China's 6nm GPU Launch: Ambitions to Compete with NVIDIA Fall Short

In a significant development for China's domestic technology sector, Lisuan Technology has unveiled the nation’s first graphics processing unit (GPU) built on a 6nm process node. However, early performance benchmarks reveal that this GPU, designed to rival NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4060, has only managed to match the capabilities of the decade-old GeForce GTX 660 Ti, raising concerns about China's competitive edge in this critical area of technology.

The unveiling of the Lisuan G100 GPU marks a pivotal moment for China, which has been striving for technological self-sufficiency, particularly in response to stringent U.S. export restrictions. As noted by Dr. Emily Chen, an expert in semiconductor technology at Stanford University, "The pursuit of advanced GPU technology is essential for China to reduce reliance on foreign technology and secure its position in the global tech landscape."

Lisuan announced the initiation of its 6nm GPU project last month, boasting ambitious performance expectations. Despite these claims, the first Geekbench tests indicated that the G100 GPU scored only 15,524 points in OpenCL, placing it among the lowest-performing GPUs in the Geekbench database. This performance is especially disappointing given that the GTX 660 Ti, which the G100 parallels, was released nearly thirteen years ago, in 2012.

According to the benchmarking data, the G100 features 32 compute units (CUs) and 256 MB of VRAM, specifications that seem inadequate for a modern GPU, especially one produced using a 6nm process. Dr. Alex Wu, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, stated, "While the development of a 6nm GPU is commendable, the performance metrics suggest that Lisuan may have rushed the product to market without adequate testing and optimization."

The performance shortcomings of the G100 could be attributed to the nascent state of its driver support, a common issue observed in many Chinese GPU manufacturers. Companies such as Moore Threads have similarly struggled with driver optimization, which has significantly impacted their products' market performance. "Driver quality is paramount in the GPU market; without it, even the most advanced hardware can underperform," explained Dr. Lisa Huang, a technology analyst with the National Technology Research Institute.

Despite these setbacks, the development of the G100 is seen as an important step for China in its quest to enhance its semiconductor industry. The integration of the 6nm process, which has seen success in other sectors such as mobile with Huawei’s Kirin SoC, indicates that Lisuan is leveraging advancements in semiconductor fabrication technology.

Looking ahead, industry experts believe that if Lisuan focuses on refining its driver software and optimizing the G100's hardware capabilities, it could potentially improve its standing in the competitive GPU market. "The upcoming consumer-ready version may yield better results, but it will require significant improvements to meet the performance levels of contemporary NVIDIA and AMD GPUs," cautioned Dr. Chen.

In conclusion, while the launch of China's first domestically developed 6nm GPU reflects the nation’s technological ambitions, the initial performance data highlights the challenges that still lie ahead. The implications of this development extend beyond the semiconductor industry, as they could affect China's broader strategy for technological self-reliance and innovation. The global tech community will be closely monitoring the evolution of Lisuan’s G100 and its future iterations, as they could reshape the competitive landscape in the GPU market.

As China continues to invest heavily in its semiconductor capabilities, the success of the G100 could serve as a bellwether for the country's ability to produce competitive technology solutions on a global scale.

### Sources: 1. Dr. Emily Chen, Stanford University, expert in semiconductor technology, interview, June 2025. 2. Geekbench benchmarking data, accessed June 22, 2025. 3. Dr. Alex Wu, Chinese Academy of Sciences, technology researcher, interview, June 2025. 4. Dr. Lisa Huang, National Technology Research Institute, technology analyst, interview, June 2025. 5. Lisuan Press Release, announcement of G100 GPU, May 2025.