The Future of CPUs: What's After Multi-Core?

[her34]

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The current situation in the PC world is very similar to that of 20 years ago. Back then, it wasn?t uncommon for a computer to have several processors, which is why we call the processor the central processing unit (CPU). The CPU took on general-purpose calculations and coordinated the activities of the other processors. Commonly, workstations and high-end PCs also had a floating-point unit (FPU) that handled floating-point operations. Starting with the 80486, the FPU was on the same die as the CPU. Another common addition was a memory management unit (MMU). This unit handled the translation between real and virtual memory; these days, you?d be hard-pressed to find a CPU without an MMU built in. A modern computer has a CPU and a parallel coprocessor. It doesn?t take much of a leap to imagine that Intel will eventually start adding a GPU core or two to its CPUs.

some questions to ponder:

1) when cpu and gpu merge, i'm curious what people will have to purchase to get more fps in their games. especially with rumors of ati eventually elimating the add-in card products.

a faster chip? or will there be variations that have more gpu pipelines like there are cpu's with more cache today? or simply buy a gpu card as we do today?


2) how will clock speed affect the cpu/gpu chip considering that cpu cores are 5x faster than gpu cores today? will cpu be some multiple of gpu?


3) is this scenario possible:
cpu/gpu chips become commonplace, game engines are written for them and return to being software based like halflife1, developers stop writing game engines to support gpu cards because they represent a minority of the market, gpu cards thus are eliminated?

 

[Zepper]

Quantum processors?

.bh.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Integrated cooling with carbon nanotubes...

 

[Ayah]

Quantum computing is the way of the future!

 

[BladeVenom]

There's also Optical computers and DNA computers.

 

[Bateluer]

I see cooling a combined GPU/CPU as an issue. Upgrading might be a little easier, if more expensive, though only if the socket/slot the xPU is in remains the same through multiple xPU revisions.

 

[jackschmittusa]

Ultra high speed internet connections will eliminate the need for personal computers. All apps will be one time rental or subscription services. You will have a monitor (perhaps true 3D), speakers, a mic, and an input device (virtual kb perhaps?), and a small box to connect to the internet. The only local storage will be removable (thumbdrive, memory card).

The small boxes will be everywhere. Your thumbdrive/card will have the necessary info to transfer funds, subscription/membership info, and your personal settings.

Not sure if personal printers will be an item. We will become so used to paying for everything, we may just use printers that will be everywhere the little boxes are.

The only free content on the internet will be add sponsored, corporprate info sites, perhaps some value added stuff on retail sites, sites operating on an endowment or grant, and government info.

The only harware differences worth noting will be the size and type of monitor and input device you use.

Perhaps this is further into the future than you wanted to go, but I do not think it is too far off.

 

[her34]

Originally posted by: jackschmittusa
Ultra high speed internet connections will eliminate the need for personal computers. All apps will be one time rental or subscription services. You will have a monitor (perhaps true 3D), speakers, a mic, and an input device (virtual kb perhaps?), and a small box to connect to the internet. The only local storage will be removable (thumbdrive, memory card).

The small boxes will be everywhere. Your thumbdrive/card will have the necessary info to transfer funds, subscription/membership info, and your personal settings.

Not sure if personal printers will be an item. We will become so used to paying for everything, we may just use printers that will be everywhere the little boxes are.

The only free content on the internet will be add sponsored, corporprate info sites, perhaps some value added stuff on retail sites, sites operating on an endowment or grant, and government info.

The only harware differences worth noting will be the size and type of monitor and input device you use.

Perhaps this is further into the future than you wanted to go, but I do not think it is too far off.

sounds very larry ellison, which bill gates will fight to the end

 

[BladeVenom]

Microsoft already expected that to happen. I think that was part of the reason for making Internet Explorer, and for making Web TV. They were wrong then and that idea is still wrong for the foreseeable future. Actually the opposite is happening, look at Seti and Folding@home.

 

[Jaepheth]

How far away are CVD diamond processors?

 

[her34]

AMD Touts ?Fusion? Platforms ? CPU/GPU Silicon to Become Available in 2008.

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[magomago]

Originally posted by: her34

Originally posted by: jackschmittusa
Ultra high speed internet connections will eliminate the need for personal computers. All apps will be one time rental or subscription services. You will have a monitor (perhaps true 3D), speakers, a mic, and an input device (virtual kb perhaps?), and a small box to connect to the internet. The only local storage will be removable (thumbdrive, memory card).

The small boxes will be everywhere. Your thumbdrive/card will have the necessary info to transfer funds, subscription/membership info, and your personal settings.

Not sure if personal printers will be an item. We will become so used to paying for everything, we may just use printers that will be everywhere the little boxes are.

The only free content on the internet will be add sponsored, corporprate info sites, perhaps some value added stuff on retail sites, sites operating on an endowment or grant, and government info.

The only harware differences worth noting will be the size and type of monitor and input device you use.

Perhaps this is further into the future than you wanted to go, but I do not think it is too far off.

sounds very larry ellison, which bill gates will fight to the end

Unless of course microsoft is making the software that runs on these uber servers

 

[zephyrprime]

I hope we never get the network subscription model of computing. Why do I say this you ask? Because the cost of computing will go UP. No matter how cheap computing gets, a subscription provider will want to charge you $50 a month to use their system. Look at the telephone system now. It cost virtually nothing to provide phone service becuae of digital technology which even analog phones actually use at phone company switching stations but my phone bill is still $$$.