Multi-Core CPUs Matt Kuehn
Roadmap ► Intel vs AMD ► Early multi-core processors ► Threads vs Physical Cores ► Multithreading and Multi-core processing ► Current development direction ► Passmark benchmarks ► Conclusion
Intel ► Founded July 1968 ► Integrated Electronics ► Largest provider of CPUs ► Inventor of the x86 architecture ► First commercial microprocessor chip in 1971 ► CISC
CISC ► Complex Instruction Set Computing ► Emphasis on hardware ► Memory to Memory operations ► Commands that are operations Ex) MULT X*Y translates to x = x * y ► Small code size
AMD ► Advanced Micro Devices ► Founded May 1969 ► Second largest supplier of microprocessors ► Merged with ATI Technologies in 2006 ► Only significant rival to Intel in CPU Market ► RISC
RISC ► Reduced Instruction Set Computing ► Emphasis on software ► Register to Register operations Similar to COSC 300 ► Commands that are single steps Ex LOAD X, LOAD Y, PROD X,Y, STORE X ► Simple operations translate to lengthy code
Pentium 4 HT ► First mainstream solution to add an additional ‘core’ ► One core on the chip ► Used Hyper-Threading Technology ► Two ‘logical’ or ‘virtual’ CPUs ► OS can schedule two processes at the same time
First Dual Core Processor ► Opteron server CPU ► First demonstrated in August 2004 ► Created by AMD ► Dual Core ► Demonstration machine was a server powered by 4 Opteron chips
WHAT?! So what’s the difference between a core and a thread???
Core ► Essentially a CPU ► Has own resources Registers, cache, etc… ► Everything a physical CPU would have ALU Control Unit Clock ► Costly to add to chip
Thread ► Essentially a virtual CPU ► Does not have any physical resources Shares resources with a physical core ► Inexpensive compared to a Core ► Does not provide the same throughput as a physical Core ► High improvement to cost ratio
Multi Core Processing ► Exploit concurrency to spread work ► Running tasks = Processors in a system ► Improves absolute performance ► Optimal single core processor leads to a new CPU with multiple optimal single cores
Multithreading ► Also exploit concurrency of multiple tasks ► Processor level optimization Improve area and energy efficiency ► Replicates resources virtually ► Slightly larger chip, greatly increased performance Ex) 15% increase in area leads to 60% increase in throughput
Current Direction ► Intel Multiple Physical Cores Threads Current high end: ► Core i7 4 Cores 8 Threads of execution ► AMD Multiple Physical Cores Multi-core processing Current high end: ► FX 8-Core 8 physical cores
Passmark ► Released late 2002
Passmark ► Released 2004 ► Released 2011
Conclusion ► Intel vs AMD RISC and CISC ► Early solutions to Multi-Core CPUs Physical and Logical ► Threads vs Cores ► Multithreading vs Milti-Core processing ► Benchmark testing via Passmark
Questions?
References ► ► facts.html facts.html facts.html ► info.aspx info.aspx info.aspx ► faculty.stanford.edu/~eroberts/courses/soco/projects/risc/risccisc/ faculty.stanford.edu/~eroberts/courses/soco/projects/risc/risccisc/ faculty.stanford.edu/~eroberts/courses/soco/projects/risc/risccisc/ ► multithreading-and-multi-core multithreading-and-multi-core multithreading-and-multi-core ►