Lisuan Technology, a Chinese graphics card startup, has announced the completion of its first 6nm graphics card, the G100. The company says the card features an independently designed architecture adn has entered the hardware verification and software integration phase.

According to Lisuan, the G100’s performance is targeted to match that of the Nvidia RTX 4060. This ambition signals China’s increasing capabilities in independent GPU research and growth, pushing into the advanced market segment.

The TrueGPU Architecture

Founded in 2021, Lisuan Technology boasts a founding team with over 25 years of experience in graphics chip development, originating from Silicon Valley, USA. The company’s TrueGPU architecture is designed from the ground up, without relying on external licensing technology. The goal is to establish a local GPU solution with full intellectual property rights.

Lisuan states that the G100 supports mainstream graphics APIs such as DirectX 12, Vulkan 1.3, and OpenGL 4.6. It also incorporates an AI reasoning core and supports NRSS image quality upgrade technology, intended to benchmark against DLSS or FSR functions from international manufacturers.

Development Challenges and Funding

The development of the G100 has not been without its challenges. Originally slated for a 2023 launch, the project faced delays due to funding constraints and supply chain difficulties. The project was nearly halted until Dongxin Semiconductor,Lisuan’s parent company,injected $27.7 million (approximately HK$216 million) in 2024, allowing the company to restart development.

Currently, the G100 has completed preliminary packaging and functional testing. Lisuan is preparing to provide test samples to industry customers, with initial performance data expected before the end of the year. If trial production proceeds smoothly, large-scale mass production is projected to begin in 2026.

Manufacturing and Technical Details

While detailed hardware specifications of the G100 remain undisclosed, sources indicate that the chip utilizes a 6nm process. It is speculated that Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), China’s most advanced wafer foundry, is responsible for manufacturing the chip.

U.S.export restrictions have limited Chinese manufacturers’ access to advanced processes from TSMC or samsung. SMIC’s 6nm process has been previously used on Huawei Ascend 920 chips, leading to speculation that the G100 also originates from this production line.

Performance Expectations and Market Skepticism

Despite Lisuan Technology’s claims that the G100’s performance will match the RTX 4060, some foreign media outlets remain skeptical. The RTX 4060, a mid-range graphics card from Nvidia, holds a significant position in the global market, and no Chinese brand product has yet achieved comparable performance.

Lisuan has stated that it will continue to optimize drivers and adjust performance, aiming to achieve better results through software and hardware integration.

It is extremely difficult to develop a complete own architecture, but it is this technical threshold that makes them steadfast to make efforts at the hardware and software levels at the same time, hoping to fill the gap in China’s high-end consumer GPU market, and ultimately compete head-on with international giants such as Nvidia and AMD.

Future Prospects

Lisuan Technology is currently in the risk trial production stage, with plans to launch a small number of samples for testing in the third quarter. The company emphasizes the difficulty of developing a complete,proprietary architecture but remains committed to hardware and software development to fill the gap in China’s high-end consumer GPU market.

The ultimate goal is to compete directly with international giants like Nvidia and AMD.