Faster, cooler-running consumer PCs are coming. The key: two, four, eight, or even a hundred CPUs on a single microprocessor.
This article is part 1 of a two-part series; part 2 will appear on Friday, December 16.
When you can’t make a microprocessor run faster, what do you do? You combine two or more microprocessor cores, of course.
Intel and AMD, the top industry rivals, have already introduced dual-core chips for desktop PCs. And that’s just the start of a trend that could bring an important change to PCs: multicore processing. Both of these leading chipmakers hope to pack four cores into desktop PC chips by 2007. And Intel researchers are investigating how to put tens or even hundreds of cores onto a single chip.
Both chipmakers and PC makers need multicore chips for an important reason: they’ve run out of performance headroom on existing designs. (For years, chipmakers have added transistors and ratcheted up clock speeds to make processors run faster. But clock speeds can be increased only so much before a chip radiates too much heat inside the PC case.)
But why does the average PC user need two, four, or eight cores on a chip? For starters, think multitasking. “I call multitasking the silent ‘killer app’,” says Shane Rau, program manager for semiconductor research at market-research firm IDC. “Today, all the apps we’re using are nickel-and-diming the processor to death.”
Most individual applications already run well -- on their own. But, as any Windows user knows, running multiple programs simultaneously, say, a word processor, audio player, and anti-virus software, will eventually make the unwanted hourglass appear. Multicore processing could end that waiting period.
Furthermore, given today’s ever-changing security threats, multitasking requirements will only go up, say industry observers. Most people will continue to use more applications simultaneously, while PCs will need to run more security programs in the background just to protect themselves.
In particular, streaming audio and video tasks can hog microprocessor resources. Intel believes multiple cores will be much better at tasks such as downloading video from a PC to a personal media player. And Intel’s upcoming multicore processors run cooler than the originals -- which could lead to innovative notebook and desktop PC case designs. The company's dual-core chip, nicknamed “Yonah,” is set to debut in early 2006.
At the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next month, Taiwanese PC maker AOpen plans to demonstrate a Yonah-powered machine about the size of Apple’s Mac mini-desktop computer, which measures 17 centimeters wide, 17 centimeters deep, and 5 centimeters tall. Yonah played a big role in Apple’s recent decision to buy Intel chips, according to Kevin Krewell, editor-in-chief of In-Stat’s Microprocessor Report, because Yonah will enable faster Powerbook notebooks.
First-Round Mistakes
Early dual-core chips, such as Intel’s Pentium D, got mixed reviews -- mainly because their performance gains were unimpressive when running software designed for traditional single-core processors. To really tap into the power of dual-core, or multicore chips, software applications need to be written or rewritten to take advantage of two or more cores, a process called multithreading.
Guest (Fabian)
As Phil Hester says, you need the software to run on these multicore machines. Ive recently bought a double core, 64bit processor and installed Windows XP 64bit edition. After a few days I had to remove it and install Linux instead. Windows was so buggy, unstable and lacking of performance that my investment was paying me back. It is crystal clear that Windows will require another 5 to 10 years to reach the same level of multiprocessing capabilities of Linux.
Guest (Jordan)
apropos to the, Suns just-released SPARC T1 is an
eight core sparc processor that
runs cooler than any of the AMD/Intel chips. Available in
a couple sun servers now at
prices starting at $3000 list.
these guys are two years ahead of
Intel--that could prove significant
for sun.
Guest (Jordan)
apropos to the, Suns just-released SPARC T1 is an
eight core sparc processor that
runs cooler than any of the AMD/Intel chips. Available in
a couple sun servers now at
prices starting at $3000 list.
these guys are two years ahead of
Intel--that could prove significant
for sun.
Guest (Tim)
All this talk of what Intel will be doing misses the point that Sun already has done it! Their new Sparc systems just released have 8 cores per CPU and they will double that before Intel has their dual core out.
As for the Intel/AMD rivalry there is no comparison. AMD just kicks Intels ass so royally on every benchmark that you cant say "dual core Intel" in front of knowledgable people without getting laughed at.
