旧事新说 | 龙芯，你还好吗？ (1)

Column Introduction

Time flies, seasons change. The world moves forward, and old stories are revisited with new perspectives. Starting this week, WithNon.com is excited to introduce a brand-new original column — “Old Stories, New Perspectives.” Join us as we look back at events that may seem distant but still have a profound impact on our lives. We believe you will find something fresh and insightful in this journey.

The term "Loongson" has always been a topic of debate. Many people question whether it truly represents independent innovation and if it has any practical use. But what's the real story behind Loongson? In the first episode of “Old Stories, New Perspectives,” we take a closer look at some of the most popular discussions surrounding Loongson.

Is the story about to unfold? What lies ahead?

Loongson is a general-purpose CPU developed independently by the Institute of Computing, Chinese Academy of Sciences. It uses a reduced instruction set, similar to the MIPS architecture. According to official data, the frequency of Loongson 1 was 266MHz, and it was first used in 2002. Loongson 2 reached a maximum frequency of 1GHz. Loongson 3A was the first commercially available 4-core processor in China, operating at 900MHz–1GHz, with a peak computing power of 16GFLOPS. Loongson 3B, the first 8-core commercial processor in China, runs at 1GHz, supports vector acceleration, and has a peak computing power of 128GFLOPS.

Today, Loongson has received support from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Major Knowledge Innovation Project and the National 863 Program. It has passed strict technology assessments, benchmark testing, and product validation, making it ready for mass production. Additionally, it has gained strong backing from local governments and enterprises, with an industrialization base established in Changshu City, Jiangsu Province.

Despite these achievements, Loongson still faces many challenges. Compared to mainstream CPUs, its performance lags significantly, and it is not yet competitive with Intel or AMD processors in the PC market.

Old stories fade, but to those who understand them, they shine like a gem.

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 was approved by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and launched publicly.

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 on Loongson processors. 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.