It is now 2025, and Loongson has suddenly introduced an entry-level graphics card, with performance comparable to AMD’s RX550 released in 2017, which is somewhat unimpressive!
Looking into the development history of Loongson products, they began laying the groundwork for GPU products as early as 2016, primarily aiming to complement their CPU products and address the instability of imported GPU chip supplies.
Loongson hopes to create a system advantage through independent R&D of CPUs and GPUs, which can solve system compatibility issues while significantly reducing system costs, achieving a win-win situation.
The ideal is beautiful, but the reality is harsh.
It wasn’t until 2020 that Loongson developed its first GPU chip—LG100, primarily paired with the Loongson 2K2000 processor and serving as a bridge chip for the Loongson 7A2000, with performance close to AMD’s R5 230 (which has long been discontinued).
However, starting anything, even if it’s a rough beginning, is still a start; everything is difficult at the beginning! As Zhang Rujing from SMIC said: “Don’t be afraid of being slow, just be afraid of standing still.”
Subsequently, Loongson iteratively developed LG110 and LG120, significantly improving performance and rasterization accuracy.
Why is it so difficult for Loongson to develop GPUs?
It is important to note that Loongson’s GPU design is entirely self-developed from scratch, without relying on foreign IP. According to Hu Weiwu, chairman of Loongson Technology, the fundamental way out for China’s information industry lies in building a third ecological system independent of the X86 architecture and ARM system; a towering tree must have its own “roots”!
Huawei is a stark example; in 2019, Huawei’s chips were cut off, 5G was cut off, Google software agreements were cut off, the Android operating system was cut off, and the Wi-Fi Alliance was also cut off. Yet, Huawei managed to rewrite the rules of the game!
When the chips were cut off, they turned to domestic SMIC, using a 24-step N+1 process to manufacture chips locally without relying on TSMC. When 5G was cut off, they simply did not showcase 5G signals, but the actual signal strength and speed reached 5.5G! When the Android operating system was cut off, the HarmonyOS gathered thousands of developers, forming a tripartite balance with Apple’s iOS and Android, and as for Wi-Fi, Huawei, being a communications company, naturally wouldn’t be troubled.
Returning to Loongson (talking about Huawei is hard to stop, they really have it tough!)
After entering 2021, with the development of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, the market’s demand for big data processing has become increasingly strong. Loongson also promptly adjusted its strategy, initiating the design of the second generation LG200, with an overall design approach shifting from graphics processing-centered design to computation-centered design.
In the future, Loongson will also launch a brand new 9A series, with the initial 9A1000 expected to complete tape-out within this quarter, and the official release scheduled for 2026. Although its performance is somewhat “lacking”—only comparable to RX550, it also integrates shaders, video encoding/decoding, and basic AI inference capabilities, making it sufficient for an entry-level graphics card.
Of course, in terms of ecology, although Loongson is self-developed, it also fully embraces the CUDA ecosystem, as NVIDIA’s CUDA ecosystem is a significant mountain that developers cannot avoid. It is worth noting that NVIDIA currently occupies over 94% of the global GPU market, while AMD holds about 5%-6%, and the remaining less than 1% is like spectators on the sidelines, not even qualifying as “substitutes”.
However, as the saying goes, even if it is a rough start, it is still a start. I hope our country can persevere in the field of chips, just like the initial development of atomic bombs and Beidou, to forge a substantial barrier that belongs to our nation!
That’s all.
Written by | Twilight Micro Dawn
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References:
Sina Finance: “China’s Information Industry Must Have Its Own ‘Roots’ – Interview with Hu Weiwu of Loongson Technology”
Financial Link: “Loongson Technology: The First GPGPU Chip 9A1000 Will Complete Tape-Out in the Third Quarter”
Remarkable Cloud Computing: “Loongson Releases Future Three Generations of GPGPU Graphics Card Plans: From Entry-Level to High-End, Fully Compatible with CUDA”
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