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[Caayn]

Zhaoxin is a chinese company owned by Via Technologies, know for their Via x86 processors long time ago. That's probably how they obtained a license to develop x86 processors.

Zhaoxin is planning to launch a 28nm version of their ZX-D processors in the second half of this year. Followed by ZX-E on 16nm, together with TSMC, in 2018.

About competition with AMD and Intel:

Zhaoxin is aware that a great combination between product design and manufacturing is key to success in the CPU field, Fu said. Intel makes its own processors in-house setting a good example for how an IDM implements effectively its integrated design and manufacturing. And despite becoming fabless, AMD has Globalfoundries, its former manufacturing arm, offer 14nm and other advanced-node process platforms to be closely integrated with the CPU vendor's design capability, Fu identified.

Zhaoxin is still lagging far behind its international peers, but the company has been making steady progress in its own development, Fu said. Zhaoxin's CPUs have attracted orders from PC vendors such as Lenovo. Nevertheless, Zhaoxin still has a long way to go to catch up with international CPU vendors, Fu admitted.

http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20170411PD211.html

Performance chart colours have been badly chosen, but the CPUs are listed in the order that they appear.

 

[Sectorseven]

Why do you need a license to make an x86 processor, have the patents not expired by now?

 

[The Abominable Snowman]

It'll be interesting to know the TDP and real world performance.

 

[Crazymoogle]

Why do you need a license to make an x86 processor, have the patents not expired by now?

You don't, if you're building a 486. But you need newer patents for all of the extensions, x86-64, and so on that Intel had modified x86 with over the decades.

 

[firebricks3]

I knew they were head hunting for hardware engineers but I didn't know it was for this....

 

[ColdDeckEd]

This is a China only thing I'm thinking. Not they need another market, but with that performance it wouldn't sell outside of there.