Loongson Technology has announced that its first graphics card, the 9A1000, has completed development and is expected to enter the tape-out stage in the third quarter of this year.
Unlike the gaming graphics cards we are familiar with, the 9A1000 is a General-Purpose Graphics Processing Unit (GPGPU), which is not focused on rendering images but rather utilizes the GPU’s massive parallel computing capabilities to assist the CPU in workload distribution, making it particularly suitable for AI inference, scientific computing, data analysis, and industrial control scenarios.
According to the company’s earnings call records, the 2K3000 launched in June this year has already integrated the self-developed GPU IP LG200, which possesses certain AI inference capabilities and has been adopted by some customers. The upcoming tape-out of the 9A1000 is seen as the company’s first step towards an independent GPGPU. This product targets low cost, with graphics performance only comparable to the AMD Radeon RX 550; future plans include the 9A2000 and 9A3000 to gradually expand the product line.
However, there are still doubts from the outside regarding this chip. Its graphics performance is only comparable to the 2017 AMD RX 550, and the technological gap is evident. Furthermore, due to the immature software drivers and ecosystem, even if the 9A1000 successfully completes tape-out, its actual commercial value may still be questioned.
Overseas Exchange Group
Manufacturing and Testing Group