Given the algorithm didn't require tuning and it examined less moves each turn I would say it was a better algorithm.
Lots of AI problems aren't solved with current techniques just by throwing more CPU power at them so it would still be impressive even if it required a lot of computing power.
A TPU isn't specialized hardware in the same way a CPU or GPU are not task specialized. All three are generic execution platforms that are optimized for a particular type of processing, but do so in a generalized fashion that can complete many different types of tasks.
Lots of AI problems aren't solved with current techniques just by throwing more CPU power at them so it would still be impressive even if it required a lot of computing power.