Canonical has announced that it’s collaborating on a RISC-V laptop powered by Ubuntu.
The 14-inch DC-ROMA RISC-V Laptop II is made by DeepComputing, a company formed by self-described “RISC-V pioneers” back in 2022, and based in Hong Kong. Their aim: develop and release all kinds of products to help drive development of the RISC-V ecosystem.
DC-ROMA II Specs
| Display: | 14″ IPS 1920×1080 60 Hz |
|---|---|
| SoC: | SpacemiT K1 64-bit RISC-V X60 (8-core @ 2 GHz) |
| NPU: | AI Fusion Engine (@ 2 TOPS) |
| RAM: | 8 or 16 GB LPDDR4X |
| Storage: | 32GB eMMC or 1TB SSD |
| Networking: |
Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Ports: |
2x USB 3.0 2x USB Type-C 3.5mm audio MicroSD slot 8-pin port |
| Battery: | 8 Hours |
| Weight: | 1.36 Kg |
| Price: | From $499 |
It’s built around a SpacemiT K1 SoC, which has 8 64-bit RISC-V cores running up to 2.0 GHz. It supports the RVA 22 Profile and 256-bit RVV 1.0 standard for “high performance” & “powerful AI capabilities”.
The 14-inch display pushes a FHD resolution at 60hz, and buyers can choose from 8GB or 16GB of LPDDR4X memory.
The laptop chassis is all-metal for a durable and premium feel, and heat flow is improved over the first-gen model.
The (unnamed) GPU supports OpenCL 3.0, OpenGL ES3.2, Vulkan 1.2, and the VPU can handle H.265, H.264, VP9, and VP8 encoding/encoding at up to 4K.
As RISC-V is still (for now) a developer-orientated platform an 8-pin port with GPIO pins is accessible on the side of this device.
Ports-wise, the DC-ROMA RISC-V Laptop II offers a pair of USB 3.0; a pair of USB Type-C (only 1 is full-function); and a flush microSD card slot.
There’s a 3.5mm audio jack, reset and fastboot ‘pin hole’ buttons, a 1080p webcam, and Wi-Fi 6 & Bluetooth 5.2 are onboard.
Ubuntu ships as the default OS on this laptop, but it is a custom version of Ubuntu 23.10.
Official support for Ubuntu 23.10 ends July 11, 2024. Will an LTS upgrade be available at some point to help ensure the longevity (and security) of it? Let’s hope!
How Does Ubuntu on RISC-V Perform?
The big question for most of us is how well Ubuntu runs on RISC-V.
One thing to keep in mind (lest expectations run wild) is that while the RISC-V SoC powering the DC-ROMA RISC-V Laptop II sounds powerful on paper it is a chip aimed at single-board, industrial usage, and edge computing, not driving traditional desktop experiences.
That does’t meant it can’t, of course, but a kernel, GUI stack, and multiple apps running is a more demanding use-case than a headless server.
We do have some benchmarks for the SpacemiT K1 derived from other devices, like the Banana Pi BPI-F3, using it. Single-core performance is said to be around 1.3x the performance of an ARM Cortex-A55, far better than previous offerings.
Additionally, the DC-ROMA RISC-V laptop II may be a rebranded SpacemiT K1 Muse Book, which launched in China earlier this year. Chassis, ports, and SoC appear identical, though the Muse Book has 32GB eMMC but no eMMC is listed in DC-ROMA II specs.
For basic, non-demanding consumer computing (web browsing, emails, light office) this RISC-V SoC appears like it’ll serviceable. But anyone after more bang for their buck will find RISC-V a more RISC-ier purchase than a traditional Intel device.
However, it is vital that accessible, performant (and ideally affordable) RISC-V hardware gets made. It’s what will enable open-source developers the chance ‘kick the tyres’, build support, port things over, optimise frameworks, and generally push the limits.
It’s unfeasible for a newer, open-source chip design like RISC-V to go toe to toe with processor technologies that have been around for and refined for decades. Progress has a starting point.
Which is precisely why DeepComputer are selling this, and why Canonical, as seen last month, is eager to position Ubuntu as the reference Linux OS for RISC-V ecosystem:
“This development showcases the adaptability and robustness of Ubuntu [and[ Canonical’s commitment to the RISC-V ecosystem. Our vision with DeepComputing is that we are not just collaborating on a product, we are igniting a movement towards an environment where open standards and collaboration can thrive.”
Gordan Markuš, Director of Silicon Alliances at Canonical
Pre-order the DC-ROMA RISC-V Laptop II
Anyone attending the RISC-V Summit 2024 in Munich, Germany will be able to go hands-on with this RISC-V laptop, as DeepComputing is in attendance.
If you think you’d like to buy one, pre-orders open on June 18.
DeepComputer’s 2nd, and significantly faster DC-ROMA may cost significantly less than the 1st-gen model – which sold for $1k+
More details on the product webpage.
No price (as of writing) but the first-generation model retailed at £800/$1022. Since this is an improved model it would be normal for the successor price point to sit somewhere in that region.
Or, given that the price of the 1st-gen model has been reduced to £600/$800 this week (update: since lowered to $400), the new one should cost more than that.
And yet, the aforementioned Muse Book I said this laptop appears identical (bar branding) too? That costs $300 in China. DeepComputer’s 2nd-gen, significantly faster DC-ROMA may cost significantly less than the 1st-gen model.
Not that a ‘lower price’ would be be hard given the ludicrously high price the original sold for. But it’d be welcome; a low price point will make it a tempting purchase for curious devs who, in turn, would do much to bolster the burgeoning RISC-V Linux community.