StarFive Launches Server-Class RISC-V IP to Accelerate Its Strategic Expansion into AI Computing Infrastructure

August 19, 2026 --  StarFive officially launched 昉·天枢-100 (Dubhe-100), a RISC-V processor core designed for the server market. Purpose-built for high-performance computing, Dubhe-100 is designed to meet the rapidly growing demand for computing power driven by emerging applications such as AI agents. Dubhe-100 is one of the first server-class RISC-V CPU IP products in China to reach a deliverable stage. It has already been adopted by customers and has entered the development stage of server CPU chips.

Product Map of StarFive RISC-V CPU IP 

Advanced Microarchitecture Sets a New Benchmark for RISC-V Computing Performance

Dubhe-100 adopts an advanced deep out-of-order execution architecture, featuring a 15-stage pipeline, 6-issue width, and a 256-entry Reorder Buffer (ROB), delivering powerful instruction-level parallelism and high computational efficiency.

In terms of instruction set support, Dubhe-100 strictly complies with the RVA23 specification and is among the first in the industry to implement an advanced out-of-order vector unit based on the RISC-V Vector Extension (RVV). Compared with similar products on the market that support only in-order RVV execution, Dubhe-100 leverages out-of-order issue capabilities to effectively prevent a single long-latency instruction from stalling the pipeline when processing vector-intensive workloads such as AI inference, scientific computing, and cryptography. This significantly improves overall throughput and execution efficiency.

Combined with the Vector Crypto extension and instruction fusion technologies, Dubhe-100 delivers a substantial improvement in pipeline utilization compared with in-order execution architectures.

StarFive Server-Class RISC-V CPU IP Dubhe-100

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• High-performance, commercial-grade RISC-V CPU Core IP

Complete Multi-Core Cluster Delivery, Scalable to 256 Cores

Dubhe-100 is not delivered as an isolated processor core. It comes with a fully integrated multi-core coherent Cluster subsystem, supporting single-core, dual-core, and quad-core configurations, enabling customers to select the configuration that best fits their application requirements.

For interconnect interfaces, Dubhe-100 provides comprehensive support for mainstream bus protocols, including TileLink, AXI, ACE, and CHI. It can also be integrated with StarFive's proprietary coherent Network-on-Chip (NoC) IP, 昉·星路-700 (StarNoC-700). Based on this interconnect architecture, a single die can scale to up to 256 cores, meeting the requirements of server-class applications for large-scale core expansion.

Server-Class Infrastructure IPs Strengthen the Foundation of AI Computing Infrastructure

Alongside the launch of Dubhe-100, StarFive has also introduced two server-class infrastructure IP products, further strengthening its underlying technology stack for AI computing centers.

AIA (Advanced Interrupt Architecture)

Compliant with the RISC-V AIA v1.0 specification, the AIA IP supports up to 16,384 physical Harts, with each physical Hart capable of supporting 63 virtual Harts, and each Hart capable of managing up to 2,048 interrupt IDs. IMSIC provides per-Hart interrupt reception and priority arbitration, while APLIC supports both traditional direct-connected interrupts and MSI forwarding modes . Combined with the MRIF mechanism of IOMMU, virtual machine interrupts can be directly delivered to the target VM's Guest Interrupt File without Hypervisor intervention, significantly improving virtualization efficiency.

IOMMU

Compliant with the RISC-V IOMMU v1.0.1 specification, the IOMMU adopts a distributed architecture consisting of three major components: IOB, IOTLB, and PWC. It supports both Inline and Lookaside integration modes. Address translation supports two-stage translation (GVA → GPA → SPA), with page table sizes ranging from 4 KB to 256 TB. Key functions, including SR-IOV device passthrough, ATS request processing, and MSI address translation, are implemented at the hardware level, effectively reducing software overhead.

Software Ecosystem Ready for Deployment

On the software side, Dubhe-100 has completed comprehensive support for both Type 1 and Type 2 Hypervisors, with full coverage of the RVA23 specification. The Linux operating system and KVM virtualization solution are already running stably on the platform, providing customers with an integrated solution spanning hardware and software.

Early Customer Adoption Accelerates Real-World Deployment

Dubhe-100 was designed for commercial delivery from the very beginning of its development. An Alpha customer is already using the processor core to develop a server CPU chip. Throughout the collaboration, StarFive works closely with customers to address their specific business and application requirements, providing fine-grained microarchitectural optimization and customization services. This approach helps enhance product competitiveness while significantly reducing product development risks.

StarFive has always adhered to the philosophy of “refining IP through real-world applications.” Through close collaboration with customers, StarFive continues to optimize product performance and reliability, accelerating the full commercialization path of RISC-V from processor IP to commercial server CPUs, and committed to delivering globally competitive RISC-V server solutions and providing more diverse computing options for AI computing infrastructure worldwide.

Looking ahead, StarFive will continue to advance its core technologies in RISC-V processors, Network-on-Chip (NoC), IOMMU virtualization, and other key areas. The company will continue to introduce full-stack RISC-V IP, chips, and solutions for AI computing centers, providing an open, efficient, and controllable technology foundation to empower next-generation computing infrastructure in the AI era.