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Multi-Core Technology and Solutions

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Multi-Core Technology and Solutions Multi-Core Technology and Solutions Introduction Find out how Intel is accelerating deployment of optimized apps for threading, thereby helping you manage the complexity of threading, and making it easier to achieve success. By Bob Carver With today's computing needs requiring ever-more processing power, the transition to multi-core processing is a critical inflection point for the computing industry. View the Flash* Animation. This 9 MB file demonstrates how multi-core technology works. By placing multiple execution cores in a single processor package, Intel is delivering unprecedented levels of performance. Intel's multi-core roadmap is extensive, with more than 15 multi-core processor designs underway or in production across all platform categories. Intel's dual-core processor architecture places two “execution cores,” or computational engines, within a single processor. For example, the Intel® Pentium® D processor, manufactured using the 90nm process technology, is a dual-core processor that includes two full execution cores within the same processor package. The processor has 2MB of cache with each core having its own 1MB L2 cache and also has a separate interface connection to the 800MHz front-side bus. Although a dual-core processor plugs into a single processor socket, the operating system perceives each execution core as a discrete processor. Click here to view a Flash* animation (approximately 9 MB) that shows the major components of the Intel® Pentium® D single-core processor. In a system without Hyper-Threading Technology (HT Technology) support, an integer thread runs through the pipeline, and integer instructions are executed and retired by the integer execution unit. Likewise, in this Intel Pentium 4 processor-based system without HT Technology support, floating-point threads are executed and retired by the floating-point execution unit. In an Intel processor that supports HT Technology, an integer thread and a floating-point thread can run at the same time and will show better performance because they make better use of system execution resources. If the code in both threads uses the same resources within the execution unit, the competition for those resources may limit the performance increase from HT Technology. Note that the two threads may require different resources within the execution unit, which could permit a greater performance increase. The Intel Pentium D processor is a dual-core processor that builds upon the threading capability of HT Technology by supporting two complete execution cores, each of which has the benefit of a full set of processor resources. When it runs two floating-point threads at the same time, each thread has its own floating-point execution unit. Thus, processing is done faster than in the case of the single-core processor with HT Technology. The Dual-Core Intel Pentium Processor Extreme Edition and the Dual-Core Intel® Xeon® processor, code-named Dempsey, support two full execution cores as well as HT Technology, enabling the simultaneous execution of four threads. This representation shows the enormous advantage of threading on application performance in Intel’s dual-core platforms. Intel's Future Plans Intel has plans to introduce a series of multi-core client and server processors through mid-2006, and will continue to deliver next-generation multi-core processors beyond that. Intel expects to ship greater than 70% of its mobile and desktop Pentium processor family client processors and greater than 85% of its server processors as dual core as it exits 2006. For the desktop, the Intel Pentium D processor, and the Pentium Processor Extreme Edition, are available today. The next-generation desktop processor, code-named Presler, will be introduced in the first half of 2006. Presler will have two complete execution cores and a total of 4MB of cache with each core having its own 2MB L2 cache. In addition, Presler will be manufactured using Intel’s 65nm process technology and will support Intel® Extended Memory 64 Technology (Intel® EM64T), the Execute Disable Bit, and will be compatible with the same LGA775 socket as the Pentium D processor. A new dual-core mobile processor, code-named Yonah, will be available broadly in 2006 and will be manufactured on Intel’s 65nm process technology. This mobile optimized dual-core processor will have two execution cores and features the new and innovative Intel® Smart Cache Design enabling 2MB of L2 cache to be shared between the two execution cores. Yonah will also feature Intel® Dynamic Power Coordination to manage power between the two execution cores, as well as Intel® Digital Media Boost for enhanced digital media playback. In the first quarter of 2006, Intel will introduce its first dual-core processors for the Intel Xeon processor family. Dempsey is the code-name for a dual-core processor designed for dual-processor servers and is based on 65nm process technology. This dual-core processor will fit into the new server-based LGA771 socket. Each of Dempsey’s execution cores will support HT Technology and have its own L2 cache and its own bus interface. This processor will provide 64-bit support and the Execute Disable Bit. A multi-processor server dual-core processor will also be introduced in the first quarter of 2006, code-named Paxville. Based on the 90nm process technology, this dual-core processor will have a single bus interface. Each execution core will support HT Technology. This processor will also provide 64-bit support and the Execute Disable Bit. In the fourth quarter of 2005, Intel will release the first dual-core member of the Itanium® Processor Family, code-named Montecito. Based on the 90nm process technology and Explicitly Parallel Instruction Computing (EPIC), it will support four simultaneous threads, with each core supporting multi-threading. The two execution cores will be highly integrated, and each of the cores will have a 1MB L2 cache and a 12MB L3 cache. Support for Multi-Core Processors Most modern operating systems are already multi-threaded, and they support multi-core processors today. Microsoft Windows* and major Linux* distributions including Red Hat and SuSE have indicated plans to license their products on a per-socket basis. Therefore, no matter how many threads or cores are running in a single processor, only one license would be required for those OSs. Customers should contact their operating system vendors to confirm specific support plans. Application software does not need to be re-written to run on multi-core processors, although it will require threading support to take optimal advantage of the technology. Applications that are enabled for HT Technology will benefit from the greater parallelism provided in Intel's multi-core processors. Code can be written with threading in mind to improve performance. More than 150 HT Technology and multi-core optimized client applications are available today, including major operating systems, video and audio recording and editing applications, and games. The resources listed here are what you need to help you to capitalize on the dual- and multi-core evolution in processor design. Make the most of the performance boost available from dual-core processors by optimizing applications using Intel® compilers that thread code automatically. Intel performance libraries provide tools such as Intel® Thread Checker and Intel® Thread Profiler that correct errors and help tune threaded code, producing optimized, thread-safe code. These tools from Intel help ease and accelerate deployment of optimized applications for threading, helping you manage the complexity of threading, and making it easier to achieve success. .
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