- Zhaoxin KH-50000 architecture suggests lingering shadows of past AMD ties
- DDR5 memory channels expand capacity to 3TB in server environments
- PCIe 5.0 support delivers a notable leap in data connectivity
Zhaoxin has introduced the Kaisheng KH-50000, its latest server processor which adopts a chiplet-based design closely resembling AMD’s EPYC line.
This similarity raises questions about whether the architecture reflects independent innovation or builds heavily on earlier links between Chinese firms and AMD technology.
What makes this release more intriguing is that Zhaoxin has yet to disclose the thermal design power, an omission which leaves industry watchers questioning how efficient this 96-core part will be.
Architecture and design choices
The KH-50000 uses Zhaoxin’s “Century Avenue” architecture, which appears to descend from Centaur Technology’s earlier designs.
The chip uses a chiplet arrangement consisting of twelve compute dies grouped around a large I/O die, creating a total of 96 cores and 384MB of L3 cache.
A second model cuts the count down to 72 cores but raises the base clock slightly.
Both versions exclude simultaneous multithreading, which keeps the thread count equal to the core count.
Compared to its predecessor, the KH-40000, the KH-50000 offers expanded memory support and connectivity.
It now accommodates 12 channels of DDR5-5200, allowing up to 3TB of memory, a figure that surpasses the 2TB maximum of the older DDR4 platform.
The chip also introduces 128 PCIe 5.0 lanes and 16 PCIe 4.0 lanes, tripling bandwidth opportunities relative to the previous generation.
While SATA and USB ports were trimmed, the shift to USB 3.2 Gen 2 modernizes the remaining connections.
The physical footprint measures 72 x 76 mm, aligning closely with AMD’s Genoa and Bergamo processors.
It fits an LGA socket and can scale into 2S and 4S systems, reaching up to 384 cores on a single motherboard.
Zhaoxin’s proprietary ZPI 5.0 interconnect provides communication between chips, aiming to mirror the scalability offered by AMD EPYC and Intel Xeon platforms.
The KH-50000 is not designed for gaming or desktop workloads because it is strictly positioned for the server segment.
Here, performance is measured in throughput and scalability rather than consumer benchmarks.
However, comparison to the best AMD processor and the fastest CPUs is inevitable, although China’s domestic priorities may matter more than competing with Western vendors.
What remains uncertain is the TDP, a critical factor that determines how practical this processor will be for real-world deployments.
Via Toms Hardware
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