Thursday, January 30th 2020

Zhaoxin KaiXian x86 Processor Now Commercially Available to the DIY Channel

by
btarunr
 Discuss (57 Comments)
Zhaoxin is a brand that makes multi-core 64-bit x86 processors primarily for use in Chinese state IT infrastructure. It's part of the Chinese Government's ambitious plan to make its IT hardware completely indigenous. Zhaoxin's x86-64 CPU cores are co-developed by licensee VIA, specifically its CenTaur subsidiary that's making NCORE AI-enabled x86 processors. The company's KaiXian KX-6780A processor is now commercially available in China to the DIY market in the form of motherboards with embedded processors.

The KaiXian KX-6780A features an 8-core/8-thread x86-64 CPU clocked up to 2.70 GHz, 8 MB of last-level cache, a dual-channel DDR4-3200 integrated memory controller, a PCI-Express gen 3.0 root-complex, and an iGPU possibly designed by VIA's S3 Graphics division, which supports basic display and DirectX 11.1 readiness. The CPU features modern ISA, with instruction sets that include AVX, AES-NI, SHA-NI, and VT-x comparable virtualization extensions. The chip has been fabricated on TSMC 16 nm FinFET process.
Source: AnandTech

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57 Comments on Zhaoxin KaiXian x86 Processor Now Commercially Available to the DIY Channel

#26
xtreemchaos
give me a fx8350 to go retro anytime and you can heat your home at the same time :) its like asking for a Tom Clancy and getting a Dickens.
not impressed.
Posted on Reply
#27
bonehead123
lexluthermiesterLast-Level? What does that mean?
3

Thats the level of cache that opens every available backdoor to install malware/spyware, steal all your data, and take over your entire system, hehehe... :laugh:...:eek:...:D
Posted on Reply
#29
bonehead123
lexluthermiesterAre we sure?
Are we really ever 100% sure about anything that comes from over there ?
Posted on Reply
#30
bug
lexluthermiesterAre we sure?
Educated guess: any multicore CPU has a 3rd layer of cache to be shared between the various cores.
Posted on Reply
#31
lexluthermiester
bugEducated guess: any multicore CPU has a 3rd layer of cache to be shared between the various cores.
Not necessarily. It is possible that each core has L1 and they all share L2. The designers might be wanting to keep things simple while also avoiding patent violations for L3 cache designs.
Posted on Reply
#32
bug
lexluthermiesterNot necessarily. It is possible that each core has L1 and they all share L2. The designers might be wanting to keep things simple while also avoiding patent violations for L3 cache designs.
Of course it is possible. I was just saying, I don't know of an x86 CPU that does that. L1 cache is just too small to forego per core L2.
Posted on Reply
#33
TheLostSwede
News Editor
bugEducated guess: any multicore CPU has a 3rd layer of cache to be shared between the various cores.
Read the screenshot of CPU-Z, this thing only has L2.
bugOf course it is possible. I was just saying, I don't know of an x86 CPU that does that. L1 cache is just too small to forego per core L2.
Uhm, like every older x86 CPU only had L1 onboard. Shit, I've fitted L2 dip chips to motherboards in the past. You just don't seem to be old enough to know/remember these things.
Hell, Corsair started out selling cache modules.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cache_on_a_stick
Posted on Reply
#34
bug
TheLostSwedeRead the screenshot of CPU-Z, this thing only has L2.
Good point, I missed that one. It seems to be L2 only, but split in two. Weird.
TheLostSwedeUhm, like every older x86 CPU only had L1 onboard. Shit, I've fitted L2 dip chips to motherboards in the past. You just don't seem to be old enough to know/remember these things.
Of course I remember these, but my original assertion was squarely aimed at multicore CPUs.
Posted on Reply
#35
TheLostSwede
News Editor
bugGood point, I missed that one. It seems to be L2 only, but split in two. Weird.


Of course I remember these, but my original assertion was squarely aimed at multicore CPUs.
Ah, but you need to learn to be more specific then ;)
Posted on Reply
#36
Houd.ini
70W TDP? (Taken from CPU-Z screenie) Rather measly VRM though.
Posted on Reply
#37
Basard
birdiewithout US mandated back doors
Just the Chinese mandated back doors... :p
Posted on Reply
#38
lexluthermiester
bugOf course it is possible. I was just saying, I don't know of an x86 CPU that does that. L1 cache is just too small to forego per core L2.
All of the Core2 CPUs did so, even the dual die Core2Quads..
Posted on Reply
#39
Dave65
Maybe they can give Intel some advice bwahahahaha
Posted on Reply
#40
AusWolf
birdieIn single core mode they are 1.5 times slower than Core i5 2500 from 2011. So, it's not about raw performance, it's about having their own x86 CPU without US mandated back doors (Intel IME, etc) and also we don't know anything about power consumption. They are slow but might be extremely power efficient.
In the screenshot, it looks like it has a TDP of 70 Watts. Being slow and inefficient, it only has to tick the third box (hot) to become a huge hit. :rockout:

