China's LineShine supercomputer overtakes US to become world's fastest

China's new LineShine supercomputer has claimed the top spot on the TOP500 list, surpassing the United States' El Capitan. The system uses about 45,000 LX2 CPUs—each with 304 cores at 1.55 GHz—linked by a high‑speed LingQi network. It is the first machine to exceed the 2,000 exaflop barrier and delivers roughly 20 % higher performance than the previous leader.

LineShine was built without GPUs and consumes 42.2 megawatts of power, notably higher than El Capitan’s 29.7 megawatts, reflecting lower energy efficiency. Its development demonstrates China’s ability to advance high‑performance computing despite U.S. export restrictions on advanced chips.

The achievement signals a shift in the global high‑performance computing landscape, with China reclaiming the title of the world's fastest supercomputer for the first time since 2018.