Zhaoxin

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Shanghai Zhaoxin Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
IndustrySemiconductors
Founded2013; 11 years ago (2013)
Headquarters
Shanghai
,
China
Area served
China
ProductsCentral processing units
Microprocessors
Websitezhaoxin.com

Zhaoxin (Shanghai Zhaoxin Semiconductor Co., Ltd.; /ˈʒaʊʃɪn/, Chinese: 兆芯; pinyin: Zhàoxīn [ʈʂâu ɕín]) is a fabless semiconductor company, created in 2013 as a joint venture between VIA Technologies and the Shanghai Municipal Government.[1] The company manufactures x86-compatible desktop and laptop CPUs.[2] The term Zhào xīn means million core.[note 1] The processors are created mainly for the Chinese market: the venture is an attempt to reduce the Chinese dependence on foreign technology.[3][4]

Background[edit]

Zhaoxin is a joint venture between VIA Technologies and the Shanghai Municipal Government.[1] In 2021 it was reported that VIA has a 14.75% shareholding in the company.[5] China has a domestic policy to "replace all foreign hardware and software from its public infrastructure with homegrown solutions" by 2023 (the so-called 3–5–2 policy).[6] VIA holds a x86 license which allows its subsidiaries to produce compatible microprocessors; this allows Zhaoxin to develop x86 computer chips.[5]

Architecture[edit]

The architecture of the initial ZX family of processors is a continuation of VIA's Centaur Technology x86-64 Isaiah design.[7][8] The ZX-A and ZX-B are based on the VIA Nano X2 C4350AL.[9] The ZX-B is identical to the ZX-A, except that it is manufactured by Shanghai Huali Microelectronics Corporation (HLMC) .[9] The ZX-C is based on the VIA QuadCore-E & Eden X4.[9] Zhaoxin calls this architecture "Zhangjiang", however, it is thought that the basis is the VIA Isaiah 2 architecture.[8] Like the VIA processors they were based on, early ZX processors were ball grid array chips sold pre-soldered onto a motherboard.

Zhaoxin came to the attention of the North American and European technology press when, in late 2017 and early 2018, it launched the ZX-D processor and revealed plans for future products.[1][2] Zhaoxin calls the ZX-D architecture "Wudaokou"; this is a complete re-design of the VIA Isaiah. It is also a departure from earlier microarchitectures, such as ZhangJiang, which were a lightly modified version of a VIA Technologies (Centaur) architecture. WuDaoKou was a new and complete SoC design.[10][8] Changes implemented in the ZX-D included the integration of a northbridge, like in modern x86 designs, as well as the addition of Chinese cryptographic functions.[8] The ZX-D series also had an integrated graphics processing unit (iGPU) based on S3 Graphics technology (previously owned by VIA).[11][12]

The former ZX naming was dropped around 2018 in favour of the KX ("KaiXian") designation for desktop processors and the KH ("KaisHeng") designation for server processors.

Development[edit]

The successor to the ZX-D, the KX-6000 system on a chip (also called ZX-E), was demonstrated to the press in September 2018.[11] The architecture, an evolution of the ZX-D architecture, was called "Lujiazui".[10] The KX-6000 was formally launched in 2019.[13] In June 2019 the KX-6000 was reported to being built on a 16 nm TSMC process.[14] The chip has a DirectX 11.1 compatible iGPU.[11][12] In 2022, Zhaoxin was noted to have added ZX-E specific compiler support for the GNU Compiler Collection.[13]

The successor to the KX-6000, the ZX-F or KX-7000 processor series, was initially planned for release in 2021. The KX-7000 chip was reported to be planned for release on a 7 nm process with DDR5 support.[13] An alleged benchmark result for a ZX-F appeared on GeekBench in 2020.[15]

The KX-7000 was finally released in December 2023, two years late.[16] According to test results reported by Tom's Hardware, this processor was twice as fast as the KX-6000 series that came before it.[17] The benchmark score indicated that not only had clock speeds improved substantially, but also instructions-per-clock. In comparison, the KX-7000 was deemed to be on par with similar processors made by AMD or Intel in the mid-to-late 2010s.[17] Zhaoxin was itself reported as saying that the KX-7000 reached the same level of performance as the seventh-generation Intel Core i5-7400 (which was launched in 2017).[17]

Discrete GPU[edit]

In 2020 Zhaoxin announced it was planning to release a dedicated graphics card.[12]

Summary of architecture[edit]

