China’s GPU manufacturers are making significant strides to compete with established global leaders like NVIDIA and AMD in both the AI and consumer markets. Among these emerging players is Lisuan Technology, a Shanghai-based company founded in 2021, which is poised to disrupt the consumer gaming hardware landscape.
Lisuan’s Innovative Approach
Lisuan has recently introduced its 7G106 GPU, marking a notable milestone as the first discrete graphics card to offer compatibility with Windows on ARM. This is particularly significant given that major manufacturers, including Intel with its Arc GPUs, have yet to develop suitable drivers for the ARM-based Windows ecosystem. Users of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chips have been limited to integrated graphics, but Lisuan aims to change this narrative.
Launched in July 2025, the 7G106 is China’s first 6nm GPU designed specifically for gaming. With 12GB of GDDR6 VRAM and support for DirectX 12, it features a sleek blower design that has already garnered attention in the PC gaming community. Following its debut, Lisuan has focused on refining its product, and recent developments suggest promising advancements.
A 26-second video shared on the Chinese platform bilibili showcases the Lisuan 7G106 GPU in action, running on a system powered by a 12-core CP8180 v9 ARM chip from 2024. The benchmark test conducted using 3DMark’s Steel Nomad reveals the GPU’s capabilities within a Windows on ARM environment.
During the demonstration, viewers can observe a DirectX 12 window operating seamlessly, with the Windows Task Manager confirming the hardware’s compatibility. If Lisuan has indeed developed an ARM64 driver for its GPU, this could represent a pivotal moment for gaming on ARM-based systems, particularly within the Chinese GPU market.
Qualcomm’s Response
Meanwhile, Qualcomm is not standing still. In September 2025, the company announced a refresh of its Snapdragon line with the introduction of the Snapdragon X2. This new chip promises substantial performance enhancements for ARM-based Windows 11 PCs, along with improved game compatibility. Additionally, Qualcomm is introducing optimizations through the Snapdragon Control Panel and implementing kernel-level anti-cheat features for competitive gaming.
Despite these advancements, the lack of compatibility with discrete GPUs from NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel remains a significant gap in the market. As Lisuan and Qualcomm continue to innovate, the landscape for ARM-based gaming hardware is set to evolve, potentially reshaping the competitive dynamics in the GPU sector.
