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Popular Chinese CPU manufacturer Loongson is set to enter the GPU market soon. Its first chip, the 9A1000, will be taped out in the coming months.
Loongson’s First GPU Is a Huge Development For Them, But It Would Barely Keep Up With AMD’s Radeon RX 550
The Chinese domestic market is rapidly seeking alternatives to meet consumer requirements. Loongson has decided to capitalize on this opportunity, announcing the tape-out of its debut GPU, the 9A1000, expected in the third quarter. This development highlights how Chinese manufacturers are accelerating their release timelines for computing products amid the ‘Made in China’ hype in sectors like AI.
According to a report by ITHome, the Loongson 9A1000 will be the company’s first GPU chip, with rumors suggesting the next iteration, the 9A2000, is on the horizon. The 9A1000 is expected to support OpenGL 4.0 and OpenCL ES 3.2 APIs, offering decent performance. Tape-out has reportedly brought about a 5x performance improvement with 70% lower power consumption under stress conditions.
While these developments are promising, the 9A1000 is claimed to barely compete with AMD’s Radeon RX 550 in terms of GPU capabilities. The AMD counterpart is an eight-year-old product. For Loongson, the 9A1000 will mark their entry into the GPU segment, but mainstream competition remains years away. Future variants like the 9A2000 and 9A3000 are planned, though specific release dates are unknown.
When it comes to consumer GPUs, China hasn’t had the best track record in replacing NVIDIA or AMD. However, the country has been pursuing domestic solutions like the Lisuan G100, the first Chinese 6nm GPU.
