Support for China’s local software and hardware ecosystem also appears to be a selling point
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The Loongson 3C3000 — which is based on a 64-bit architecture and supports the LoongArch instruction set — uses the company’s LA364E processor core design and comes in an FCBGA1371 package measuring 37.5mm by 37.5mm. The chip is pin-compatible with the Loongson 3B6000 processor, which should make it easier for system builders to reuse existing platform designs.
The processor features 16 physical cores and 16 threads, with clock speeds ranging from 1.5 GHz to 1.8 GHz. Each core supports 128-bit vector instructions and three-issue out-of-order execution. Loongson says each core integrates two fixed-point units, one vector unit, and two memory access units.
Cache and memory support are modest by modern server standards, but in line with the chip’s low-cost positioning. Each core includes 64KB of private L1 instruction cache and 64KB of private L1 data cache, while all 16 cores share 16MB of L2 cache. The integrated memory controller supports two 72-bit DDR4-2400 memory channels with ECC support, giving the processor server-class error correction for business and infrastructure workloads.
For expansion, the 3C3000 provides two PCIe x16 interfaces, totaling 32 PCIe lanes. These can be split into up to four x4 or x8 interfaces, depending on platform requirements. The chip also includes another PCIe x16 interface that can be configured as LCL (Loongson Coherent Link) for dual-processor interconnection. Other interfaces include SPI, UART, three I2C interfaces, AVS, and 16 GPIOs.
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Loongson lists a typical power consumption of 40W when running at 1.5 GHz. The processor supports dynamic shutdown of the main module clock and dynamic frequency adjustment of the main clock domain, helping reduce power consumption under lighter workloads. It also integrates a Loongson-developed security and trust module that supports Chinese national cryptographic algorithms for encryption and decryption.
Unlike the 36C000, which Loongson says matches Intel’s Xeon , the company is positioning the 3C3000 as a low-cost, high-performance server CPU for customers that need general-purpose compute rather than high-end acceleration or AI performance, slotting it below the higher-core-count 3C6000 server lineup the company launched a year earlier. Support for China’s local software and hardware ecosystem also appears to be a selling point. The company has not publicly disclosed pricing, a common move for server processors, which are often sold through system builders and negotiated enterprise deals rather than as boxed retail chips.
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- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/chinas-loongson-launches-homegrown-16-core-server-cpu-built-on-loongarch-architecture-40w-chip-with-ddr4-ecc-and-32-pcie-lanes-targets-cheap-smb-file-database-and-web-servers#main
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