Scientists at the University of Rochester have created what they say is the first true 3D processor--and it's running at 1.4GHz.
Unlike past attempts at 3D processors, which were simply a number of processors stacked on top of one another, the "Rochester Cube," as it is being called, was designed from the ground up to optimize all key-processing functions vertically, in the same way ordinary chips optimize functions horizontally.
So while there are other 3D chips, this design is supposedly the first to integrate each layer in a seamless and efficient way.
Hopefully, CPUs won't ever get this powerful.
(Credit: Paramount Pictures)Eby Friedman, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rochester, says many in the integrated-circuit industry are predicting that miniaturization will reach its limit, at which point it will be impossible to pack more chips next to each other and the capabilities of future processors will thus be hindered. The solution? Expand into the third dimension, stacking transistors on top of each other.
Vertical expansion will not come without its difficulties, however. The key, according to Friedman, is to design a 3D chip where the multiple layers interact as if they were one. He equates it to designing a traffic system for the entire United States and then layering two more United States above the first and somehow getting any bit of traffic from either level to its destination on another level, while still coordinating the traffic of millions of other drivers.
"Complicate that by changing the two United States layers to something like China and India, where the driving laws and roads are quite different," he adds, "and the complexity and challenge of designing a single control system to work in any chip begins to become apparent."
According to Friedman, "This is the way computing is going to have to be done in the future. When the chips are flush against each other, they can do things you could never do with a regular 2D chip."
My problem with the next big thing technology is that I get burned far too often. Remember how it turned out to be the Segway? Well, I'm still waiting for "cities to be redesigned" around that.
If what the Rochester scientists are saying is true, however, there is vast potential here for the future of computing power. Friedman says the 3D chip is essentially an entire circuit board folded up into a tiny package. So the chips inside something like an iPod could be compacted to a tenth their current size with 10 times the speed.
Sounds nice, but until I see major chipmakers making strides to put these in real products, I won't hold my breath.
(Credit:
Lenovo)
CES 2008 may not have been a show for big wows, but there was plenty to talk about, at least on the computers and hardware front. For starters, Lenovo introduced three IdeaPads, the company's first consumer-oriented laptops for the U.S. market. (Lenovo also announced a corresponding line of desktops, predictably named IdeaCentre, for release in Europe, though we expect the line to reach our shores soon.)
HP caught our attention with the sub-$1,000, HD-equipped SlimLine desktop. Dell gave us a peek into the future with its 16-inch laptop prototype and the XPS 630 gaming desktop. Gateway launched its FX gaming brand into the mobile space with three new laptop configurations, while Alienware showed off its 15-inch gamer. We saw new ultraportables from Fujitsu and Asus, plus UMPCs from Toshiba and Samsung. We even got a glimpse at the tiny, Linux-based Everex Cloudbook. Desktops got smaller as well, if the Asus Nova P22 small-form-factor PC is any indication.
On the component front, Intel made a splash with the announcement of its first 45-nanometer notebook chips, known as Penryn; we shared our early test results for the new mobile CPUs and reported on plans for Penryn from Toshiba and HP. Intel also gave us a look at three high-end PCs that feature its components. Not to be left in Intel's wake, both ATI and Nvidia announced new graphics chips, the latter offering a peek at its Hybrid SLI technology.
Accessories that caught our eye included the Logitech diNovo Mini input device for home-theater PCs, the Ricavision Vave 100 Windows SideShow Universal Remote Control, and a Zyxel digital media adapter that lets you stream HD video and music from your PC to your home theater system.
This year's show also saw new storage devices, monitors, and security devices; click here to read all computers and hardware coverage from CES 2008.
Quake 4 image in Ray Tracing Demo
(Credit: Wired)For those who play PC games (and please count me in), the most expensive and necessary investment has always been the graphics card (also known as the GPU, graphics processing unit). High-end cards, from either ATI or nVidia, can cost $500 and up. That's not even factoring in the case, cooling system, power supply, etc., which also have to be equally high-end to support the increasingly large and power-hungry graphics cards. And there seems to be no end to all this. Or is there?
At IDF 2007, there was a demo running Quake 4. There wasn't much to talk about the demonstration itself (the game has been out for a while). As a matter of fact, there was no real game action on the screen--just a character walking around in a smooth 3D environment with excellent-looking lighting and shadow effects. What was impressive was the fact that the computer didn't have a graphics card in it, such as the Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTX, as one would have expected. Instead, the graphics were powered by an Intel multicore CPU that incorporates ray tracing display technology.
Unlike conventional GPUs that use raster graphics techniques to display graphics content, ray tracing models the behavior of light to create shadows and reflections for a more photorealistic presentation of 3D and 2D content. The concept of ray tracing is not new and rather simple: simulating the path that light rays take as they bounce around within the environment, while determining the color of each light ray that strikes the display before reaching the eyes. However, the sheer number of light rays needed to be traced requires a huge amount of computation. That is why this concept had to wait until now to come closer to reality (and indeed very close, judging by the demo), with multicore CPUs. It's predicted that in about three years, there will be computers that use processor-based ray tracing display technology. This means a gaming computer can have less components, be more energy efficient, quieter, and probably cheaper too.
As the ray tracing technique is completely different from the current raster technique, current games will not work with this technique and will need to be re-engineered (or ported) in order to take advantage of the new display platform. This is similar to how an Xbox 360 game will not run on a PS3 and vice versa. However, change takes time, and this is to be expected. And it's not like I am in a rush to discard my recent hefty investment in my SLI system. I will, though, try not to think about how many light rays there are that come out of my screen while flying over Outland.
Buying a new PC (or upgrading your current machine) isn't merely a question of what to buy, but also when to buy. With cheaper, faster, better, technology always around the corner, you can't completely avoid the feeling of buyer's remorse in the weeks or months following your purchase, no matter how carefully you map it.
Now is a particularly difficult time for desktop buyers and upgraders as both AMD and Intel have major CPU introductions planned for the end of the year. Intel is expected to release its 45nm Penryn chips, while AMD should deliver its native quad-core Phenom processors before the year is out. The latest rumblings around the Web have Penryn server chips launching in November (possibly 11/11), while you should be able to get an early glimpse at AMD's next-gen quad-core technology when the company releases its Barcelona server chips in September (looking like 9/10). Desktop parts are expected to follow shortly behind the server introductions. Should you wait for Penryn or Phenom desktop chips? There's an interesting forum debate happening today at The Tech Report that can help you answer that question.
My plan? I'm still humming along fine on an Athlon X2 machine because I refuse to upgrade to Vista, and I get my gaming fix from a console. So I'll happily wait until AMD and Intel release their new chips before upgrading my current system with a new motherboard and CPU. I figure early 2008 looks like a good time to buy, for my needs anyway. What's your plan for your next desktop-related purchase?
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