VIA Zhaoxin x86 4 and 8-core SoC processors launch
As we talked about a while ago, VIA launches their Zhaoxin processors, well SoC's really. Zhaoxin has launched the new processors in the KX-5000 series. With the to be released KX-7000, it wants to compete with AMD again.
KaiXian
KX is short for KaiXian, the 5000 series is to be used in laptops and desktops. The KaiXian chips are fabbed on a 28nm process from Chinese HLMC, using a WuDaoKou microarchitecture. The procs are quad-cores up to 2.0 GHz with 8 cores versions as well at the same maximum speed.
The KaiXian 5000 series is mostly aimed forPCs, workstations, and laptops. Those SKUs are positioned against Intel’s Core i3 and Core i5 processors.
New SKUs | |||
---|---|---|---|
Model | Cores/Threads | Frequency | L2 Cache |
KX-5640 | 4/4 | 2.0 GHz | 4 MiB |
KX-5540 | 4/4 | 1.8 GHz | 4 MiB |
KX-U5680 | 8/8 | 2.0 GHz | 8 MiB |
KX-U5580 | 8/8 | 1.8 GHz | 8 MiB |
KX-U5580M | 8/8 | ≤ 1.8 GHz | 8 MiB |
The fastest 8-core proc thus has eight cores and eight threads at 2.0 GHz based on a 187 mm2 64-bit chip that has 2.1 billion transistors. 64 kb L1 cache is present per core and a total of 8 MB L2 cache. Instructions include Intel VT-x, Trusted Execution Technology, SSE4.2, AVX, and AVX2. The chips have PCIe 3.0, a total of 16 lanes and then four lanes likely for an additional interconnect to a chipset or heck, even something M2. The integrated memory controller supports dual channel ddr4-2133 up-to 64 GB. The integrated GPU provides a maximum of 4096 x 2304 pixels at 60 Hz via display port or HDMI. This is a DirectX 11.1 part, not DX12.
KaisHeng 20000
Zhaoxin also announced the KaisHeng 20000 series which is geared towards embedded networking, storage, and servers. This series should not be confused with a similarly named “ZX-2000” series which are actually quad-core ARM Cortex-A17 CPUs.
New SKUs | |||
---|---|---|---|
Model | Cores/Threads | Frequency | L2 Cache |
KH-26800 | 8/8 | 2.0 GHz | 8 MiB |
KH-25800 | 8/8 | 1.8 GHz | 8 MiB |
As with the KX-5000 parts, all models have virtualization support compatible with Intel’s VT-x, Trusted Execution Technology (TXT), SSE 4.2, and AVX support. The KaisHeng 20000 parts support up to 128 GiB of memory and have added support for ECC and RDIMMs. Additionally, those SKUs do not have a GPU enabled. Zhaoxin reported the following SPEC CPU 2006 scores:
SPEC CPU 2006 Scores | |||
---|---|---|---|
Test | KX-5640 (4C @ 2GHz) | KX-U5680 (8C @ 2GHz) | Atom C2750 (8C @ 2.4GHz/2.6GHz) |
SPECint | 19.1 | 19.9 | 17.5 |
SPECint_rate | 64.3 | 115 | 101 |
SPECfp | 22.9 | 25.7 | 23.0 |
SPECfp_rate | 53 | 81.3 | 76.8 |
Source: fuse.wikichip.org
Senior Member
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I have a feeling it would be prudent to not dismiss VIA's return so quickly for a few reasons. First of all, this is a test of the market more than anything, which is why i'd wager they went with a VERY mature (to be kind) and inexpensive manufacturing process. Much of the general public is computer illiterate, at least compared to anyone reading Guru3d.com, and if presented with the option to chose a netbook or all-in-one system (or mini) at a price point that is quite a bit lower than low end AMD offerings, they may end up turning a profit on this venture. If they do, i'd expect their next offering to be on a much more current manufacturing process and higher clock speeds.
Secondly, this is just an assumption, but I have a feeling that these products are going to be sold and marketed not to places where most of us live, but to the developing world where most people have never owned a computer or had to save for many years to buy one if they did. Much of the world doesn't live like we do in North America and Europe. Take a look at the median household income of countries around the world and you'll see what i'm talking about. Products like these are exactly what is needed to bring the such countries into the modern world.
Lastly, some people just want to browse the internet and lose IQ points by posting on facebook and twitter all day, and if they can save some money by going with an even cheaper PC, these will sell just fine. Most people out there buy technology based on how much cash they have in their wallet after buying a burger and fries and could care less if the CPU is made by Intel, AMD, or VIA.
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Socket 370 for the P3 was the last time that this happened. Due to an agreement with Intel, they were able to release their first gen CPU's on socket 370, i think that agreement expired in like 2007, so since then they have been releasing their own platforms.
Senior Member
Posts: 11808
Joined: 2012-07-20
I have a feeling it would be prudent to not dismiss VIA's return so quickly for a few reasons. First of all, this is a test of the market more than anything, which is why i'd wager they went with a VERY mature (to be kind) and inexpensive manufacturing process. Much of the general public is computer illiterate, at least compared to anyone reading Guru3d.com, and if presented with the option to chose a netbook or all-in-one system (or mini) at a price point that is quite a bit lower than low end AMD offerings, they may end up turning a profit on this venture. If they do, i'd expect their next offering to be on a much more current manufacturing process and higher clock speeds.
Secondly, this is just an assumption, but I have a feeling that these products are going to be sold and marketed not to places where most of us live, but to the developing world where most people have never owned a computer or had to save for many years to buy one if they did. Much of the world doesn't live like we do in North America and Europe. Take a look at the median household income of countries around the world and you'll see what i'm talking about. Products like these are exactly what is needed to bring the such countries into the modern world.
Lastly, some people just want to browse the internet and lose IQ points by posting on facebook and twitter all day, and if they can save some money by going with an even cheaper PC, these will sell just fine. Most people out there buy technology based on how much cash they have in their wallet after buying a burger and fries and could care less if the CPU is made by Intel, AMD, or VIA.
If used in mobile system, those real 8C chips will crush Any Fake cored Atoms.
And 4C/4T will deliver around 65% of intel's mobile 2C/4T chips. 8C/8T will be comparable to ~65% of intel's mobile 4C/8T chips.
That's far from bad if OS reacts smoothly without delays and price is right. Issue of 2C/4T chips lies in it's inability to deal with one hogging thread (Firefox animation cause it at any time).
So, more separate cores are more resilient to this. I am sure that 8C/8T mobile chip at 2GHz can prove to be incomparably better than 2C/4T in great many practical scenarios matching average PC user.
As simple thing as having 10+ browser tabs open, YT playing, excel open and working on it. It is already something where 2C/4T runs out of breath.
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At 2.0ghz, they're not going to be competitive against anything AMD or Intel currently have. Maybe they want to compete with the Celeron J1800 and Athlon 5350?
Depending on the price (aka what the laptop or etc. whole price is) and depending on how the 2Ghz would actually perform, i would potentially go with an 8-core VIA over a 4-core Intel i3 or higher and AMD 4-core Ryzen. Most programs don't need a lot of single-core performance to work just fine, however having more cores definitely helps the PC feel more responsive.
It wouldn't be something i'd buy for the purpose of using "intense" programs of any kind, but a laptop for laptops sake, would probably be quite nice.
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They will be BGA processors. It was stated earlier in the thread. BGA means NO socket at all. They're essentially embedded processors.