Loongson Technology has announced the Loongson 3C3000, a 16-core server processor built on the company’s homegrown LoongArch instruction set architecture, targeting low-cost small and medium business servers for file storage, databases, and web hosting.
The 3C3000 uses Loongson’s LA364E core design running at 1.5 GHz to 1.8 GHz with 16 physical cores and 16 threads. It supports 128-bit vector instructions and three-issue out-of-order execution. Each core includes two fixed-point units, one vector unit, and two memory access units. The chip draws approximately 40 watts at 1.5 GHz.
Memory support covers two DDR4-2400 ECC channels, and the processor provides up to 32 PCIe lanes. A 16 MB shared L2 cache sits on-die. The chip comes in an FCBGA1371 package measuring 37.5 mm by 37.5 mm and is pin-compatible with the larger Loongson 3B6000, which could let system makers reuse existing board designs.
Loongson says the 3C3000’s general-purpose computing performance matches its earlier 3C5000 server processor while offering a smaller and more efficient platform. The company positions the chip below its 3C6000 server family, it is not intended to compete with Xeon or EPYC on raw throughput, but rather to serve cost-sensitive deployments where local platform support, modest power draw, and reliability matter more.
The processor includes a Loongson-developed security and trust module with support for Chinese national cryptographic standards (SM2, SM3, SM4). Compatibility with China’s domestic hardware and software ecosystem, including Kylin OS and the broader LoongArch software stack, is one of the chip’s primary selling points.
Loongson has not announced public pricing. Server processors in this class are typically sold through system builders and enterprise agreements rather than retail channels.