Introduction
RISC-V, an open-source Instruction Set Architecture (ISA), continues to make significant strides in the tech world, especially on the software front. 2024 marked a year of impressive progress with numerous updates, including key improvements in Linux kernel support, toolchains, and new targets. However, despite these advancements, RISC-V hardware remains relatively underwhelming, with high-performance options remaining scarce.
This article looks back at the RISC-V ecosystem in 2024, analyzing the significant developments and challenges that lie ahead for this innovative technology.
Brief Overview of RISC-V in 2024
- Software Advancements: Linux kernel support for RISC-V saw major improvements, enhancing its software ecosystem.
- Security Vulnerabilities: New vulnerabilities, such as GhostWrite, were discovered, impacting the performance of RISC-V CPUs.
- RISC-V in Consumer Devices: Canonical and Framework Computer teased upcoming RISC-V laptops.
- NVIDIA’s Expansion: NVIDIA is estimated to have shipped over a billion RISC-V cores in their 2024 products.
- Hardware Shortcomings: Performance benchmarking for widely available RISC-V hardware, like the VisionFive 2, highlighted slow speeds compared to popular alternatives like Raspberry Pi.
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RISC-V Software: A Year of Achievements
2024 was a banner year for RISC-V in terms of software. Major milestones were achieved, particularly with Linux kernel support and toolchain updates. Linux kernel patches have significantly improved the compatibility of RISC-V systems, making it easier for developers to deploy and optimize RISC-V-based software.
Key improvements were made in areas like compiler support, with Rust gaining ground in the Linux kernel. Additionally, the release of Linux 6.8, 6.9, and 6.10 introduced several features that further enhanced the performance and functionality of RISC-V systems. For example, Linux 6.8 added support for RISC-V vector-accelerated crypto routines, while Linux 6.10 introduced kernel-mode floating point unit (FPU) support, enabling display support for newer AMD GPUs on RISC-V platforms.
Moreover, the rise of new RISC-V operating systems, such as the Redox OS, demonstrated the expanding ecosystem. Redox OS, a Rust-based open-source OS, successfully brought RISC-V support to its platform, opening new avenues for software development.
RISC-V Hardware: Still a Work in Progress
Despite the strides in software, RISC-V hardware remained a challenge in 2024. While there were several notable announcements and developments, hardware performance still lagged behind competitors like the Raspberry Pi. The VisionFive 2, one of the most widely available RISC-V boards, struggled to meet expectations, falling behind the popular Raspberry Pi in terms of performance.
SiFive’s HiFive Premier P550 developer board, which was expected to be a game-changer for the RISC-V ecosystem, was delayed throughout 2024. While it eventually started shipping, the lack of review samples and performance benchmarks has made it difficult to assess its full potential.
On the higher-end side, Milk-V’s higher core count options were similarly delayed, preventing them from gaining traction in the market. These issues have left RISC-V enthusiasts and developers craving more powerful and readily available hardware options.
Key RISC-V Hardware Developments in 2024
- SiFive HiFive Premier P550: The Premier P550 was announced as a promising RISC-V developer board but faced delays throughout the year. SiFive has since shipped the board, though the lack of performance reviews has hampered its reception.
- NVIDIA’s Adoption of RISC-V: NVIDIA continued to expand its use of RISC-V cores in its products, with an unofficial estimate of one billion RISC-V cores shipping in 2024. This marks a significant adoption of RISC-V in NVIDIA’s GPUs and other components.
- Framework Laptop with RISC-V Option: Framework Computer revealed plans for a RISC-V motherboard for its popular Framework Laptop 13. Though not yet released, the motherboard would offer a new option for developers seeking a portable RISC-V system.
- Milk-V’s Higher Core Count Options: Milk-V teased higher-core count RISC-V processors, but delays in hardware availability have kept these options out of the hands of users.
Security Concerns: GhostWrite Vulnerability
A significant concern in the RISC-V community in 2024 was the discovery of the GhostWrite vulnerability, which affects RISC-V CPUs. Security researchers from the CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security revealed the issue, which impacts certain processors. The vulnerability leads to a drastic performance hit—around 77%—when mitigated, raising concerns for performance-sensitive applications.
This revelation serves as a reminder that, while RISC-V offers great flexibility and potential, the architecture is still maturing, and security vulnerabilities must be addressed to ensure its robustness in real-world applications.
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RISC-V’s Growing Presence in Consumer Devices
RISC-V made waves in the consumer electronics sector in 2024, with notable companies announcing RISC-V-powered devices. Canonical, the maker of Ubuntu, announced the DC-ROMA RISC-V Laptop II, an octa-core RISC-V laptop that will soon ship with Ubuntu Linux. This laptop is a significant step in bringing RISC-V into the consumer market, offering users a new option for portable computing.
The Framework Laptop 13 will include a RISC-V motherboard. This expands RISC-V’s reach into the consumer market. DeepComputing is developing the motherboard in partnership with Framework. It will feature a quad-core StarFive JH7110 processor. Developers and RISC-V enthusiasts will benefit from this option.
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for RISC-V?
RISC-V has a promising future in 2025. The software ecosystem continues to improve. More operating systems, tools, and kernel support are in development. These advancements make RISC-V more competitive with established architectures. The focus now shifts to delivering faster, more efficient hardware.
On the hardware side, however, the challenge remains. Although RISC-V’s open-source nature allows for a wide range of customizations and use cases, the lack of high-performance, widely available hardware continues to hinder the adoption of RISC-V for mainstream consumers.
As more companies like SiFive, NVIDIA, and others push forward with new RISC-V chips and systems, 2025 could see a turning point in the availability of faster, more feature-rich hardware. Until then, developers and early adopters will continue to push the boundaries of RISC-V through software innovation, contributing to the evolution of this promising architecture.
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Conclusion
In summary, 2024 was a year of substantial progress for RISC-V on the software side, with enhanced kernel support, new operating system ports, and improved toolchains.
However, hardware developments remained slower than anticipated, with limited high-performance options available for mainstream users.
As we move into 2025, the hope is that RISC-V will continue to grow in both software and hardware, eventually achieving the high-performance benchmarks that its software ecosystem has already set in motion.