They will get their act together eventually but why have your article so heavy with "Intel says" hype when they are so far behind?
Guest (John Scott)
This was a nice article but you forgot the player who has built it all from Micros to Mainframes and beyond. That being none other than Big-Blue IBM. Sometime ago I read an article where they have a 15-core machine (I cant remember its code name.) that operates at 7.5 tera-flops which is the same speed as our brain.
It seems to me if you are going to make a report it should include all the information and not just those that you get a press release. The picture of this Mini-Micro was in a single standard rack in an ISO lab room.
Perhaps if you where to Google it, you would be able to add it to this report as part two.
Adding to the consciousness of mankind’s ever increasing quest to make the sequel "Terminator" a reality I remain, JPS KC-MO.
Guest (horge)
Look at suns 8 Core, 32 thread CPU which is 5 years ahead in the industry in design
Guest (Steffo)
Sadly, Suns systems arent mentioned (T1000 and T2000). You should have a look at these.
Still not sure whether all this stuff is relevant for PC users. PCs have workloads which differ substantially from server workloads. When it comes to microprocessors there is no one size fits all. I would be happy if people realizes, that computers are more than PCs. So any article about multi-cores and CMT must take computers into account and not only talk about PCs.
Guest (Lee)
But PCs are what concern most of us
PCs are what matters to us everyday users...
Guest (Lee)
But PCs are what concern most of us
PCs are what matters to us everyday users...
Guest (Steffo)
Sadly, Suns systems arent mentioned (T1000 and T2000). You should have a look at these.
Still not sure whether all this stuff is relevant for PC users. PCs have workloads which differ substantially from server workloads. When it comes to microprocessors there is no one size fits all. I would be happy if people realizes, that computers are more than PCs. So any article about multi-cores and CMT must take computers into account and not only talk about PCs.
Guest (Carl Chilley)
Good to see predications of multicore processors but the real devil is in the software. Writing multi-threaded apps has never been mainstream and I wonder how much potential re performance will be lost as the apps developers learn to appreciate the real "joy" of mutex?
Guest (Fabian)
As Phil Hester says, you need the software to run on these multicore machines. Ive recently bought a double core, 64bit processor and installed Windows XP 64bit edition. After a few days I had to remove it and install Linux instead. Windows was so buggy, unstable and lacking of performance that my investment was paying me back. It is crystal clear that Windows will require another 5 to 10 years to reach the same level of multiprocessing capabilities of Linux.
Guest (Tim)
All this talk of what Intel will be doing misses the point that Sun already has done it! Their new Sparc systems just released have 8 cores per CPU and they will double that before Intel has their dual core out.
As for the Intel/AMD rivalry there is no comparison. AMD just kicks Intels ass so royally on every benchmark that you cant say "dual core Intel" in front of knowledgable people without getting laughed at.
They will get their act together eventually but why have your article so heavy with "Intel says" hype when they are so far behind?
Guest (John Scott)
This was a nice article but you forgot the player who has built it all from Micros to Mainframes and beyond. That being none other than Big-Blue IBM. Sometime ago I read an article where they have a 15-core machine (I cant remember its code name.) that operates at 7.5 tera-flops which is the same speed as our brain.
It seems to me if you are going to make a report it should include all the information and not just those that you get a press release. The picture of this Mini-Micro was in a single standard rack in an ISO lab room.
Perhaps if you where to Google it, you would be able to add it to this report as part two.
Adding to the consciousness of mankind’s ever increasing quest to make the sequel "Terminator" a reality I remain, JPS KC-MO.
Guest (horge)
Look at suns 8 Core, 32 thread CPU which is 5 years ahead in the industry in design
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Guest (Carl Chilley)
Multicore Processors
Good to see predications of multicore processors but the real devil is in the software. Writing multi-threaded apps has never been mainstream and I wonder how much potential re performance will be lost as the apps developers learn to appreciate the real "joy" of mutex?
Reply