China Reclaims World's Fastest Supercomputer Title Despite US Chip Restrictions

Executive Briefing

• Surpasses US-built El Capitan on TOP500 rankings, marking China's return to number one since 2018
• Achieves first-ever 2,000 exaflop milestone, running 20 percent faster than the second-place system
• Bypasses GPU restrictions by using ~45,000 CPU-based LX2 processors with 304 cores each
• Draws 42.2 megawatts of power, significantly less efficient than El Capitan's 29.7 megawatts
• Signals China's capability to innovate around US export controls and chip tariffs imposed by the Trump administration