Because fixing the ACPI tables in proprietary BIOS/firmware is impossible for end-users, the Linux kernel community developed a pragmatic solution: . The standard ASoC driver for ESSX8336 ( sound/soc/intel/boards/bytcht_es8316.c ) was extended and adapted. Developers like Pierre-Louis Bossart and the community at the Linux Audio User Group (LAU) reverse-engineered the correct hardware configurations.
If you are searching for this ID, it is likely because you see an entry labeled in your Windows Device Manager with a yellow exclamation mark. When you check the properties, the "Hardware IDs" list contains ACPI\ESSX8336 . acpi essx8336
In simpler terms:
The hardware ID refers to the Everest Semiconductor ES8336 (also known as the ESSX8336) low-power audio codec. This chip is commonly found in modern budget laptops and tablets, such as the Huawei Matebook series, Chuwi devices, and various Intel Gemini Lake or Tiger Lake platforms. Because fixing the ACPI tables in proprietary BIOS/firmware
This usually occurs after a clean install of Windows (Windows 10 or Windows 11) or a major feature update. Microsoft's generic driver library (Windows Update) does not natively include drivers for the ES8336 codec because it is a relatively niche chip used mostly by specific Chinese laptop OEMs. Without the specific driver, Windows knows something is there (via the ACPI ID) but doesn't know it is an audio device, so it classifies it as "Unknown." If you are searching for this ID, it
In standard laptops, ACPI for audio follows the "Intel HDA" standard. However, the ESSX8336 uses the Simple Audio Bus (SoundWire or I²S), which relies on a different subsystem in the Linux kernel called . For ASoC to work, the ACPI tables must provide specific properties, such as:
The solution takes the form of a kernel parameter: acpi_quirk_force_es8336 . When this quirk is active, the kernel bypasses the broken ACPI information and injects a correct, hardcoded configuration. For example, on the popular Chuwi Hi10 Plus or Jumper EZpad tablets, users must add this parameter to their bootloader (GRUB) configuration. The kernel then correctly maps the codec to the I²S bus, sets the proper GPIO for the speaker amplifier, and initializes the audio routes.