User:Kopaka649/The Future of Multicore PCs

NOTE: High end computer systems will always use multi-processer, not multi-core. please check your facts.

A Dead End

The world has reached the point where single processors are no longer effective. After many years of innovation, it was realized they could only be so powerful. 3.93 ghz represents the climax of consumer microprocessors; any higher would require extreme cooling applications. Multitasking is yet another area where single processors fall short, for their design does not permit the execution of two threads simultaneously. For these and other reasons, manufactures have decided to incorporate multi-core technology in their processors.

Back to the Basics?

Processors are the heart of a PC, the most expensive organ. Therefore, companies need to be very careful in manufacturing. Building a complex high end single core CPU can be a daunting task, for one small flaw can render the whole unit useless. This has proved true when a recent power outage at the AMD plant caused hundreds of silicon chips to be spoiled, and their stock plummet. Manufacturing multi core CPUs breaks the task down so separate more simple units are manufactured, so there is less chance of defects and more cost effective. In the future, consumers will also reak the rewards, for if one core fails, they can simply disable it through the BIOS and continue computing without having to buy another processor.

Key to High Performance

Microprocessors are composed of numerous semi-conducting units called transistors. Each is responsible for allowing or restricting the flow of electrons, denoting a binary function. Current microprocessors contain approximately 100,000,000 semiconducting units, which fit onto a 2cm x 2cm wafer. A greater number of transistors translates to larger computational capacity. The key then, is to reduce transistor size. 180, 130, 110, 90, and 65 nm architectures are common in the present day. Why can’t manufactures mass produce the small

Dual Core Craze

Apart from budget priced machines, PCs and Laptops are going dual core. It has simply proven more superior, though will more so, when more software is developed to support parallel multithread technology.

Multi Core vs Single Core

Pros

• Greater multi-tasking capabilities • Less stress on each processing unit • Backup core to take over when one fails

Cons

• Higher pricing compared to single processor • Increased power consumption and noise* • Software bottlenecks

A Temporary Solution?

Are multicore processors just a temporary solution, to keep consumers spending until next gen 10nm architecture processors are developed? Intel has offered sneak preview into their next gen chip, which is so blindingly fast it beats any current dual core by a wide margin.