The Xuantie C910 from Alibaba/T-HEAD represents a significant movement towards open-source RISC-V architecture, sparking discussion on its strengths and weaknesses. While the C910 boasts potential in flexibility and customization inherent in open-source designs, critiques have emerged about its performance limitations, especially in memory access and cache efficiency. Users express concerns regarding the out-of-order execution engine and the overall balance of the architecture, suggesting that key design flaws were overlooked during development. The conversation also covers the relevance of RISC-V compared to established x86 and ARM designs, raising questions about its ability to reach similar performance tiers. As the sector moves towards more open and adaptable technology, the implications for competition and national security remain critical points of contention.