New Chinese language Loongson chip matches Intel’s 14600K in IPC assessments, overclocked to three GHz with liquid nitrogen
Chinese language chip designer Loongson has finally launched its loong teased “next-generation” 3A6000-series processors primarily based on the LoongArch microarchitecture. IPC assessments confirmed the 3A6000 matching Intel’s Raptor Lake i5-14600K in IPC (directions per clock), with each chips clocked at 2.5GHz.
In addition to the headlining x86 suitable processor got here the announcement of quite a few companion desktop, laptop computer, and all-in-one machines — plus a consumer-grade motherboard from Asus. It was additionally entertaining to see a recorded overclocking session, which took an LN2-cooled 3A6000 chip to the present most 3 GHz.
Beginning with the fundamentals, the Loongson 3A6000 desktop processor is fabricated utilizing a 14 / 12nm course of and includes a 4-core/8-thread configuration. It runs at clock speeds from 2.0 to 2.5 GHz, consuming as much as 50W. In line with the chip designer, this new CPU has 256KB of L2 cache and 16MB of L3 cache, and nonetheless solely helps DDR4-3200 — like its 4C/4T predecessor, the Loongson 3A5000.
Loongson in contrast its new 3A6000 with Intel 10th Gen and AMD Zen 3 CPUs previous to right now’s official launch. It continues to make comparisons to the higher-clocked 4C/8T Intel Core i3-10100 even now. Be aware that the Core i3-10100F options on our listing of the best budget CPUs, and it options the Comet Lake architecture that was a rehash of the Coffee Lake architecture, which itself was a refresh of the Kaby Lake and Sky Lake architectures.
Chinese language TechTuber Uncle Tony took the Loongson 3A6000 desktop processor for a spin a couple of hours in the past. In his BiliBili video, he examined a pattern on the brand new Asus XC-LS3A6M motherboard. Apparently, the brand new Chinese language CPU could be “simply” overclocked to 2.63 GHz on air. Nevertheless, Uncle Tony pushed issues additional for enjoyable, utilizing liquid nitrogen to coax the CPU to three.0 GHz. In line with the linked ITHome report, 3.0 GHz isn’t going to be an impenetrable barrier for the 3A6000, and it says it thinks issues will enhance sooner or later and signifies that 3.0 GHz is a restrict at present set within the Asus motherboard BIOS.
Common readers most likely received’t be too impressed on the efficiency of the out-of-the-box and overclocked Loongson 3A6000. Pre-launch we noticed it was roughly on par with the Intel Core i3-10100 in SPEC CPU 2006 and UnixBench (at iso-clocks). This isn’t a trivial achievement, if Loongson is certainly reaching this with its personal core IP and Dragon structure, because it claims. Furthermore, even Intel’s Core i5-14600K wasn’t considerably superior in SPEC CPU 2006, when restrained to 2.5 GHz. However IPC is just half the equation, and Intel’s fashionable chips can clock about twice as excessive.
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Uncle Tony confirmed quite a lot of benchmark comparisons between the 3A6000 (and the earlier gen 3A5000) vs the Intel Core i3-10100. He additionally highlighted among the Asus motherboard options, and checked out a couple of video games and apps, earlier than beginning his OC session. As talked about above, the OC enjoyable was muted attributable to a tough restrict within the BIOS, however it’s at all times fairly theatrical to see plumes of LN2 vapor boiling off a CPU.
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The supply studies counsel that future desktop CPUs from Loongson are going to make their best strides through the use of course of refinements. ITHome says China processor makers like Loonson will, sooner or later, “use mature processes to realize the efficiency of Intel and AMD’s superior course of CPUs.”
It will be enjoyable to get a Loongson 3A6000 CPU within the lab, with an acceptable motherboard. Now that it has lastly launched, and with the plethora of companions announcing desktops, laptops, and AiOs, it is possible we can purchase a few of this new Chinese language {hardware} within the coming weeks or months — for science.