Power Bits: May 20
By Ed Sperling
More Cores, But For What?
VIA Technologies rolled out its first QuadCore processor, claiming it is the lowest-power four-core x86 processor on the market.
It isn’t the lowest-energy chip, of course. QuadCore is designed to run at 27.5 watts. In comparison, Intel’s Atom now runs at 12 watts, and Intel is working on dropping that number significantly with its FinFET-based 22nm design. And ARM and MIPS quad-core processors run at a fraction of that.
But what’s interesting here isn’t VIA’s entry into the high end of the market. It’s that the battle has shifted from clock speeds to energy efficiency, for the moment, for a couple of related reasons. First, most software can’t utilize multiple cores natively, which means there’s no performance advantage from adding more cores. And second, it’s easier to pitch energy efficiency when you drop in multiple cores simultaneously and shut down the ones that aren’t being used.
That will change with the introduction of wide I/O and better exploratory design tools. The next battleground will likely be a combination of low-power right-sized cores optimized for specific software, and software optimized for specific hardware configurations. That should be an interesting twist.
The Other Green
Along the same lines, Dresden, Germany-based ZMDI reported earnings that it said were up at the high end of its projections. The reason: Demand for energy-efficient electronics—particularly in the automotive sector.
This is turning into a global battleground, particularly as the price of gasoline continues to rise. BMW has begun promoting its first fully electric ActiveE car, even though it isn’t shipping yet. Tesla is expected to roll out its more affordable fully electric sedan next year. And a slew of plug-in hybrids are in the development stage.
In Silicon Valley the demand for these vehicles will be particularly intense. In addition to saving gas, electric cars will get free passes to the carpool lanes.
Tags: BMW, Tesla, Via Technologies, ZMDI