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Processors: The Complete Documentation

• This category contains 4 Papers
• The last paper was added on 2007-03-26 (YYYY-MM-DD)

AMD64 NUMAology

Published on 2005-06-02, by Jack Fegreus, ©Jack Fegreus.

Non-Uniform Memory Access or NUMA has a long history of use in niche MPP (massively parallel processor) systems. For general computing applications, conventional wisdom held Symmetric Multi-Processing or SMP to be the architecture of choice for traditional business computing loads. Fortunately end users were shielded from most of the controversy, since NUMA architecture was beyond the scope of off-the-shelf operating systems to support.

In an SMP system, all processors access a shared pool of memory over a central shared bus. As a result, as far as the operating system is concerned the computer system looks and behaves the same (symmetric) from any CPU. Better yet for IT, running, managing, and developing software for an SMP system requires no additional training or expertise. For any new technology, the surest route for IT adoption is through transparency.

For the systems designer, SMP is far from transparent. The big issue is how to contend with multiple CPUs that are attempting to access a common pool of memory and a common pool of devices.

Athlon 64 for Quiet Power

Published on 2004-06-15, by Bryan Cassell, ©Bryan Cassell.

This article deals with the Athlon 64 —probably the most talked about, yet least understood processor of the current generation. I'll deal with the facts and myths surrounding the Athlon 64, and share some of my personal experiences with this exceptional CPU. So what makes the Athlon 64 special? How is it different from any other x86 CPU?

Intel i925X and i915G Architecture, Pentium 4 560 and 3.4GHz EE - The LGA775 Debut

Published on 2004-06-19, by Dave Altavilla, ©David Altavilla.

Major product launches don't seem to be getting any easier these days, at least on our side of the fence here in the online media community. Competition is fiercer than ever in all of the major functional blocks for personal computing, whether it's Graphics, Platform Chipsets, Drive technology or Processors. It almost seems like major OEMs are driving too hard in an effort to trump the competition. On the other hand, high tech, as we all know, is a very unforgiving battleground. And so, it is with cramped weary fingers and bloodshot tired eyes, that we bring you this showcase of Intel's major platform launch centered around their new Alderwood and Grantsdale chipsets.

Socket 939: New Socket, New Athlon 64s

Published on 2004-06-01, by Johan De Gelas, ©Ace's Hardwar.

There used to be a time that a fast memory subsystem and 64-bit addressing was the privilege of ultra expensive workstation and server CPUs. Back in 2000, we were amazed that the Alpha 21264 featured a 128-bit Interleaved memory bus. Today the Athlon 64 3800+ and 3500+ are the newest mass market 64-bit CPUs from AMD, and they are equipped with one of the most powerful memory controllers found in modern systems. The new Athlon 64 Newcastle on the Socket 939 platform has access to a 128-bit wide memory bus and can make use of the fastest unbuffered DDR400 CAS2 memory.