Zhaoxin’s x86-Compatible CPUs for DIY Enthusiasts Now Available
by Anton Shilov on January 29, 2020 1:00 PM EST
Zhaoxin, a joint venture between Via Technologies and the Chinese government, has been selling processors for various client systems for years, but recently the company rolled out its latest CPUs that some of the local PC makers position as solutions for DIY enthusiasts. At least initially, Zhaoxin’s KaiXian KX-6780A will be available only in China.
Zhaoxin’s KaiXian KX-6780A is an eight-core x86-64 processor with 8 MB of L2 cache, a dual-channel DDR4-3200 memory controller, modern I/O interfaces (PCIe, SATA, USB, etc.), and integrated DirectX 11.1-capable graphics (possibly S3 based but unknown). The CPU cores are in-house designed LuJiaZui cores, built around a superscalar, multi-issue, out-of-order microarchitecture that supports modern instruction sets extensions like SSE 4.2 as well as AVX along with virtualization and encryption technologies. The processor is made using TSMC’s 16 nm process technology.
Zhaoxin formally introduced its KaiXian KX-6000-series CPUs back in 2018, but it looks like higher-end models like the KX-U6780A and the KX-U6880A are entering the consumer market this quarter.
As it turns out, Xinyingjie, one of Chinese PC makers, uses the C1888 motherboard based on the KX-U6780A that is designed for enthusiast-grade PCs and therefore supporting expandability using a PCIe 3.0 x16 slot, two SO-DIMM slots, M.2 slots, and various internal and external interfaces. One thing to keep in mind about the Zhaoxin’s KaiXian KX-6780A/C1888 platform is of course lack of CPU upgrade path because the processor uses an BGA packaging.
When Zhaoxin originally introduced its Kaixian KX-6000, it said that their performance was comparable to that of Intel’s 7thGeneration Core i5 processor, a quad-core non-Hyper-Threaded CPU. Since then, we have not really got a proper confirmation to the claim and will certainly be interested to test the chip in our labs.
According the to the video source, this mini-PC design is expected to be available from March for consumers. Currently this is a prototype, with enhancements expected between now and the final product.
Related Reading:
- Zhaoxin Displays x86-Compatible KaiXian KX-6000: 8 Cores, 3 GHz, 16 nm FinFET
- China Calling: AMD Forms Joint Venture for x86 Server SoCs in China
- AMD Creates Quad Core Zen SoC with 24 Vega CUs for Chinese Consoles
- Cypress and Zhaoxin Have USB 3.1 Gen 2 USB Controllers
Source: 二斤自制 YouTube Channel
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quadibloc - Thursday, January 30, 2020 - link
True, but if you want to play games, you need the latest patented generation of SSE as well.Reflex - Saturday, February 1, 2020 - link
I mean, sure but you'd be releasing a CPU that is literally two decades behind given that lots of improvements since have been patented....eek2121 - Sunday, February 2, 2020 - link
Certainly, however, the patents for extended instruction sets (AVX, etc.) have not. There are also other patents that indirectly stop just 'anyone' from making an x86 CPU.HStewart - Wednesday, January 29, 2020 - link
Keep in mind, it not the x86 part that is most concerning with government. It security encryption logic and such. Computer is more than x86 (or x86-64) microcode. It has other microcode for handling of encryption.RedGreenBlue - Wednesday, January 29, 2020 - link
No. The Forbes article and Wall Street Journal article were written by people ignorant of computer science and AMD’s chip roadmap at the time. Once in a while journalists try to do things they know nothing about. Kind of like when The Verge thought they knew how to build a gaming PC. 😁https://wccftech.com/no-amd-did-not-sell-keys-king...
https://www.extremetech.com/computing/294372-amd-d...
RedGreenBlue - Wednesday, January 29, 2020 - link
Funniest part of that article: “The safe haven of technology expertise and knowing how to build and operate fabs, the most complex manufacturing environments in the world, looks like it is fading fast.”4 years later Intel is still basically on the same process node.
Spunjji - Thursday, January 30, 2020 - link
Thanks, HStewart, for reliably taking this off-topic to your favourite punching bag.Try not to swing, miss and hit yourself in the face again this time...
HStewart - Thursday, January 30, 2020 - link
This is on topic, I send worst before - with flood messages about AMD in Intel announce. This is no relation to Intel but has a huge chance that AMD has made a serious trade issue with security with China.lmcd - Thursday, January 30, 2020 - link
On-topic FUD is still FUDMBarton - Friday, January 31, 2020 - link
Seriously, call your senator and get to the bottom of this.