World’s first RISC-V Laptop gets a massive upgrade and equips with Ubuntu

DeepComputing partners with Canonical to unveil a huge boost to the DC-ROMA RISC-V Laptop family 

The DC-ROMA RISC-V Laptop II is the world’s first RISC-V laptop pre-installed and powered by Ubuntu, which is one of the most popular Linux distributions in the world, providing developers with an outstanding mix of usability and reliability, as well as a rich ecosystem with security and support. 

Equipped with octa-core 64-bit RISC-V AI CPU

Adding to a long list of firsts, the new DC-ROMA laptop II is the first to feature SpacemiT’s SoC K1 – with its 8-cores RISC-V CPU running at up to 2.0GHz with 16GB of memory. This significantly doubled its overall performance and energy efficiency over the previous generation’s 4-cores SoC running at 1.5GHz. Moreover, SpacemiT’s SoC K1 is also the world’s first SoC to support RISC-V high performance computing RVA 22 Profile RVV 1.0 with 256 bit width, and to have powerful AI capabilities with its customised matrix operation instruction based on IME Group design principle! 

This second-generation DC-ROMA RISC-V laptop also features an all-metal casing making it more durable, as well as improving heat dissipation and more on its premium class look and feel compared to previous generation.

DeepComputing and Canonical: empowering innovation on RISC-V platforms

Ubuntu is one of the most popular open-source operating systems among developers, renowned for its user-friendly interface, security, and robustness. Canonical believes that open source is the best way to accelerate innovation, and aims to help developers focus on taking their products to market faster by ensuring the stability of underlying frameworks. As RISC-V is becoming a competitive ISA in multiple markets, porting Ubuntu to RISC-V to become the reference OS for early adopters was a natural choice.

Gordan Markuš, Director of Silicon Alliances at Canonical, explains: “The launch of the DC-ROMA II represents a major leap forward for the open-source community. RISC-V laptops will empower everyone, from seasoned developers to novice users, to develop, experiment and innovate for the RISC-V architecture. Additionally, this development showcases the adaptability and robustness of Ubuntu and showcases 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.” 

“In conjunction with Canonical, the arrival of the DC-ROMA RISC-V Laptop II is a significant milestone in our mission to bring innovative and open standards hardware solutions to the market,” added Yuning Liang, Founder and CEO of DeepComputing.

Dr. Zhijian Chen, Founder and CEO of SpacemiT said, “We are thrilled to partner with DeepComputing and Canonical on the launch of the DC-ROMA RISC-V Laptop II. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the RISC-V ecosystem, and we are proud to contribute to a product that not only doubles the performance of its predecessor but also pioneers support for the RISC-V RVA 22 Profile RVV 1.0. We believe this laptop will empower users with unparalleled computing power and efficiency, enabling new possibilities in various applications.”

By bringing together three key RISC-V players, DeepComputing, Canonical and SpacemiT, the stage is set for continued innovation and exploration in the RISC-V universe. The DC-ROMA RISC-V Laptop II with Ubuntu is the ultimate tool for developers, offering unmatched performance, robust and optimised software integration along with cutting-edge hardware. This powerful combination not only enhances productivity and innovation but also fosters a secure and reliable solution and ensures future-proof development. 

“Congratulations to the DeepComputing team on the release of the DC-ROMA RISC-V Laptop II,” said Calista Redmond, CEO of RISC-V International. “Each day, the industry witnesses more and more commercial implementations hitting mass market thanks to the talented and dedicated RISC-V community. I look forward to the industry adoption of RISC-V laptops.” Nathan Egge, Co-chair of RISE Technical Steering Committee also observed: “The DC-ROMA RISC-V Laptop II showcases the incredible potential of RISC-V technology and its growing influence in the tech industry. With support for RVV 1.0, RISE is recommending this laptop as the best RISC-V device available for optimizing upstream open source projects.”

The DeepComputing and Canonical strategic partnership is helping drive RISC-V development to new heights. The DC-ROMA RISC-V Laptop II is the next leap forward to ensure users have the right tools to unleash innovation and turn RISC-V into reality.

The DC-ROMA RISC-V Laptop II will make its debut at the RISC-V Summit Europe 2024 from June 24 to 28. Visitors to Munich will be able to experience the latest generation of RISC-V laptop first hand.

Pre-orders for the DC-ROMA RISC-V Laptop II will open on June 18. If you’d like to be first to get your hands on one, please visit the DeepComputing website for the latest updates.

About Canonical

Canonical, the publisher of Ubuntu, provides open source security, support and services. Their portfolio covers critical systems, from the smallest devices to the largest clouds, from the kernel to containers, from databases to AI. With customers that include top tech brands, emerging startups, governments and home users, Canonical delivers trusted open source for everyone. Learn more at https://canonical.com/.

About DeepComputing

Formed in 2022 by a group of dedicated RISC-V enthusiasts, DeepComputing is a pioneer in RISC-V innovation, leading the way in connecting developer communities, suppliers, tools and systems with the world of RISC-V. We are committed to advancing the adoption and implementation of RISC-V beyond existing ISA chipsets. Together with a diverse and dedicated array of partners, we are focused on driving development of the RISC-V ecosystem through our DeepComputing laptops, pads, workstations, AI speakers and routers, as well as our BravoMonster autonomous remote-control toys and real-world vehicles.