Loongson releases next-generation CPU

Chinese company Loongson released its next-generation computer central processing unit (CPU) 3A6000 in Beijing on Tuesday. The CPU is self-designed with key indexes comparable to those of global mainstream products, which observers said marked China's new breakthrough in the design of domestic CPUs.

The Loongson 3A6000 processor uses a fourth-generation LoongArch, an instruction set architecture (ISA) processor. It is manufactured using 12-nanometer technology and features a quad-core design, with an operating frequency of 2.5GHz. It adopts a domestic instruction system and structure, and it belongs to a new generation of general-purpose processors that are self-developed and technologically controllable.

The Loongson 3A6000 is comparable to the Intel Core i3-10100 and AMD Ryzen 3 3100 CPUs in certain key functions, according to tech website Wccf tech.

"The release shows that domestic CPUs have reached a new height in self-sufficiency and performance. It also demonstrates that China is capable of producing first-class products based on a proprietary CPU structure," Shi Huikang, an official of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, told media outlets.

Multiple Chinese computer brands, including Lenovo, Tongfang, Ipason, Founder and Hair, have launched new computer series based on the Loongson 3A6000 processor.

Loongson announced on Tuesday broader cooperation with 10 companies by authorizing the licensing of its Loongson CPU core intellectual property and LoongArch, which aims to build a LoongArch ecosystem with its partners, according to media reports.

 

Amid tech decoupling sought by certain Western countries, there are growing demands for China's computer industry to seek new solutions. After years of development, Loongson's CPUs can fit the industry's needs of supply chain security and performance, Ma Jihua, a telecom analyst at Beijing Daojing Consultant Co, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

 

Loongson's development in the chip industry depends on two major factors - whether the company can have access to technologies and manufacturing equipment, and whether it can find enough partners in its ecosystem.

If the computer industry buys enough of Loongson's products, it can cut the cost of the chip and generate demand for future upgrades, Ma said.

China has made tremendous efforts to achieving tech self-sufficiency in the chip sector amid Western blockades. The release of the CPU3A6000 shows the speed at which Chinese companies have been catching up with foreign peers.

The release of the Huawei Mate 60 series on August 30 showed that the high-end smartphone series adopted Kirin 9000S chips, a major breakthrough of the company's development in smartphones.

On November 15, Chinese GPU chip company Moore Threads completed a new round of financing, reportedly in the range of 2-2.5 billion yuan.

The company has released several products, including consumer graphics cards MTT S80 and MTT S70, which are mainly used in the entertainment and creative fields.