Comments on: Intel Demonstrating 80-core Chip http://cybernetnews.com/intel-demonstrating-80-core-chip/ Technology News Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:45:09 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: natmaster http://cybernetnews.com/intel-demonstrating-80-core-chip/comment-page-1/#comment-88581 natmaster Tue, 13 Feb 2007 03:55:26 +0000 http://tech.cybernetnews.com/2007/02/12/intel-demonstrating-80-core-chip/#comment-88581 For the REAL future of processors, check out <a href="http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~trips/">TRIPS</a>, the highly acclaimed and awarded architecture. The key to exploiting all the cores? Dataflow. Let me explain: The real problem inhibiting exploitation of parallel computations is dependencies. Although programs are written to be executed in sequential order, most have large portions of inherently parallel instructions - it is not necessary to execute these instructions in any order to maintain correctness. However, it is very difficult to detect these dependencies (multi-core puts this burden on the programmer) and thus, exploit the parallelism. To make matters worse, even when dependencies are detected, the next defendant instruction must wait for the earlier one to write back to memory so it can read its result. While a few more cpu cycles are wasted writing and reading the results, we leave some computational units with nothing to do. Poor little guys. The idea behind dataflow (and by extension, TRIPS) is to try to keep these guys busy as much as possible. So instead of writing back to memory for every computation, we just forward the answer to whatever instructions in flight need it next. The result? A highly scalable architecture (it is easy to add new computational units) that has many executions in flight. There are many other details important to the TRIPS' performance, but dataflow is the basic idea for the entire design. The best thing about this design, is that it can (and is) easily combined with standard multi-processor techniques to allow for even more computational power. Also, Intel's display isn't impressive when you consider IBM has already prototyped a processor with many more cores. For the REAL future of processors, check out [cs.utexas.edu]~trips/, the highly acclaimed and awarded architecture. The key to exploiting all the cores? Dataflow.
Let me explain: The real problem inhibiting exploitation of parallel computations is dependencies. Although programs are written to be executed in sequential order, most have large portions of inherently parallel instructions – it is not necessary to execute these instructions in any order to maintain correctness. However, it is very difficult to detect these dependencies (multi-core puts this burden on the programmer) and thus, exploit the parallelism. To make matters worse, even when dependencies are detected, the next defendant instruction must wait for the earlier one to write back to memory so it can read its result. While a few more cpu cycles are wasted writing and reading the results, we leave some computational units with nothing to do. Poor little guys.
The idea behind dataflow (and by extension, TRIPS) is to try to keep these guys busy as much as possible. So instead of writing back to memory for every computation, we just forward the answer to whatever instructions in flight need it next. The result? A highly scalable architecture (it is easy to add new computational units) that has many executions in flight.
There are many other details important to the TRIPS’ performance, but dataflow is the basic idea for the entire design.
The best thing about this design, is that it can (and is) easily combined with standard multi-processor techniques to allow for even more computational power.

Also, Intel’s display isn’t impressive when you consider IBM has already prototyped a processor with many more cores.

]]> By: Ryan http://cybernetnews.com/intel-demonstrating-80-core-chip/comment-page-1/#comment-88578 Ryan Tue, 13 Feb 2007 02:33:13 +0000 http://tech.cybernetnews.com/2007/02/12/intel-demonstrating-80-core-chip/#comment-88578 <div id="commentquote"><a href="#comment-88570">SLA wrote:</a><blockquote>AMD will create something MUCH BIGGER very soon, maybe we have to wait no longer than 1 month.</blockquote></div> My guess is that they already have something similar, but instead of unveiling and showing off the technology to their rivals they would rather keep it hush hush and surprise Intel with their work. I could see something big happening like Intel releasing 8 cores and then just days later AMD releases 16 cores to the consumers. Boy would Intel be embarrassed. SLA wrote:
AMD will create something MUCH BIGGER very soon, maybe we have to wait no longer than 1 month.

My guess is that they already have something similar, but instead of unveiling and showing off the technology to their rivals they would rather keep it hush hush and surprise Intel with their work. I could see something big happening like Intel releasing 8 cores and then just days later AMD releases 16 cores to the consumers. Boy would Intel be embarrassed.

]]> By: SLA http://cybernetnews.com/intel-demonstrating-80-core-chip/comment-page-1/#comment-88571 SLA Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:33:00 +0000 http://tech.cybernetnews.com/2007/02/12/intel-demonstrating-80-core-chip/#comment-88571 <p>BTW, Speed evolution is almost over. No more GHz's growing. Now it is time for multi-core CPUs.</p> BTW, Speed evolution is almost over. No more GHz’s growing. Now it is time for multi-core CPUs.

]]> By: SLA http://cybernetnews.com/intel-demonstrating-80-core-chip/comment-page-1/#comment-88570 SLA Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:27:49 +0000 http://tech.cybernetnews.com/2007/02/12/intel-demonstrating-80-core-chip/#comment-88570 <p>Multi-core madness begins... With modern microprocessor architecture, it is SIMPLE to create such multi-core CPUs. I'm sure, this year we will see <strong>800-core</strong> CPUs. Who's next? AMD? AMD will create something MUCH BIGGER very soon, maybe we have to wait no longer than 1 month. Remember my words.</p> Multi-core madness begins… With modern microprocessor architecture, it is SIMPLE to create such multi-core CPUs. I’m sure, this year we will see 800-core CPUs. Who’s next? AMD? AMD will create something MUCH BIGGER very soon, maybe we have to wait no longer than 1 month. Remember my words.

]]> By: MetaMan http://cybernetnews.com/intel-demonstrating-80-core-chip/comment-page-1/#comment-88565 MetaMan Mon, 12 Feb 2007 22:32:40 +0000 http://tech.cybernetnews.com/2007/02/12/intel-demonstrating-80-core-chip/#comment-88565 And I still have a single core... :cry: And I still have a single core… :cry:

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