This Gaming PC doesn't include any Intel, AMD, or NVIDIA hardware

PC build videos are a fairly common thing to stumble upon on YouTube, especially when the algorithm is well aware that you're a PC gaming enthusiast. That said, there was one recent upload from the channel GPUSpecs that immediately stood out during one of our recent 'let's kill some time on YouTube' breaks. And the title sums it up perfectly - 'Building a Gaming PC Without Using Intel, AMD, or NVIDIA.'

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A functioning gaming x86 PC running Windows and playing games like Forza Horizon 5 without any Intel, AMD, or NVIDIA hardware is a fascinating project to take on, and the result is exactly that. As expected, GPUSpecs sourced parts from China, with the 8-core Zhaoxin KaiXian KX-7000 CPU being of particular interest, as it's an officially licensed x86 CPU thanks to Zhaoxin's ties to companies like VIA and Cyrix that made x86 processors back in the Pentium days.

In the video, we learn that he was able to purchase the CPU, which arrived pre-installed on a custom, compact ASUS motherboard, even though it doesn't feature any ASUS branding. The good news is that the CPU socket is basically identical to an Intel socket, so Intel mounting for an air cooler worked just fine.

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As for the GPU, he sourced the Moore Threads MTT S80 GPU from Chunxiao. A card that first launched in 2022, built on a 12nm process with 16GB of GDDR6 memory. Interestingly, one of the big hurdles getting the PC to boot up wasn't the CPU or GPU, but the memory, as the motherboard specifically requires native DDR4-3200 RAM, which was difficult to source.

And with that out of the way, we get to the gaming performance portion of the video, and yeah, it's not good. With most games stuttering, most titles are unplayable, even when running at 1080p with Low settings. Forza Horizon 5 averages 24.2 FPS, while Cyberpunk averages 22.3 FPS, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider struggles at 12.2 FPS. Some titles do run much faster, with Genshin Impact averaging 58.0 FPS, but it too suffers from stuttering. The only title that delivers a solid gaming experience (of the handful of games tested) is Rocket League.

Ultimately, it's very cool to see a modern gaming PC up and running without Intel, AMD, or NVIDIA hardware. It'll be interesting to see how Chinese companies continue to develop their own processors and graphics cards, because right now, it doesn't look like a viable alternative to the big three.