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Loongson has finally released the 64-core version of its 3C6000 series processors based on the LoongArch 6000 architecture. Fast Technology reports that the new chip is dubbed the 3E6000, and features performance equivalent to Intel's 80-core Xeon 8380 based on Intel's 2019-era Ice Lake architecture.
The new chip represents the flagship model of Loongson's 3C6000 lineup, which also comprises 16-core, 32-core, and 60-core models. The 64-core 3E6000 sports 64 cores, 128 threads, 32MB of cache, four 72-bit memory channels — featuring quad channel DDR4-3200 support, and a max frequency of 2.2GHz.
To reach these high core counts (relative to China's current manufacturing capabilities), Loongson is using a quad-chiplet layout interlinked with its Loongson Coherent Link (LoongLink) technology to achieve a 64-core configuration. LoongLink is Loongson's equivalent to Intel's mesh interconnect, Nvidia's NVLink, and AMD's Infinity Fabric.
The 3E6000's LoongArch 6000 architecture and LA664 cores allegedly provide 2023-class server performance. According to official Loongson Spec CPU 2017 slides shown by Fast Technology, the 64-core Chinese CPU allegedly outperforms the Xeon 8380 by 35% in the integer test; however, the Xeon 8380 outperforms the 3E6000 by 14% in Spec CPU 2017's floating point test.
Loongson still has a ways to catch up to Western manufacturers such as Intel and AMD, but Loongson's new 64-core chip is one of the most powerful chips China has built to date. It might not hold that status for long, however. The 3E6000 was originally supposed to launch in Q4 2024, and Loongson is already developing entirely new CPU and core architectures that will provide significantly more performance than what the 3E6000 is capable of today.
The 3B6600 is an upcoming Loogsoon CPU that will allegedly provide 13th/14th Gen Intel Raptor Lake-class CPU performance. The upcoming chip boasts eight next-generation LA864 cores with a clock frequency of 3GHz. A more powerful 3B7000 variant is supposedly in the pipeline as well, with a clock speed of 3.5GHz.
Loongson has yet to announce a 64-core successor to the 3E6000 based on these new LA864 cores, but it goes without saying that a CPU of this caliber will likely perform similarly to Intel's Sapphire Rapids or Granite Rapids Xeon CPUs, and AMD's equivalent Zen 4 EPYC chips.
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