Archive for the ‘Nehalem Architecture’ Category:
Nehalem architecture in Core i7 includes Turbo Boosting Technology which improves the performance as well as reduces excess heating of processor. It automatically allows the each core to work more efficiently than the base operating frequency. When the processor is working below specified limits of power & temperature then the turbo boost technology comes into action of Intel i7. The Turbo Boosting Technology depends upon the number processor core active or disabled. Hyper Threading Technology is quite depends on turbo boosting technology, Together they increases the performance of multi-threaded and single threaded workload of Intel i7. When the Operating System requests the processor for highest performance state in Intel i7, Turbo boost technology is activated.
As the workload on processor & operating system, and performance needs changes, Accordingly Turbo Boosting Technology executes. The maximum frequency of Turbo Boost Technology truly depends upon the active cores. (This maximum frequency in Intel i7 is calculated by specific software)
The availability of the Turbo Boosting Technology on each core depends on following factors-
- The estimated Power Consumption of the processor
- The Temperature of the processor
- The number of Active Cores.
Turbo Boosting
As this processor operating is below these specified limits results in increased work load, the processor dynamically increases the frequency by 133 MHz by short and regular intervals. This is done so as to match the user workload or possible met with the upside active cores. As conversely, if the frequency of processor exceeds (or reaches the limits) then it automatically decreases the frequency by 133 MHz which is the basic used in Turbo Boosting of i7.
Features like Overclocking & Hyper Threading of Nehalem Architecture in Intel i7 are quite depend upon this Turbo Boosting Technology. Together all these technologies results in enhanced performance as well as reduced power consumption eliminating the effects of overheating of processor.
The Very first Question popping up in our Minds will be ‘What does this Term Quick Path Technology mean?’
The name Quick means FAST, Path means a Particular Route. So Intel Core i7, acquired this Technology for point-to-point high-speed links to distributed shared memory.
It is rightly said: A small thinking can change the world. A small change in Architecture has increased our Working speed to Unimaginable thoughts.
Early a kind of Action to performed were sent by the Control signals and then to the Memory Controller to Processor to Memory Controller to Main Memory. This process was quite Time consuming, But Nehalem and Tukwila Architecture introduced Memory Controllers attached directly to the Processor hence decreasing Time for a particular Process and increasing the Speed.
Quick Path Architecture
The above combination of Nehalam and Tukwila Architecture includes memory controllers integrated into the microprocessors, which are connected together with a high-speed, point-to-point Interconnect. The Quick Path Interconnect provides High Bandwidth and Low Latency.
Quick Path Architecture
Processor Interface
Earlier Intel began with, Front-Side bus that consist of single shared bi-directional bus. To further increase the bandwidth of the Front-side bus based platforms, the single-shared bus approach evolved into Dual Independent buses. The DIB approach was extended to its logical conclusion with the introduction of dedicated high-speed interconnects (DHSI).
Then came the Fastest Technology of the Universe, the Quick Path Technology.
The Quick Path Interconnect is a High-speed point-to-point interconnect. The processor may have one or more cores. When multiple cores are present, they may share caches or have separate caches. The processor also typically has one or more integrated memory controllers.
There are Two Unidirectional Inter-connects one for sending-out the Signals and other for Receiving the Incoming Signal. Hence the Processors need not wait in times of Sending and Receiving Signals at a particular instant of Time. As earlier it had to first send or receive signals and perform the alternative process according to the Priority.
So from above all we can easily say that Quick Path Technology features an integrated Memory Controller and High-Speed Interconnect, Linking processors and other components to deliver:
Dynamically scalable interconnect bandwidth.
Outstanding memory performance and flexibility.
Tightly integrated interconnect reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS).
Optimal balance of price, performance, and energy efficiency.
Such New changes can be Key Ingredient in keeping Pace with the Next Generation of Microprocessors. So keep Thinking and Reading……..
The Nehalem architecture is first time introduced in a processors by Intel named core i7. Core i7 is a 64 bit Quad Core Processor.
Its four cores enable multitasking with enhanced speed and decreases the chances of hanging the computer applications. That is why Core i7 is today’s one of the fastest processor. The code name of Nehalem’s 45 nm process is ‘Penryn’ which is fast enough for the corporate consumers.
Features of Nehalem Based Processor
This micro architecture is having an ‘on-die Memory Controller’. Nehalem also represents unprecedented processor performance and dynamic scalability. The die size of Nehalem is 263 mm2. This architecture is designed to acquire the advantage of Metal Gate Silicon Technology.
The Intel Nehalem has a parallel processing enabled by ‘Intel Quick Path Technology’ providing an integrated memory controller and high speed interconnect per independent processing core.
Being aware that four cores can consume maximum amount of energy, ‘Nehalem Processor Design’ has managed to save power, so it can be used in mobile technologies as well as in highly scalable, ultra high performance servers.
This is where the Nehalem comes in picture despite of being large size & more complex die, it is internally split into parts that in theory can be mixed and matched like simple building blocks.
Understanding Nehalem architecture
‘Not just power saving but also making efficient use of power drawn by CPU’ is the prime aim of Nehalem Processor.
Nehalem is capable of executing two or more threads at time that is called as ‘Hyper Threading’ (HT Technology). This HT Technology brings high-performance applications into mainstream computing, with 1-16+ thread is optimized for a next generation ‘Multi-Core’ processor architecture. ‘Multi-Level Shared Cache’ improves performance and efficiency by reducing the frequently used data. These chips are not compatible on ordinary motherboards. In Nehalem micro architecture the DDR3 RAM speed is up to 1600 MHz, while it has Triple Memory Channel.
The diversity for introducing these chips is for speed. As these are costlier than other chips, but they have sophisticated power saving modes as they can replace zero mode. These are one of the fastest processors in market till today known as Core i7
It’s not like older micro architectures were not sufficient, but Nehalem Processor have taken the processor technologies to a new level which is not only faster but also energy efficient.