Loongson CPU that performs like 2020 Core i3 makes its way to Chinese mini PCs
Loongson's current-generation 3A6000 processor, one of the fastest designed and made in China for consumers, is now available in a line of mini PCs.
The computers are made by Morefine, which terms its Loongson-powered small desktop offering the M700S. It has pretty standard specs that fit its ¥2,799 (just under $400) price tag: 16GB of DDR4-3200, a 256GB PCIe 3.0 SSD, Wi-Fi 5, and Bluetooth 5. The PC runs Loongson's Loongnix operating system, which is based on Linux.
The real draw for this computer, though, is the CPU, which is Loongson's 3A6000 that debuted last year. The 3A6000's LoongArch architecture takes cues from RISC-V and MIPS, which Loongson used for its prior CPUs. However, LoongArch might be more heavily based on MIPS than Loongson lets on, as one developer calls the Linux kernel code for LoongArch CPUs "a blind copy of the MIPS code."
With a modest four cores and eight threads running at clock speeds between 2.0 and 2.5 GHz, the 3A6000 doesn't set the world on fire. The limited number of reviews of the 3A6000 indicate it's only about as good as Intel's Core i3-10100 and AMD's Ryzen 3 3100, both of which launched in 2020 and have four cores and eight threads. The latest entry-level chips from the two American companies would undoubtedly outclass the 3A6000 substantially.
