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Loongson Sets 2027 Launch for 3B6600 CPU and 9A1000 GPU

The plan leans on 12nm manufacturing to keep production inside China under export limits.

Overview

  • Loongson told investors its 3B6600 CPU is design-complete with a tape-out planned by the third quarter of 2026, with engineering samples in the second half of 2026 and retail launch in 2027.
  • The 9A1000 graphics chip taped out last year and is now in final stages for delivery, with the company preparing to share tape-out results at its first-half earnings call in August.
  • The 3B6600 uses LoongArch with new LA864 cores for about 30% higher instructions per clock than the prior LA664 design, targets eight cores and 16 threads, supports DDR5 and PCIe 4.0, and aims at single-core performance near Intel’s 12th Gen based on internal SPEC2006 estimates.
  • The 9A1000 is an entry-level GPU positioned near AMD’s Radeon RX 550, with about 25% higher clocks, 20% smaller core area, and 70% lower power than Loongson’s older 2K3000, plus up to 40 TOPS for AI tasks and planned Windows drivers.
  • Both chips are built on a mature 12nm deep ultraviolet node to avoid EUV restrictions and lift yields for China’s market, as Loongson also designs higher-tier 9A2000 and 9A3000 GPUs, explores DRAM and HBM with domestic partners, and builds on momentum from its 3A6000 desktop CPU surpassing one million units shipped.