon: The biggest, brightest full moon of the year is about to rise 2. 2 Physicists detect rare 'second-generation' black holes that prove Einstein right... again 3. 3 2,200-year-old Celtic 'rainbow cup' in 'almost mint condition' found in Germany 4. 4 Ancient 'frosty' rhino from Canada's High Arctic rewrites what scientists thought they knew about the North Atlantic Land Bridge 5. 5 Nanotryrannus 'proven beyond a reasonable doubt' to be new species of dinosaur, not just a teenage T. rex Live Science is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. 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