PCI-E Scaling Article

[SickBeast]

:Q

Tom's Hardware link

The SpecViewPerf benchmarks are very interesting. There is a 10-25% boost from going from 8X to 16X PCI-E in some cases.

In any event, I found the article interesting. Sometimes Tom's does good articles like this. :beer:

 

[lavaheadache]

looks like it almost time for pci-e 2.0.

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: lavaheadache
looks like it almost time for pci-e 2.0.

Maybe in a couple years if they still make high-end graphics cards.

 

[lavaheadache]

Are you implying that you think they are going to switch to something like a c/gpu in one package?

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: lavaheadache
Are you implying that you think they are going to switch to something like a c/gpu in one package?

AMD has said they will be in 2008, and I'm pretty sure intel is too.

 

[lavaheadache]

I see this as a likely solution but I dont think it is viable for everyone. Some people have different needs and I think there would have to be a lot of different combinations of "unichips". Life would be very dull if there were only options like low, medium and high, lol.

 

[bobsmith1492]

Originally posted by: SickBeast

Originally posted by: lavaheadache
Are you implying that you think they are going to switch to something like a c/gpu in one package?

AMD has said they will be in 2008, and I'm pretty sure intel is too.

Yeah, but only for the low-end (integrated style) video cards; high-end still has to be separate for access to high-speed video RAM and because GPUs are so huge die-size-wise. Hence the need for high-bandwidth interconnects remains.

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: bobsmith1492

Originally posted by: SickBeast

Originally posted by: lavaheadache
Are you implying that you think they are going to switch to something like a c/gpu in one package?

AMD has said they will be in 2008, and I'm pretty sure intel is too.

Yeah, but only for the low-end (integrated style) video cards; high-end still has to be separate for access to high-speed video RAM and because GPUs are so huge die-size-wise. Hence the need for high-bandwidth interconnects remains.

I have a feeling that multi-core GPUs will be very simple once they're on-die with the CPU, and the fact that they will be integrated will make up for the hit they will take in terms of video memory.

 

[Matt2]

Originally posted by: SickBeast

Originally posted by: bobsmith1492

Originally posted by: SickBeast

Originally posted by: lavaheadache
Are you implying that you think they are going to switch to something like a c/gpu in one package?

AMD has said they will be in 2008, and I'm pretty sure intel is too.

Yeah, but only for the low-end (integrated style) video cards; high-end still has to be separate for access to high-speed video RAM and because GPUs are so huge die-size-wise. Hence the need for high-bandwidth interconnects remains.

I have a feeling that multi-core GPUs will be very simple once they're on-die with the CPU, and the fact that they will be integrated will make up for the hit they will take in terms of video memory.

That may be where such CGPUs end up, but you wont see anything like that in 2008. It'll be more like 2011 before we see discreet graphics cards go away for good.

 

[aka1nas]

What will happen is that Nvidia will most likely get squeezed badly as their low-end, and then mid-range gets gradually gobbled up by the hybrid GPU/CPU chips. Hopefully they do get their own hybrid out and we have some competition.

 

[Matt2]

I didnt think Nvidia could make their own CPU? Something about not having the proper licenses?

 

[aka1nas]

AFAIK, they don't have a cross-license agreement for x86 like AMD does with Intel. There have been rumors to the effect that they will come up with something though. VIA still is able to make x86-compatible CPUs, so maybe it is currently legal if they come up with a clean-room implementation.

 

[5150Joker]

Originally posted by: aka1nas
AFAIK, they don't have a cross-license agreement for x86 like AMD does with Intel. There have been rumors to the effect that they will come up with something though. VIA still is able to make x86-compatible CPUs, so maybe it is currently legal if they come up with a clean-room implementation.

For a fabless company, nVidia is going to be in a world of hurt trying to build an x86 CPU from scratch without the benefit of cross-licensing. They'll be at the mercy of 3rd party foundries to build their processors which is bad for business in the CPU market and will probably be even worse in the CGPU market in a few years.