Family μarch codename Year introduced Process Cores Frequency Features Notes
ZX-A[2][7] VIA Isaiah 2014 40 nm 533 MHz to 1066 MHz Based on the VIA Nano X2 C4350AL
ZX-B[2][7] VIA Isaiah 2014–2015 40 nm 533 MHz to 1066 MHz Identical to ZX-A[9]
ZX-C[2] Zhangjiang 2015 28 nm 4 2.0 GHz
Based on the VIA QuadCore-E & Eden X4
ZX-C+[2] Zhangiang 2016 28 nm 4/8 2.0 GHz AVX2, AES-NI[18] A TDP of 35W[19]
ZX-D / KX-5000[2][20] / KH-20k[19] Wudaokou 2017 28 nm[21] 4/8[21] 2.0 GHz
Manufactured by TSMC
ZX-E / KX-6000[22] / KH-30k[19][12] Lujiazui[23] 2019 16 nm[11][12] 8 (up to)[11] 3 GHz (up to)[11]
Manufactured by TSMC[26]
KX-6000G[27] Lujiazui[23] 2022 16 nm[27] 4 (up to) 3.3 GHz (up to)[27] GPU supports: DX12, OpenCL1.2, OpenGL4 .6.
DDR4[27]

PCIe 3.0

SoC

With Glenfly GT-10C0 integrated GPU[28][29]
KH-40000[27] Yongfeng[30] 2022[31] 16 nm 32 (up to)[27] 2.2 GHz (up to)[27]
DDR4[27]

PCIe 3.0

SoC

ZX-F / KX-7000[1][32] Century Avenue[16] 2023[16] 7 nm[32](unconfirmed) 8 (up to) 3.7 GHz (up to)[33]
Family μarch codename Year introduced Process Cores Frequency Features Notes

Uses[edit]

Zhaoxin processors have mainly been used for Chinese laptops.[14]

Performance[edit]

The Zhaoxin ZX-C+ 4701 CPU was reviewed in 2020, and showed significantly worse performance against older Intel (i5 2500K) and AMD (Athlon 3000G) processors.[34] The ZX-D was noted to have roughly the performance of the Intel Silvermont (Avoton) processors (which were launched in 2013).[8]

The ZX-E / KX-6000 is reported to have a 50% performance increase over the KX-5000, and comparable performance to a 7th generation Intel i5 core processor from 2016 (namely the Core i5-7400).[11][14][12] The 8-core ZX-E U6780A was reviewed by Linus Tech Tips in August 2020.[35] The review processor was benchmarked to be slightly slower than a 3rd generation Intel i5 quad-core processor (originally released in 2012–2013) using Cinebench.[35] Gaming performance was noted to be poor, whilst the machine itself was noted to be expensive for its performance by 2020 standards.[35] Tom's Hardware also reviewed the U6780A and reported poor gaming performance in 2020.[10]

