dynamic super threading

[linuxfan66]

Would it be viable to run a cpu with hundreds/thousands of minicores that can combine into a smaller numbers of more cores or separate out in dynamic fashion per load. ie (have half the cores all support one thread for a big single core task) and 30 smaller ones for background stuff.(with a big shared cache) or is engineering this impractical at this stage.ie the design philosophy of the fx chip without the downsides.

[samcool55]

Isn't intel Xeon Phi such thing?

I dunno... It's afaik a coprocessor with a lot of slow-cores and whatever.

Specs of the latest one i think: http://ark.intel.com/nl/products/80555/Intel-Xeon-Phi-Coprocessor-7120A-16GB-1_238-GHz-61-core

Yeah 61 cores :3

[linuxfan66]

Isn't intel Xeon Phi such thing?

I dunno... It's afaik a coprocessor with a lot of slow-cores and whatever.

wait xeon phi is real? i thought that was a meme

[samcool55]

wait xeon phi is real? i thought that was a meme

No they exist... They have some refreshes of it and everything. Looks legit enough

[Godlygamer23]

wait xeon phi is real? i thought that was a meme

No, they're real. http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processors/xeon/xeon-phi-detail.html

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/architecture-and-technology/many-integrated-core/intel-many-integrated-core-architecture.html

[Delusional Phil]

Isn't intel Xeon Phi such thing?

I dunno... It's afaik a coprocessor with a lot of slow-cores and whatever.

Specs of the latest one i think: http://ark.intel.com/nl/products/80555/Intel-Xeon-Phi-Coprocessor-7120A-16GB-1_238-GHz-61-core

Yeah 61 cores :3

Why 16 GB on a 61 core processcor ? 

[linuxfan66]

No they exist... They have some refreshes of it and everything. Looks legit enough

i was thinking of it as an all size fits all consumer chip that could actually be afforded. ie an fx chip that actually works for consumer use

[ZetZet]

All this requires software optimisation and you know how we are with software. NOTHING EVER WORKS.

[linuxfan66]

All this requires software optimisation and you know how we are with software. NOTHING EVER WORKS.

so the cpu couldnt have a load control circuit that detects active load? it detects threading levels without os involvement

[Godlygamer23]

so the cpu couldnt have a load control circuit that detects active load? it detects threading levels without os involvement

The operating system needs to understand the architecture to schedule things properly along with splitting the load.

[samcool55]

Why 16 GB on a 61 core processcor ? 

I don't know. I don't need it...

[linuxfan66]

The operating system needs to understand the architecture to schedule things properly along with splitting the load.

so the os would have to be aware of threading system even if the program running on os wasnt...

[Godlygamer23]

Why 16 GB on a 61 core processcor ? 

It's designed for compute workloads. Perhaps something along the lines of video editing or running scientific applications.

[Godlygamer23]

so the os would have to be aware of threading system even if the program running on os wasnt...

The program would also have to be written to utilize an x number of cores and threads.

[linuxfan66]

It's designed for compute workloads. Perhaps something along the lines of video editing or running scientific applications.

would cache ram be that expensive to expand to a gig or two or do i estimate the cost of cache ram?

[linuxfan66]

The program would also have to be written to utilize an x number of cores and threads.

the idea it woulldnt matter how the app was optimized. the cpu would optimize for any workload without the app knowing about it.

[Delusional Phil]

It's designed for compute workloads. Perhaps something along the lines of video editing or running scientific applications.

They actually look like GPUs for scientific research ... 

[Godlygamer23]

would cache ram be that expensive to expand to a gig or two or do i estimate the cost of cache ram?

Are you talking about the cache located on the die? If so, yes it's very expensive. That's why super high end CPUs never have that much cache - it'd be far too expensive.

[Godlygamer23]

the idea it woulldnt matter how the app was optimized. the cpu would optimize for any workload without the app knowing about it.

That part of the CPU would still need to know how to do it. You might be able to store instructions on the CPU somehow on how to do that, regardless of the program/OS architecture and core awareness.

[Godlygamer23]

They actually look like GPUs for scientific research ... 

It also looks like each core can also execute 4 threads. Super hyper-threading.

[Delusional Phil]

It also looks like each core can also execute 4 threads. Super hyper-threading.

Quad-threading or Ultra-Threading , which ever you prefer ... 

 

I wonder what motherboard runs that ... And imagine Intel making a SLI/CrossFire type of connector to link them together ... Imagine 8 of them running ... Gotta have ALL THE TERAFLOPS ! 

[Godlygamer23]

Quad-threading or Ultra-Threading , which ever you prefer ... 

 

I wonder what motherboard runs that ... And imagine Intel making a SLI/CrossFire type of connector to link them together ... Imagine 8 of them running ... Gotta have ALL THE TERAFLOPS ! 

Any motherboard can run it as long as it's PCIe compliant.

[Grrizz]

Its a balancing act, many cores is good when you have a workload that can take advantage of it but not everything can, often you need to know the answer to A before you can figure out B in which case 1 more powerful core is beneficial. Granted with enough cores you could work out every permutation of B while you are working out A and use the correct answer but then you loose efficiency. Many cores is great for computation but often fewer faster cores are better for general desktop use.

[Delusional Phil]

Any motherboard can run it as long as it's PCIe compliant.

But what if the CPU and it are incompatible ? Or Intel made it so that it can act like a GPU but just for computing power ?

[Godlygamer23]

But what if the CPU and it are incompatible ? Or Intel made it so that it can act like a GPU but just for computing power ?

It's just a compute card essentially. It probably needs drivers in order to function, but any system should be compatible with it as long as the system requirements are met.