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QUAD-CORE AMD OPTERON
Posted Date: 06 May 2008 Resource Type: Articles/Knowledge Sharing Category: Computer & Technology
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Posted By: pournami Member Level: Gold
Rating:  Points: 3
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QUAD-CORE AMD OPTERON™ ARCHITECTURE
Barcelona, the code name for Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ processors feature four cores on a single die.
Each of the four cores features:
A dedicated 64KB L1 cache to handle data quickly and efficiently.
A dedicated 512KB L2 cache to move data forward and minimize latency.
A shared 2MB L3 cache to coordinate and facilitate data transfer.
The L3 cache allows you to take full advantage of by other core enhancements, including:
Enhanced branch prediction capabilities.
Out-of-order load execution.
Dual 128-bit SSE dataflow and much more.
The Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ has an L2 cache which is dedicated to each core, rather than shared among cores, to help improve performance on “heavy duty” enterprise applications like databases and virtualized environments. "Barcelona" also has a shared L3 cache for the first time in AMD64 processors. This additional layer of cache can speed access to commonly-used data and provide high-speed memory for large datasets. The L1 and L2 caches are exclusive. This means that the L1 and L2 cache don't hold copies of the same data.
Each of the four computing cores now boasts an upgraded 128-bit unit for floating point math.
FEATURES AND BENEFITS OF AMD PROCESSOR
1. AMD64
AMD processor architecture runs both 32-bit and 64-bit applications simultaneously. AMD64 processors were built from the ground up to support emerging 64-bit applications, so now you can
Run the existing x86 32-bit applications with great performance.
Run current 64-bit applications on x86 standard and
Significantly increase application access to memory.
2. Direct Connect Architecture
· Eliminates the bottlenecks inherent in 20-year old front-side bus architectures by directly connecting CPUs, memory and I/O.
· Memory is directly connected to the CPU optimizing memory performance.
· I/O is directly connected to the CPU for more balanced throughput and I/O.
· CPUs are connected directly to CPUs allowing for more linear symmetrical multiprocessing.
· Available memory bandwidth scales with the number of processors.
3. Native Design
Quad core AMD opteron processors use native multi-core design to provide true quad core processing performance. Intel quad-core technology based on dual-die architecture requires another upgrade in order to implement a true quad-core solution. AMD’s native quad-core design offers extraordinary performance and efficiency all within consistent power and thermal envelopes.
4. Hyper Transport™ Technology
HyperTransport technology is a high-speed, bi-directional, low latency, point-to-point link designed to increase the communication speed between computing cores, I/O subsystems, and other chipsets up to 48 times faster than some existing technologies.
HyperTransport technology helps reduce the number of buses in a system, which can reduce system bottlenecks and enable today's faster microprocessors to use system memory more efficiently in high-end multiprocessor systems.
· Provides a scalable bandwidth interconnect between processors, I/O subsystems, and other chipsets.
· Reduces I/O bottlenecks and improves multiprocessor scalability, both of which aid in consolidating workloads.
5. Integrated Memory Controller
The memory controller is a chip on a computer's motherboard or CPU die, which manages the flow of data going to and from the memory. Most computers based on an Intel processor have a memory controller implemented on their motherboard's north bridge. AMD64 processors with Direct Connect Architecture feature an integrated, on-die memory controller, optimizing memory performance and bandwidth per CPU. The integrated memory controller changes the way the AMD Opteron processor accesses main memory, resulting in increased bandwidth, reduced memory latencies, and increased processor performance. Available memory bandwidth is up to 5.3GB/s per processor.
If there is little requirement for cache, the memory controller will flush out everything stored in the cache to the main memory and put the cache in the off stage. This again helps in power savings but the cache latencies become greater.
6. Power Efficiency
Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ processors featuring AMD PowerNow!™ technology provides increased power savings by balancing performance-per-watt with power-on-demand capabilities. Dual core AMD Opteron™ processors are upgradeable to Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ processors within existing power and thermal envelopes.
Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ processors with AMD PowerNow!™ technology:
The extended and improved power-saving optimization technology that allows for dynamic reduction of the power consumption by cores - up to 75% in the standby mode (when idle).
Optimizes platform power consumption, which keeps servers and workstations cool and quiet.
Provides performance on demand by dynamically adjusting core frequencies based on CPU utilization.
Provides dynamic frequency and voltage support through OS-directed power management.
Maximizes the benefits for lower CPU power consumption.
The CPU itself supports separate CPU core and memory controller power planes. This allows the CPU to lower its power state while the memory controller is running full bore. If a particular task is memory bandwidth intensive, but not necessarily CPU intensive, this can improve power utilization.
AMD estimates that the power consumption of a Barcelona will fit within a 95W envelope.
7. Virtualization technology
Virtualization helps you take full advantage of processor capacity by creating “virtual machines” that can run multiple operating systems on a single physical machine. AMD Virtualization™ (AMD-V™) and Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ processors help you build virtual machines that can run multiple OSes in parallel seamlessly.
8. Enhanced Virus Protection (EVP)
Enhanced Virus Protection in combination with Windows® XP SP2 sets portions of system memory aside as “data only” meaning that any code resident in these areas may not be executed, only read from or written to.
AMD’s Enhanced Virus Protection acts as a preventative measure causing the virus to be localized, short-lived, and non-contagious, eventually being flushed from system memory.
AMD Enhanced Virus Protection with Microsoft Windows XP SP2 enables you to:
· Prevent the spread of certain malicious viruses, which are transported via e-mail and instant messaging applications.
· Surf the Internet with confidence, knowing you have an extra level of protection against certain harmful web downloads.
· Help improve the integrity of your home and office network.
(Enhanced Virus Protection (EVP) is only enabled by certain operating systems including the current versions of Microsoft® Windows®, Linux, Solaris and BSD Unix.)
9. Improved branch prediction mechanism
AMD's architects have doubled the return stack size, added more branch history bits, and built in a 512-entry indirect branch predictor.
10. Out-of-order load execution
Load instructions can actually bypass other loads in some cases, as well as stores that are not dependent on the load in question. This minimizes the effect of L2 cache latency.
11. Dual-thread control of 128-bit SSE instructions
On previous CPUs, the internal data path was of 64 bits only. This was a problem for SSE instructions, since SSE registers, called XMM, are 128-bit long. So, when executing an instruction that manipulated a 128-bit data, this operation had to be broke down into two 64-bit operations. The new 128-bit data path makes Core microarchitecture faster to process SSE instructions that manipulate 128-bit data.
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