http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-10034825-64.html

Today, the entire high-performance desktop market is dominated by Intel's x86 processors (with AMD making compatible CPUs but are struggling on the financial and technical side at present.) In order to keep their CPU market free from this dominance, the Chinese government (using the Chinese Academy of Sciences) has developed their own CPU, the Godson-3, which can compete on performance and is also compatible with x86. 

Though it is only intended for the Chinese market at present, if it is good enough they will sell it worldwide. This poses a threat to Intel, AMD and also Microsoft, since China also wants to be free of the cost of licensing Microsoft Windows and related software, so it will primarily use free, open-source software like Linux.

This has the potential to completely shake up the PC market. It comes in 2009 in 4 and 8 core varieties.

More competition = Better for consumers.

Too much competition can confuse consumers though. I prefer AMD to Intel, but I generally go with what offers the best bang per buck. :)

The current problem is most definitely on the side of too little competition. Intel has much better CPUs than what they're releasing: they could release stable ones at 6x4GHz but desktop-grade only goes up to 4x3GHz due to lack of competition. AMD isn't competing above $150 and is losing money constantly. Their roadmap is to release CPUs no better than now, but in 2010, while Intel is planning two new architectures and 32nm before then.

frankly I agree with you on the competitive level of the CPU market Soleron but I refuse to support technologies from China that are complete ripoffs and can shovel into the rest of the market for pennies on the dollar. In the tech world China could destroy the tech industry like they have most of the industries in the USA and the rest of the world.

You gotta love Communism.

Yeah, just like the Olympic ceremonies: nothing can beat slave labour. 

Yeah, I hope it fails. Boycott Chinese products.

If only the CPU market was as competitive as the GPU market.

 Uhhh....The GPU market hasn't been competetive for the last 2.5 years, its only the last 2 months that it has become competetive again.