Seriously, instead of spending all this money to develop crappy hardware under an unpronounceable brand that can beat a Pentium III, the Chinese could turn their resources into using existing, efficient hardware for something useful. One does not simply argue with nationalism/communism I guess. :kookoo:
Posted on Reply
#41
R0H1T
Well except if you've watched the Chinese over the last few decades, especially the last 2 decades, they've matched or surpassed the West in a lot of areas, albeit using stolen tech at times. Perfect example being Maglev, there's also lots of consumer electrical or electronic products so I'm not sure what you're talking about? As of this point in time the only real competitor to China, in advanced tech is the US of A! Not to mention they probably have the original Zen design, hopefully not RTL though.
Posted on Reply
#42
bug
TheLostSwedeAh, but you need to learn to be more specific then ;)
I was. You just didn't read the thread carefully enough :P
lexluthermiesterAll of the Core2 CPUs did so, even the dual die Core2Quads..
Right you are, sir.
Posted on Reply
#43
gamefoo21
xtreemchaosgive me a fx8350 to go retro anytime and you can heat your home at the same time :) its like asking for a Tom Clancy and getting a Dickens.
not impressed.
Don't forget the rareish motherboard that actually won't melt when you pull 300W into the 5+ Ghz wannabe 9590...

I had fun beating on my 8320e, I had to watercool the VRM and it would still cook.

As a past owner of a 800mhz that would do 1Ghz Via x86 CPU... no... Just no.

It would get destroyed in everything by my old Celery @ 550mhz. It was a stain on the pavement when faced against a Tulatin P3 or Celeron-T... My Athlon XP would use it for butt wipe...

I've not kept many systems but I still have my 2500+ Mobile that did 2.5Ghz on air. I still have my P3-T duo 1.33Ghz... I even have that old Celery somewhere. The Via hit the bin years ago... It was incredibly disappointing. It couldn't break 1Ghz at all, it was incredibly fussy about voltage, and it was on 130nm. So the same as P3-T and the good P4...

Memories...
Posted on Reply
#44
xtreemchaos
gamefoo21Memories...
yes bro thay was the days, we not see the likes again without taking a trip to the loft and digging out the old kit. I never willing get shut of old kit there like old friends, ive got the old fx in the other room just to play crysis on.
Posted on Reply
#45
Tartaros
lexluthermiesterActually, you have that completely backwards. The Chinese government wants a backdoor built into every system operating inside their boarders. They want CPU's they can command and control on a whim.
Any cpu is inherently unsecure, let be backdoor or exotically exploiting some old feature like intel had these few past years. Everyone loves looking into holes for dirty little secrets.
Posted on Reply
#46
R-T-B
XiGMAKiDNow I'm waiting for "security flaw" news for this processor
Too little market share, it'll get less attention than AMD.
TartarosAny cpu is inherently unsecure, let be backdoor or exotically exploiting some old feature like intel had these few past years. Everyone loves looking into holes for dirty little secrets.
I mean... technically yes but there is a big difference between exploiting cpu timings to infer data and having a literal backdoor.
AusWolfunpronounceable
To english speakers sure. Our names are probably unpronouncable to them.
Posted on Reply
#47
Alien88
TheLostSwedeBecause so much of it is 1. Junk 2. Not supported 3. The warranties are worth less than zero. 4. They only have "limited" stock, i.e. what you see on Alibaba etc. is all they got.
FWIW, I've been running one of these little Chinese NUC clones for over 3 years 24/7/365 as a mini server and it's been perfect, even has a pair of 1TB laptop drives crammed into it. I'm sure there is junk out there, but Chinese quality has improved a lot in recent years. After all, most of what you own is made there...
Posted on Reply
#48
TheLostSwede
News Editor
Alien88FWIW, I've been running one of these little Chinese NUC clones for over 3 years 24/7/365 as a mini server and it's been perfect, even has a pair of 1TB laptop drives crammed into it. I'm sure there is junk out there, but Chinese quality has improved a lot in recent years. After all, most of what you own is made there...
No, Chinese quality hasn't really improved, but not all products made in China are bad. However, a lot of products are utter garbage and seemingly goes straight into landfills/incinerators. Keep in mind that all foreign companies use their own QA people at the factories, which means not too many corners can be cut. On top of that, a lot of the companies manufacturing in China are Taiwanese or other foreign entities, who also have their own QA/QS staff. This makes a massive difference. Shit, the last lot of boards that a partner I work with had made in China came back with the USB ports soldered on wonky, so they didn't fit in the housing. Admittedly it was only a small percentage, but it was one of several problems we had, which meant the assembly took twice as long as planned.
Posted on Reply
#49
lexluthermiester
TartarosAny cpu is inherently insecure
No, they're not. You seem blissfully unaware of how CPU's are engineered.
Posted on Reply
#50
gasolina
The price around 600$ for the mobo + cpu quite cheap though
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