In an industry long dominated by Intel and AMD, a new challenger is stepping into the ring. Chinese tech company Thunderobot, fresh off the launch of its Intel and AMD-based mini-PCs, is now unveiling a ambitious new gaming desktop built around a controversial heart: the homegrown Hygon C86 x86 processor.
This move signals a significant shift, not just for the brand, but for the broader PC market, as it represents a serious attempt to establish a viable, high-performance computing alternative from within China.
From Mini-PC to Mainstage: Thunderobot's Rapid Fire Launches
Just this month, Thunderobot has been on a product launch tear. The company first unveiled the Thunderobot Mix G2 and Mix NUC, compact powerhouses designed to rival established players. The Mix G2 positions itself as a direct competitor to the highly anticipated Asus ROG NUC, while the Mix NUC, based on an AMD platform, shares its form factor and core specs with popular models like the Beelink SER9.
These releases demonstrated Thunderobot's capability to play in the competitive mini-PC arena. But their latest announcement proves they're aiming for something much bigger.
Meet the Heart of the Beast: The Hygon C86 "Black Warrior" CPU
The centerpiece of this new gaming desktop is the Hygon C86 processor, also dramatically known as the "Black Warrior Hunting Blade Pro." As an x86-architecture CPU designed and made in China, it carries significant geopolitical and market implications. But for gamers and PC enthusiasts, the burning question is simple: how does it perform?
On paper, the specs are intriguing. The Hygon C86 is configured with 16 cores and 32 threads, placing it in the realm of modern high-end desktop chips. Early performance claims suggest its multi-core throughput sits somewhere between an Intel Core i7-13700 and a Core i7-14700K—a respectable showing if true.
However, the initial benchmarks reveal a more nuanced story. As shared on the company's official social media and blog, the processor was put through Geekbench 6.
For a closer look at the official specifications and reveals, you can check out Thunderobot's post on WeChat here.
The results? A single-core score of 1,073 points and a multi-core score of 8,811 points. The single-core performance is notably low, roughly equivalent to an Intel Core i7-12700, largely hampered by a peak clock speed of just 2.8 GHz. This "woeful" single-core showing, as some tech analysts have put it, could be a potential bottleneck for gaming, where high clock speeds and swift single-threaded performance are often king.
Taming the Warrior: Thunderobot's Aggressive Cooling Solution
Recognizing the thermal demands of a 16-core processor, Thunderobot isn't taking any chances. The company has paired the Hygon C86 with a robust All-In-One (AIO) liquid cooler, featuring a top-mounted radiator. This is supplemented by three additional large case fans to ensure a steady flow of cool air throughout the system.
This aggressive cooling strategy suggests that while the chip's TDP remains officially unknown, it likely generates significant heat, especially when pushing all 16 cores. This commitment to cooling is a clear attempt to ensure sustained performance and stability, preventing thermal throttling during long gaming sessions or intensive workloads.
A Glimpse at the Chassis and Future Potential
While the CPU is the headline, the desktop's chassis appears to be a fully-fledged gaming tower. From the available images, it's clear this is no mini-PC.
The case features enough room to accommodate a full-length, high-end desktop graphics card, a crucial feature for any serious gaming rig. This separates it from their recent compact designs and places it squarely in competition with traditional gaming desktops. A host of front-panel I/O ports also promises easy access for peripherals.
The tech community is already buzzing with discussions about this new platform. You can see some of the early reactions and conversations on Weibo.
The big unknowns remain pricing and availability. For the Hygon C86 desktop to make a dent in the market, it will need to be aggressively priced, offering significantly better value than systems built around established Intel and AMD CPUs to compensate for its performance shortcomings.
The Bottom Line: A Niche Player or a Future Contender?
Thunderobot's new desktop is a fascinating experiment. It demonstrates the growing capability of China's semiconductor industry while highlighting the challenges it still faces. The Hygon C86, with its strong multi-core but weak single-core performance, may not dethrone Intel's Core i9 or AMD's Ryzen 9 any time soon.
However, for a specific market segment in China and regions where cost and local production are paramount, it could find an audience. Its success will ultimately hinge on final pricing, software compatibility, and real-world gaming performance that benchmarks can only partially predict.
For context on the current competitive landscape, you can see the AMD-based Beelink SER9 mini-PC that rivals Thunderobot's earlier models on Amazon.
One thing is certain: the PC landscape is no longer a two-horse race. With players like Thunderobot and Hygon entering the fray with increasingly capable hardware, the future of computing is looking more diverse—and more interesting—than ever.
