Chinese server and storage system supplier Sugon has released the N50 Pro model, which the company positions as the world's first mobile workstation supporting 64 threads. This machine is designed as a powerful tool for tasks related to 4K and 8K content creation, engineering design, and artificial intelligence development.
Sugon has not disclosed the exact processor model, only stating that the single-core frequency reaches 4.3 GHz. Since the device is aimed at China's domestic IT market, built around proprietary chips, it does not use silicon components from Intel or AMD, neither of which produces mobile workstations with 64 threads.
Sugon has long collaborated closely with Hygon, and its mobile workstations are standardly equipped with Hygon processors. Previous models, such as Tiankuo N40 and N50, used Hygon 3350M and 3450M components, which were eight-core with 16 threads. The transition of the new model to 64 threads indicates the existence of a previously unannounced Hygon chip—likely a custom development, as existing Hygon desktop and server chips with 64 threads do not match the power consumption of a thin laptop; even the top Hygon 7380 with a power rating of 140W has a maximum frequency of 3.0 GHz.
Hygon processors are licensed from AMD's first-generation Zen architecture and generally demonstrate higher performance compared to Zhaoxin's Via-based x86 parts. The rest of the N50 Pro also features high specifications: the graphics solution has 16 GB of memory and supports a frequency up to 3.3 GHz, an improvement over the 4 GB card in older models. This allows for the local running of a 35-billion parameter MoE model at speeds up to 50 tokens per second, three to five times faster than major competitors.
The workstation supports up to 128 GB of RAM and an 8 TB solid-state drive, which is sufficient for loading models with millions of parameters. Furthermore, it is equipped with a 4K display with a 93% screen-to-body ratio, a 120 Hz refresh rate, and a Delta-E value below one, all contained within a chassis only 16.9 mm thick and weighing 1.69 kg.
Sugon claims that the N50 Pro demonstrates significant progress in the development of domestic semiconductors, enabling the integration of workstation-level computing power into a slim chassis, aligning with the trend of Chinese brands incorporating their own x86 chips into premium laptops.