AMD Explains Advantages of High Density (Thin) Libraries
We have seen the improvements that the "Steamroller" will offer in performance per watt with its design improvements. In addition to those improvements, AMD will be using "dense" or "thin" libraries employed by its GPU design teams, but for CPU implementation.
AMD told us that products currently shipping with 32nm use a combination of automated place and route and hand-placed semi-custom design (top plot), which reduces power and area somewhat. To deliver more power efficient computations, AMD has employed a high-density cell library to reduce the area and power by 30 percent (bottom plot). The design yields a more portable and energy efficiency CPU core employing industry standard design methodologies well adapted to a foundry model. These improvements, according to AMD, are yielding a 15 to 30 percent lower energy per operation for power constrained designs, as compared to a full process node improvement.
Look for more details from AMD during Hot Chips Symposium on its Surround Computing and Steamroller.
I am somewhat surprised, though, that this implies that such optimization was never before computerized. I would be really surprised if there were no computer optimization of chip layouts before this.
So, is this just AMDs marketing engine at the helm again?
EDIT: My bad, more logic in a smaller area without a die shrink. So essentially just housecleaning on current libraries. Still clever marketing.It is a die shrink, myyyy baaddddd. Doesn't seem anything like the 3-D transistors used in Intel's 22nm process though. Not that is necessarily a bad thing, I just thought it was similar to that originally.
So no, not just good marketing. But I am confused why this didn't happen already.
Doesn't fix their instruction per clock efficiency problem, but it will help increase CPU frequencies to cover for it while they work on that problem.
I'm thinking that they are going for raw clocks.
I thought it was going to be used in asphalt paver?
Ok , I just made that name up there is no chip asphalt paver.
Todays CPUs are constrained by heat and power anyway before the maximum clock is hit.
That is like building an aircraft turbine that can work well at Mach 2 while the entire airframe and efficiency requirements and noise regulations won't let the plane past 950 km/h anyway.
Anyway, I wonder if this is still 32nm - article didn't mention that. If Steamroller (due out in 2H2013?) or even later with Excavator (2014?), then it seems GF is not making progress with 22nm as quickly as they said previously..