< Information
and Explanations
by Broadberry
AMD
Dual-Core Information
What
is Dual Core? A
dual-core CPU combines
two independent
processors and
their respective
caches and cache
controllers onto
a single silicon
chip, or integrated
circuit. IBM's
POWER4 was the first
microprocessor
to incorporate
2-cores on a single
die.
The AMD64 Multi-Core Advantages Ease of Migration to Multi-Core
Processors
- Socket
infrastructure
compatible with
existing 90nm
single-core processor
architectures
(Contact your
solution provider
to guarantee
system readiness.)
Higher
Performance Per Watt
- Customers
can experience
the performance
advantages of
multi-core processors
by getting the
best performance
per watt available
in the market
Direct
Connect Architecture
- For
servers and workstations,
the best 2-way
and 4-way architecture
for x86 computing
- Addresses
and helps reduce
the real challenges
and bottlenecks
of system architecture
because everything
is directly connected
to the CPU
- Directly
connects the
processor cores
to a single die
to even further
reduce latencies
between processors
Dual-Core
Processor Overview
- AMD64
processors
were designed
from the start
to add a second
core
- Port
already existed
on crossbar/SRI
- One
die with 2 CPU
cores, each core
has its own 1MB
L2 cache
- Drops
into existing
AMD Opteron processor
940-pin sockets
and AMD Athlon
64 Dual-Core
processor 939-pin
sockets that
are compatible
with 90nm single-core
processor architectures
- A
BIOS update is
all that is necessary
to get a compatible
system up and
running with
dual-core processors
- The
2 CPU cores
leverage the
same memory and
HyperTransport™ technology
resources available
in single-core
processors
The
Evolution of Multi-Core
Technology
With
the introduction
of the first computer
came market demands
for more computing
capacity. Symmetrical
multi-processing
(SMP) has long been
a technology used
to increase computing
performance and
efficiency by spreading
computing loads across
multiple processors.
SMP
is especially effective
in multi-threaded
environments where
many tasks (threads)
need to be handled
simultaneously.As
application performance
demands grow, processor
designers are facing
the issue that it
takes more power
to drive more computing
capability. More
power means that
dissipation levels
also need to be
managed. Add to this
the demands of the
industry for computers
to become smaller – more
servers in a rack,
thin and lighter
laptops, and smaller
footprint for a
desktop system.
Multi-core
processing will
help address these
computing challenges.
This evolution in
technology will allow
for increased performance
and higher productivity
in smaller computers
that can simultaneously
run multiple complex
applications and
successfully complete
more tasks in a
shorter amount of
time. |
