A new Chinese-made Loongson 3B6000 processor, featuring 12 cores, performs approximately three times slower than AMD's six-core Ryzen 5 9600X in Linux benchmarks. The chip's low clock speeds are cited as a primary limitation. This highlights the ongoing performance gap between China's top consumer x86 CPUs and those from Intel and AMD.
The Loongson 3B6000, a 12-core chip developed in China, has been evaluated in Linux benchmarks, revealing significant performance shortcomings compared to established competitors. According to recent tests, it operates roughly three times slower than the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, which has only six cores. This disparity is largely attributed to the Loongson processor's constrained clock speeds, which hinder its overall efficiency.
China's efforts to produce domestic x86-compatible CPUs, like the Loongson series, aim to reduce reliance on foreign technology amid geopolitical tensions. However, the benchmarks underscore that the nation's leading consumer-grade options remain far behind industry leaders such as Intel and AMD in raw performance. The 3B6000 represents one of the more advanced attempts in this space, yet it struggles to match even mid-range alternatives from Western manufacturers.
These results, published on February 3, 2026, by Tom's Hardware, emphasize the technical challenges in closing the gap. While Loongson chips offer potential benefits in sovereignty and customization, their current speed limitations may restrict adoption in demanding applications.