SiFive launches Performance P870 RISC-V scalable core and Intelligence X390 NPU

As the computing sector is now refocusing to integrate better support for AI-related workloads, the RISC-V processor architecture is also getting upgraded with AI-centric features. SiFive, the premier RISC-V processor maker, is introducing the latest high-performance P870 cores along with the Intelligence X390 AI / ML NPU that work in tandem to deliver increasingly data intensive scalar and vector-based AI compute power for the consumer, automotive, and infrastructure markets.

Regarding the two new processors, SiFive’s CEO Patrick Little stated that “as the Arm IPO showed, there is a fast-growing demand for semiconductors across many sectors, particularly processors for consumer and infrastructure markets. The flexibility of SiFive’s RISC-V solutions allows companies to address the unique computing requirements of these segments and capitalize on the momentum around generative AI, where we have seen double-digit design wins, and for other cutting-edge applications.”

The Performance P870 cores bring a massive 50% peak single thread performance upgrade (specINT2k6) over the previous generation models. With its six-wide out-of-order architecture, the P870 core can scale up to a 32-core cluster and it is fully compatible with the latest requirements for Google’s Android on RISC-V. It also features Vector crypto and hypervisor extensions, non-inclusive L3 cache and WorldGuard security.

On the other hand, the Intelligence X390 NPU delivers 4x improvements in vector computation and quadrupled sustained data bandwidth via doubled vector length and dual vector ALUs over the previous X280 generation. The new NPU integrates new features such as 1024-bit VLEN, 512-bit DLEN and 2048-bit out / 1024-bit in vector ALU - VCIX.

Some of the latest companies that joined SiFive’s RISC-V ecosystem now include Cadence, Canonical, Green Hills Software and IAR.

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