Independent Linux benchmarks reveal that China's Loongson 3B6000 12-core processor significantly underperforms compared to AMD's Ryzen 5 9600X, highlighting ongoing challenges in domestic chip development. The tests, conducted on a basic evaluation board, underscore the impact of the Loongson's lower clock speeds. Despite advances in multi-core design, the chip remains far from matching mainstream Western processors.
The Loongson 3B6000, a 12-core processor developed in China, has entered independent Linux benchmarks for the first time, providing insight into the nation's push for technological self-sufficiency. Typically reserved for government and controlled systems to minimize dependence on foreign technology, this chip reached the Phoronix testing site via the Loongson Hobbyists Community.
Benchmarks were performed on a micro-ATX evaluation board known as the 3B6000x1-7A2000x1-EVB, which features basic memory support and a standard Linux environment. The tests covered a range of workloads, from synthetic CPU evaluations to applications involving vector instructions akin to AVX-512.
With a clock speed of about 2.5GHz, the Loongson 3B6000 falls short of the 5GHz capabilities seen in contemporary AMD and Intel desktop chips. In comparisons, it was consistently outpaced by the six-core, twelve-thread AMD Ryzen 5 9600X. Across the Phoronix suite, the Loongson averaged roughly three times slower performance, often ranking at the bottom except in select niche tasks.
The processor did outperform the quad-core ARM chip in the Raspberry Pi 500, positioning it above entry-level hobbyist hardware. These results, published on February 4, 2026, illustrate China's ability to produce advanced multi-core CPUs but also emphasize the substantial gap in overall computing efficiency compared to global standards.
