Summary
- Loongson Technology is committed to developing independent CPU technology to support national strategic needs, unaffected by foreign sanctions.
- The recently launched 3C6000 processor offers competitive performance with popular mainstream processors, marking a significant advancement in domestic chip production.
- With a growing market presence, Loongson’s products are making inroads in various industries, especially in government procurement initiatives.
Loongson’s Commitment to Independent CPU Development
On October 18, a significant announcement from Wang Songyu, deputy general manager of Loongson Zhongke, shed light on the firm’s future direction. The company is firmly dedicated to pursuing an independent CPU development path that aligns with national strategic objectives, demonstrating resilience against foreign sanctions.
Loongson’s commitment to achieving this goal was underlined during the 20th National Congress, which highlighted ten major scientific and technological achievements where Loongson CPUs played a pivotal role. This endorsement challenges the historical bias that greater autonomy leads to decreased efficiency, paving the way for a trajectory characterized by enhanced autonomy, improved efficiency, and accelerated innovations.
Market Presence and Recent Achievements
Loongson’s impact is notably visible in the Hubei Xinchuang market, with the company surpassing 20,000 cumulative shipments of terminal chips. This accomplishment has positioned Loongson favorably within the province’s market, showcasing a commendable share.
Furthermore, Loongson’s server chips and complete machine products have successfully been integrated across various industry sectors. Particularly impressive is the company’s capture of a 63% market share in Beijing’s 2025 terminal equipment centralized mass procurement project, signaling strong acceptance and trust in its technology.
The Innovative 3C6000 Processor
A standout innovation from Loongson is the domestically produced 3C6000 processor. Hu Weiwu, the chief designer at Loongson, emphasized that the 3C6000’s performance is on par with mainstream products slated for release in 2023 or 2024. This groundbreaking CPU is entirely home-grown, developed without reliance on overseas technology or supply chains.
The 3C6000 is built on the LA664 architecture core, akin to the Loongson 3A6000 desktop processor. It employs a six-emission pipeline, effectively doubling performance compared to its predecessor.
Technical Specifications and Capabilities
The 3C6000’s engineering is notable for its scalability, supporting configurations of up to 16 cores and 32 threads on a single silicon chip. It facilitates multiple direct connections, including dual, four, and eight-way setups.
Employing advanced Dragon Chain interconnection technology and core chip architecture allows for packaging into higher core counts: a configuration of 32 cores and 64 threads with two silicon wafers or 64 cores and 128 threads with four wafers. This architecture also minimizes inter-chip access delays significantly.
Further expanding its capabilities, the 3C6000 supports four-channel DDR4-3200 memory, effectively doubling bandwidth and accommodating up to 64 PCIe 4.0 lanes for enhanced data throughput. Furthermore, it integrates high-performance national encryption and decryption algorithms, with the SM3 bandwidth exceeding an impressive 20Gbps.
Competitive Performance
Recent internal evaluations reveal that the 3C6000/S model, featuring 16 cores and 32 threads, is competitive with Intel’s Xeon 4314 processor, which has similar specifications. Additionally, a dual-silicon packaged version, the 3D6000 (3C6000/D), boasts 32 cores and 64 threads, putting it on par with the Xeon 6338 processor, thereby showcasing Loongson’s capability to produce high-performance CPUs equivalent to established global standards.
Conclusion
Loongson Technology is poised to redefine the landscape of CPU development through its steadfast commitment to independence and innovation. The launch of the 3C6000 processor underscores the company’s efforts to produce world-class chips that meet domestic needs while ensuring robust performance, positioning it as a significant player in the global semiconductor industry. In a rapidly evolving technological environment, Loongson’s advancements mark a critical stride toward achieving self-sufficiency in CPU technology for the future.
