Linux 7.2-rc2 Raising The Default RISC-V 64-bit CPU Limit To 256 Cores - Phoronix

The Linux 7.2-rc2 release introduces a significant update to RISC-V 64-bit support, raising the default CPU core limit from 64 to 256. This change, initiated by SpacemiT, responds to the growing deman... Read original →

Raising RISC-V’s default NR_CPUS to 256 in Linux 7.2-rc2 marks a strategic inflection, not just a config tweak. Technically, it forces co-evolution across SBI firmware, scheduler logic, and memory subsystems—enabling chips like Sophgo’s SG2042 to operate at full scale. From a compliance standpoint, Chinese firms (SpacemiT, Sophgo) gain leverage to sidestep ARM licensing and U.S. export controls, enhancing supply chain resilience. Competitively, ARM will likely counter with aggressive Neoverse pricing or bespoke server cores, while x86 vendors quietly welcome RISC-V diverting ARM’s focus. Within 18 months, RISC-V server SoCs will shift from proof-of-concept to production-grade, with Ubuntu and ISCAS already validating 256-core stability. This sets a new baseline for datacenter designs, accelerating adoption across mainland China, Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong, China—and finally threatening the x86/ARM duopoly in cloud infrastructure.