The aim for the ZX-F series is for performance parity with the 2018 series Ryzen processors (i.e. the AMD Zen+ microarchitecture, the predecessor to AMD Zen 2).[8]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Chan, Leon (3 January 2018). "Via's Chinese Joint Venture Aims For Competitive Home-Grown X86 SOCs By 2019". Hexus.net. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Tyson, Mark (2 January 2018). "VIA and Zhaoxin ZX- family of x86 processors roadmap shared". Hexus.net. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  3. ^ Clark, Don (21 April 2016). "AMD to License Chip Technology to China Chip Venture". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 24 April 2018. The VIA/Shanghai Zhaoxin KX-5000 series of x86-compatible CPUs will never be sold outside of China to avoid an Intel lawsuit.","...will use the technology to develop chips for server systems to be sold only in China
  4. ^ Wu, Yimian (23 May 2018). "China Supports Local Semiconductor Firms By Adding Them To Government Procurement List". China Money Network. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  5. ^ a b Shilov, Anton (28 October 2020). "Chinese Chip-Producer Zhaoxin and Via Technologies Strengthen Ties". Tom's Hardware. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  6. ^ Potoroaca, Adrian (5 March 2021). "China will use aging chips while its semiconductor industry catches up". TechSpot. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  7. ^ a b c "KaiXian (ZX/KX) – Zhaoxin". WikiChip. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Schor, David (21 January 2018). "Zhaoxin launches their highest-performance Chinese x86 chips". WikiChip. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  9. ^ a b c d "What's going on with VIA/Zhaoxin and x86 processors?". Reddit. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  10. ^ a b c Alcorn, Paul (10 April 2020). "Zhaoxin KaiXian x86 CPU Tested: The Rise of China's Chips". Tom's Hardware. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i Shilov, Anton (24 September 2018). "Zhaoxin Displays x86-Compatible KaiXian KX-6000: 8 Cores, 3 GHz, 16 nm FinFET". Anandtech. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Tyson, Mark (10 July 2020). "Chinese CPU maker Zhaoxin to launch a dGPU this year". HEXUS. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  13. ^ a b c Larabel, Michael. "Zhaoxin Finally Adding "Lujiazui" x86_64 CPU Tuning To GCC". www.phoronix.com. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  14. ^ a b c Connatser, Matthew (20 June 2019). "Chinese-Produced Zhaoxin KX-6000 CPUs Purportedly Match Intel's Core i5-7400". Tom's Hardware. Tom's Hardware. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  15. ^ Olšan, Jan (10 November 2019). "2GHz čínský x86 procesor Zhaoxin KX-7000 v Geekbench". Cnews.cz (in Czech).
  16. ^ a b c Shilov, Anton (13 December 2023). "Zhaoxin Unveils KX-7000 CPUs: Eight x86 Cores at Up to 3.70 GHz". www.anandtech.com. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  17. ^ a b c updated, Paul Alcorn last (2020-04-10). "Zhaoxin KaiXian x86 CPU Tested: The Rise of China's Chips". Tom's Hardware. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  18. ^ "CPUID Dump, ZX-C+ C4580". instlatx64.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g "兆芯开胜KH-20000新品点亮安全可靠技术和应用研讨会". EETrend. 28 March 2018. Archived from the original on 24 April 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2018. Translated through Google Translate at https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=zh-CN&tl=en&u=http://www.eetrend.com/article/2018-03/100078081.html
  20. ^ "VIA Technologies Subsidiary Zhaoxin Announces New x86-64 CPUs – ExtremeTech". www.extremetech.com.
  21. ^ a b "Via joint venture reveals KX-5000 x86 SoCs for Chinese PCs". January 2, 2018.
  22. ^ "Zhaoxin to roll out 16nm CPU in 2018". digitimes.com.
  23. ^ a b "LuJiaZui – Microarchitectures – Zhaoxin – WikiChip". en.wikichip.org. Retrieved 2022-12-17.
  24. ^ a b "兆芯自主CPU路线图公布：将追平同期AMD、支持DDR5". MyDrivers.com. 2 January 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2018. Translated through Google Translate at https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=zh-CN&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.mydrivers.com%2F1%2F561%2F561579.htm
  25. ^ a b "x86, x64 Instruction Latency, Memory Latency and CPUID dumps (instlatx64)". users.atw.hu.
  26. ^ Matthew Connatser (2019-06-20). "Chinese-Produced Zhaoxin KX-6000 CPUs Purportedly Match Intel's Core i5-7400". Tom's Hardware. Retrieved 2022-12-17.
  27. ^ a b c d e f g h Mujtaba, Hassan (2022-11-01). "Zhaoxin Launches KX-6000G High-Performance & KH-40000 Server CPUs For China's Domestic PC Market". Wccftech. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
  28. ^ Mark Tyson (2022-07-17). "Chinese Glenfly Arise GT-10C0 GPU Rivals Nvidia's GTX 1630 On Paper". Tom's Hardware. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  29. ^ Mujtaba, Hassan (2022-07-30). "Chinese-Made Zhaoxin KX-6000G CPU With GT10C0 Integrated GPU Features The Same Performance As NVIDIA's GT 630". Wccftech. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
  30. ^ "Zhaoxin introduces KH-40000 server CPU series and KX-6000G APUs with improved DX12 graphics". VideoCardz.com. Retrieved 2022-12-17.
  31. ^ Larabel, Michael (23 March 2023). "Zhaoxin Beginning Work Bringing Up "Yongfeng" CPU Support For The Linux Kernel". www.phoronix.com. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  32. ^ a b Matthew Connatser (2023-12-13). "The only Chinese chipmaker with an x86 license releases surprisingly modern new chips made with a mystery process node — Zhaoxin KX-7000 CPU launches with eight cores, 3.7GHz clocks, PCIe 4.0, DDR5 memory support, and chiplet-based design". Tom's Hardware. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  33. ^ "兆芯新一代开先® KX-7000系列自主高性能桌面处理器正式发布 - 兆芯". www.zhaoxin.com. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  34. ^ ""Trillion Core" Chinese CPU vs. AMD & Intel: ZhaoXin X86 CPU Review ZX-C+ 4701". YouTube. Gamers Nexus. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  35. ^ a b c Sebastian, Linus. "A Chinese Intel competitor? – 16 August 2020". YouTube. Linus Tech Tips. Retrieved 17 August 2020.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ In China 兆 can mean either short-scale million (1e6) or trillion (1e12). However, for IT-related topics 兆 always means mega/million in mainland China.

External links[edit]

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