In a move that could shake up the graphics card market, Chinese chipmaker Loongson has announced its next-generation 9A2000 graphics card. This card, according to the company, aims to deliver performance comparable to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, a high-end GPU that debuted in 2018. This would represent a significant leap forward for Loongson, whose current 9A1000 GPU is roughly eight to ten times slower.
However, there’s a major catch. While the 9A2000 could potentially achieve the same raw performance as the GeForce RTX 2080, the question of DirectX 12 compatibility remains unanswered. DirectX 12 is a crucial graphics API used in many modern games, and its absence could lead to significant performance discrepancies in certain titles, even if the card reaches the targeted benchmark. This is a challenge Loongson faces, mirroring the situation with other Chinese GPU companies like Moore Threads.
Loongson is also developing a more entry-level GPU, the 9A1000, which is intended to deliver performance comparable to the Radeon RX 550. The company has been asked about the 9A2000’s ability to run the highly anticipated game “Black Myth: Wukong.” While Loongson has stated that the game could theoretically run, the actual performance will depend on software support and driver development.
Loongson’s ambitions extend beyond graphics cards. The company is also developing processors to compete with AMD and Intel for Windows PCs. This aggressive expansion into the CPU and GPU markets could significantly impact the tech landscape, particularly if Loongson can overcome the challenges it faces. The success of a Chinese company in this arena would undoubtedly bring about a dramatic change in the PC gaming world.
