Purpose. Networks-on-Chip (NoC) is a network-based communication between operating cores and intellectual property (IP) cores integrated on the same chip. An efficient design of NoC ensures high-speed data transfer and minimum essential connections in large-scale multicore, low power applications. Design/methodology/approach. A unique technique called Multicriteria Deming Regressive African Buffalo Optimized Mapping Weighted Directive Graph Theory (MDRABOMWDGT) is introduced for an efficient Network-on-Chip architecture design. The main aim of the proposed technique is to find efficient operating cores integrated on the chip with minimum time. Initially, a set of IP cores are listed with their connections from the benchmark dataset. Then Multicriteria Deming Regressive African Buffalo Optimization is applied to the topology for mapping strategy on 3D NoC, with communication metrics such as throughput, latency, and computation time. The optimization technique initializes the population of cores in search space. For each core in the network, communication metrics are measured; then Deming regression is applied to analyze multicriteria functions for minimizing computation time. Further, fitness is measured to get an optimal IP core for improving the performance of mapping in 3D NoC. Findings. Comprehensive experimental evaluation is conducted using a benchmark dataset, communication metrics are measured, and results show significant improvement in performance with respect to energy parameters compared to state-of-the-art works. Originality/value. The mapping strategy for 3D NOC is developed and the results are compared with the state-of-the-art techniques.