Huawei’s latest data-center processor, the Kunpeng 930, appears to be built using TSMC’s 5 nm (N5) manufacturing node, first introduced in 2020—marking it as five years behind the industry’s cutting edge.
What This Means Technically
- An electron-microscope teardown revealed that the chip’s SRAM and memory modules match the N5 node. The seller listed the chip online, prompting the analysis.
- Technically, the bitcell size of N5 is similar to the newer N3 node, meaning memory density may remain comparable—but the process is undeniably dated.
- Benchmark results place its performance closer to 2020-era AMD chips, underscoring that Huawei continues to lag Western counterparts due to these constraints.
Why the Lag Exists
- U.S. sanctions have drastically limited Huawei’s access to advanced chipmaking tools, forcing reliance on older external nodes like N5 and domestic alternatives
- Huawei’s CEO, Ren Zhengfei, confirmed the company’s chip tech remains one generation behind U.S. peers, citing strategies like cluster computing and software optimization to compensate.CNBC
- Meanwhile, Huawei is aggressively building a domestic semiconductor ecosystem—investing in local chipmakers and manufacturing capabilities. However, these solutions are still in development and not mature.
Industry Perspective
- This tech gap reflects geopolitical constraints rather than innovation failure—Huawei has adapted to continue production under sanctions.
- Performance parity with older chips suggests Huawei is still viable for internal use—especially with cluster computing strategies—but global competitiveness remains limited.
Conclusion
Huawei’s reliance on 5-year-old 5 nm tech in its new Kunpeng 930 processor underscores ongoing challenges in keeping pace with global semiconductor progress under restrictive export regimes. Despite clever workarounds, the move highlights that Huawei still faces an uphill battle in closing the tech gap.
