The Cell Architecture

The Cell Architecture grew from a challenge posed by Sony and Toshiba to provide power-efficient and cost-effective high-performance processing for a wide range of applications, including the most demanding consumer appliance: game consoles. Cell - also known as the Cell Broadband Engine Architecture (CBEA) - is an innovative solution whose design was based on the analysis of a broad range of workloads in areas such as cryptography, graphics transform and lighting, physics, fast-Fourier transforms (FFT), matrix operations, and scientific workloads. As an example of innovation that ensures the clients' success, a team from IBM Research joined forces with teams from IBM Systems Technology Group, Sony and Toshiba, to lead the development of a novel architecture that represents a breakthrough in performance for consumer applications. IBM Research participated throughout the entire development of the architecture, its implementation and its software enablement, ensuring the timely and efficient application of novel ideas and technology into a product that solves real challenges.

AMD Athlon II X3 435 CPU Review

Many users believe that the times of dual-core processors are coming to an end. However, so far there haven’t been any inexpensive processors with more than two cores in the market. Today AMD is correcting this: the new triple-core 45 nm CPUs are priced starting at $76!

Today, when Windows 7 OS launch is getting closer by day, AMD is rolling out quite a few new processors. Most of these CPUs are energy-efficient solutions from Athlon II family with two and four computational cores and relatively low clock frequencies, which maximum calculated thermal design power is 45 W. However, a few “standard” 95 W Athlon II X3 400 processors also got in-between their energy-efficient fellows. These are the products that are of primary interest to us today, because so far AMD hasn’t had any triple-core CPUs from Athlon II family, i.e. without L3 cache memory.
The launch of triple-core Athlon II X3 CPUs can hardly be called a big surprise. Being an exclusive manufacturer of processors like that, AMD pays special attention to these solutions. They are great from marketing as well as technical standpoints. On the one hand, Phenom II X3 and Athlon II X3 CPU series provide the company with an extra way of putting partially defective quad-core dies (with the defects in one of the cores) to good use. On the other hand, triple-core AMD processors are positioned as an alternative to dual-core Intel CPUs, which definitely appeals to those users that have already felt the benefits of multi-core architectures.
Since AMD cannot offer high-performance processors that could successfully compete against Intel Nehalem based CPUs, they chose different approach. The company focused on inexpensive solutions that would be superior in functionality to Core 2 Quad, Core 2 Duo and Pentium processors within the same price range. For example, new triple-core Athlon II X3 are targeted for sub-$90 price range, which means that they are competitors to dual-core Pentium processors recently enhanced by Intel by raising their clock frequencies and introducing 1067 MHz bus support.
By launching Athlon II X3 processors AMD concludes the expansion of their product lineup using 45 nm cores. Now the CPUs from this manufacturer start lining up according to very strict hierarchy: top CPUs have L3 cache and are called Phenom II, junior models have no L3 cache and are called Athlon II. However, there are quad-, triple- and dual-core processors in both CPU series.

Intel Core2 Duo E6600

Built on the innovative Intel Core microarchitecture, the Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 processor features two independent processor cores in one physical package operating at 2.4GHz with a full 4MB L2 cache and a 1066MHz FSB to provide truly parallel computing for enhanced multi-application performance. PC users are running multiple, intense software applications simultaneously and demanding more on hardware resources. In office, PC usage has changed from data entry and word processing to e-Commerce, online collaboration and an ever-increasing need for continual security and virus protection. In the home, interests have shifted from low-bandwidth photos and Internet surfing to downloading and viewing high definition videos as well as advanced photo and video editing. The all-new Intel Core 2 Duo processor was developed to meet all these demands. There are reviewers who say that this is a CPU design for Intel which will really change the industry and what gamers consider as the CPU of choice. Other features including Intel Wide Dynamic Execution, Intel Smart Memory Access, Intel Advanced Smart Cache and Intel Digital Media Boost, all help the processor do more in less time.