Chinese processor Loongson exceeded even the most optimistic forecasts

Chinese processor designer Loongson Technology has reached a major milestone in the country's drive for technological self-sufficiency. The company has shipped more than one million units of its flagship desktop processor, the 3A6000, since its official launch in November 2023. The achievement marks a significant step forward for China's semiconductor industry as Beijing aggressively pushes to replace imported information technology with domestic alternatives.

Photo; Wikipedia

Unlike many other Chinese chips based on Western technologies, the 3A6000 is built on the company's own architecture, called LoongArch. The chip uses its own processor cores and relies exclusively on a domestic manufacturing supply chain, drastically reducing dependence on foreign licenses and technologies.

The company claims that the quad-core processor (with support for 8 threads and a clock speed of up to 2.5 GHz) is comparable to Intel's 2020 desktop processors (such as the 10th Gen Intel Core i3). Although the chip lags noticeably behind the latest models from global giants such as Intel and AMD, it offers more than enough speed for everyday office work, web browsing, and even 4K video editing.

The main buyer of these processors is the government-backed XinChuang program, which aims to replace foreign hardware and software with domestic ones within government departments, the public sector, and critical infrastructure. In these environments, security and independence take precedence over raw, top-notch performance.

Sales are gradually expanding beyond government channels. Mini computers equipped with the 3A6000 processor are already available in China for retail for around €330, demonstrating the emergence of a small but stable commercial market share. In addition to the domestic market, Loongson is also opening the door to exports to countries under Western sanctions, such as Russia and Belarus.