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Technology Stocks : Advanced Micro Devices - Moderated (AMD)
AMD 240.58-2.5%Nov 17 3:59 PM EST
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To: combjelly who wrote (238811)8/15/2007 4:16:11 PM
From: wbmwRead Replies (2) of 275872
 
Re: Granted, changing anything in a modern CPU is a complex task. But, it isn't all that complex in that it doesn't involve anything outside of the L3 itself and possibly enabling an inclusive mode.

The changes you suggest are complex, and would require an entire design team (assuming the changes are to enable Z-RAM). There will need to be RTL changes, pipeline changes in the cache controller logic, transistor changes, process changes, backend changes, etc.

Re: It doesn't even necessarily involve laying the whole chip out again if the resulting module is the same physical size or smaller than the existing L3.

Yeah, but what are the chances of that? Z-RAM is a fundamentally different technology. The control logic is going to be completely different. By the way, have you figured out where you are going to put the tags? The space required for 30MB of cache is quite different than the space needed for 6MB of cache. Address lookup will take longer, too.

Re: One reason for doing it would be to get some manufacturing experience before Sandtiger, assuming that Sandtiger is the real production target.

I don't know that a cost benefit analysis would agree with you. Redesigning the Shanghai core will require a lot of man power that could be better suited for projects that actually make contribute to revenue, rather than practice.
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