Godson 1 (Loongson 1), China’s first microprocessor released in 2002 and the 64-bit Godson 2 (Loongson 2) released in 2005 weren’t able to compete against Intel and AMD. However, there are reports that Chinese inventors are developing a new microprocessor called Godson 3.

The Godson 3 processor is a 64-bit quad-core MIPS RISC chip that includes 200 extra instructions which allow to run x86 code on the CPU making it an alternative to Intel and AMD microprocessors. The central processing unit will have integrated DDR2 memory controller and scheduled to arrive in 2009.

There are also reports that an eight core version of the microprocessor is also under development. The eight-core version promises to be a heterogeneous processor like IBM’s Cell which means that not all eight cores have to be the same.

This is going to be a headache for Intel and AMD if the Chinese inventors develop an alternative processor that can compete with their products. Why? The market for computers in China is a booming market and if the Chinese inventors develop an alternative processor, the demand for Intel and AMD chips in China will be severely affected. Not only that, it’ll be a big concern for Western chip makers if the Chinese Government starts marketing their chips outside China.

Well, let’s see how far the Godson 3 will go and if it can really compete with Intel and AMD processors in the future.

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