Intel builds 80-core processor prototype

[nhcigarfan]

Ok, so it's an 80 ring gauge 4-cigar culebra or something


PS - nice to see you back 8-5-8.

[SkinnyDan]

This is very interesting on paper but it will be even more interesting to see in action. The problem I see is that this will be so far away. I believe 4-6 years until the architecture is available, and then another 2-3 years until any kind of software is designed to use the power of this many cores.

Mainstream dual core technology is 1 1/2 years old already, yet there are almost no software applications that can use it to it's full potential.

But with technology you never know what the real timeline will be. Maybe this architecture will be available in just a few years and hopefully software developers will have caught up by then and be able to scale their software to multiple cores quickly.

But that's just my opinion.

-Dan

[8-5-8]

Exactly my thoughts, Dan. But it is a nice little look "over the horizon" so to speak. And I'm thinking that with that many cores, even ones less functional than the individual cores on the current chips, it may be possible to offload the threading function to some of that hardware, eventually allowing engineers to write "one-code-fits-all" programs that can make use of one core or one hundred.

Speculation, I know, but it is quite exiciting! (to a nerd like myself, anyhow)

[nhcigarfan]

great, here comes skynet and I ain't know john connors

[SkinnyDan]

Here's a really good article about how Valve (the makers of Half-Life) are reworking the programming for their source engine and how they are trying to future proof it for the entuality of massive multi-core system.

http://www.bit-tech.net/gaming/2006/...e_Engin/1.html

It's also a very good read on the "over the horizon" aspects of multi-core architecture and how it may be implemented is software.

-Dan

[8-5-8]

And thanks, guys... it's great to be back!

And Dan, you a regular Bit-Techer?

[SkinnyDan]

And Dan, you a regular Bit-Techer?

That's the second site I check every morning when I get to work, the first being WOOT!

After I finish reading the new articles on Bit-Tech I head here and start reading.

-Dan

[cigar no baka]

Wow, it's been a while. Welcome back!! I don't have enough tech know-how to discuss this though.