Russian Startup Unveils Cyrillic-Badged Loongson Processors in Sanctions Circumvention Attempt

Russian microelectronics startup Tramplin Electronics has unveiled what it claims are domestically developed Irtysh processors, but industry analysts suggest these are actually rebranded Chinese Loongson CPUs with Cyrillic inscriptions.

(Image credit: Tramplin Electronics)

The company announced it has obtained engineering samples of its Irtysh C616 (16-core) and Irtysh C632 (32-core) processors based on the LoongArch instruction set architecture licensed from Chinese CPU developer Loongson. The specifications and packaging match Loongson's LS3C6000 series CPUs exactly, indicating these are likely re-badged products rather than genuinely Russian-developed processors.

Technical Specifications Mirror Chinese Designs

The Irtysh processors feature specifications identical to their Loongson counterparts:

• Irtysh C616: 16 cores at 2.20 GHz, 32MB L3 cache, quad-channel DDR4-3200 memory, 844.8 GFLOPS, 100W-120W TDP
• Irtysh C632: 32 cores at 2.10 GHz, 64MB L3 cache, octa-channel DDR4-3200 memory, 1612.8 GFLOPS, 180W-200W TDP
• Irtysh C664: 64 cores (announced but not yet sampled)

These processors are based on the LA664 microarchitecture featuring 6-way out-of-order execution, simultaneous multi-threading (SMT), 128-bit vector processing (LSX), and 256-bit advanced vector processing (LASX) extensions.

Timeline Raises Development Questions

The timing of Tramplin's announcement raises significant questions about the company's development claims. Tramplin Electronics was registered on April 4, 2025, making it less than 11 months old at the time of this announcement. Industry experts note that developing a processor from scratch, even with a licensed instruction set architecture, finding a production partner, completing physical design, taping out, and obtaining samples typically requires several years for established semiconductor companies.

Sanctions Context and Market Implications

Russia's inability to legally obtain high-performance x86 processors from AMD and Intel due to US sanctions has created a significant gap in the country's computing infrastructure. The Irtysh processors represent an attempt to fill this void through alternative sourcing strategies.

Tramplin Electronics claims several advantages for its processors, including a proprietary boot environment, high energy efficiency, stable production, and uninterrupted supply. The company also states it operates its own design center focused on developing domestic IP blocks and maintains a broad ecosystem, though specific details about these developments remain unclear.

The Irtysh Naming Connection

Interestingly, the processors are named after the Irtysh River, whose source is located in China. This geographical connection adds an ironic dimension to the processors' origins, as they appear to be Chinese-designed chips with Russian branding.

Industry Analysis and Future Outlook

The unveiling of these processors highlights the challenges faced by countries under semiconductor sanctions and the creative approaches being employed to circumvent restrictions. While the technical specifications suggest these are capable processors that could serve sovereign data centers and HPC applications, the rebranding strategy raises questions about transparency and the true state of Russia's domestic semiconductor capabilities.

As Russia continues to seek alternatives to Western technology, the success of such initiatives will likely depend on the availability of Chinese components and the ability to maintain supply chains despite ongoing geopolitical tensions.

For more information on the original announcement, visit Tramplin.Media.