旧事新说 | 龙芯，你还好吗？ (1)

Column Introduction

As seasons change and time flows, the world keeps evolving. In this ever-changing landscape, we revisit past events that still shape our present. Starting this week, WithNon.com is proud to introduce a new original column called "Old Stories, New Perspectives." Join us as we explore and reflect on those moments that once seemed distant but continue to influence us today. We believe there's always something new to discover.

"Loongson" has long been a topic of debate. Many people question whether it represents real innovation or if it has limited practical use. But what's the truth behind the controversy? In the first episode of "Old Stories, New Perspectives," we take a closer look at some of the most talked-about aspects of Loongson and its journey so far.

Is the story still being written?

Loongson is a general-purpose CPU developed independently by the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Computing. It uses a reduced instruction set, similar to MIPS. According to official data, the Loongson 1 had a clock speed of 266MHz and was first used in 2002. The Loongson 2 reached up to 1GHz. Loongson 3A was the first domestically produced 4-core processor, operating at 900MHz to 1GHz, with a peak computing power of 16GFLOPS. Loongson 3B was the first 8-core commercial processor, running at 1GHz, supporting vector acceleration, and achieving a peak performance of 128GFLOPS.

Today, Loongson has received support from major projects such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Key Innovation Program and the National 863 Plan. It has passed rigorous testing and is now ready for commercial production. Additionally, it has gained backing from local governments and enterprises, with an industrial base established in Changshu, Jiangsu Province.

Despite these achievements, Loongson still faces challenges. Its performance lags behind mainstream CPUs, making it difficult to compete with Intel or AMD in the PC market.

Old stories fade away, but to some, the dragon shines bright.

In May 2001, under the support of the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Knowledge Innovation Project, the Loongson research team was officially established.

In August 2002, the first Loongson 1 chip, XIA50, was successfully fabricated.

In September 2002, the Loongson 1 passed the evaluation organized by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and was officially launched.

In October 2003, the first Loongson 2 chip, MZD110, was successfully fabricated.

In September 2004, after multiple improvements, the Loongson 2C chip, DXP100, was successfully fabricated.

In March 2006, the enhanced version of Loongson 2, CZ70, was successfully fabricated.

In October 2006, China and France signed a strategic cooperation agreement between the Chinese Academy of Sciences and STMicroelectronics regarding the Loongson processor. President Hu Jintao of China and President Jacques Chirac of France attended the signing ceremony together.

In July 2007, the Loongson 2F (code name PLA80) was successfully fabricated. It was the first product chip of Loongson.

In March 2008, Beijing Loongson Technology Service Center Co., Ltd. was officially established, marking the beginning of Loongson's industrial development.