November 5, 2012

Need for multi core processors

Today’s world is ripe with computing technology. Computing technology is all around us and it’s often difficult to decipher what is actually being offered at any given moment with any given advancement. Oftentimes advancements can come so quick that we do not take the time to understand the importance it has on our fields.
One such advancement in computing technology is Parallelism. Parallelism is defined by the execution of many computing calculations carried out simultaneously. The foundation behind parallelism is that large calculations can be completed quicker if they are divided into smaller calculations and all solved in parallel, hence the root definition of the word. Parallelism has just recently achieved mass popularity in the technology industry long after the advent of the microprocessor.
Recent physical constraints like power delivery and heat dissipation, and the need for higher clock frequencies have made single-core processors outdated. Parallel computing capabilities enabled in common software applications coupled with advances in microprocessor technologies have made multi-core processors the preferred architecture for today’s PCs. Multi- core processors standout and are differentiated by their core-count, or the amount of physical cores contained on the processor die itself. Core-count differentiates processors and is often used in the nomenclature: e.g. "Intel 2.6 GHz LGA 1155 Dual Core G620 Processor " and “AMD Phenom II X4 quad-core processor”.
Parallelism and multi-core processors go hand-in-hand. When large calculations are divided into many smaller calculations it is best to have dedicated technology resources ready to work on each of those smaller calculations simultaneously. This is where the performance of physical multi- core processors really begin to shine, and where multi-core processor technology shifts from a want to have to a must have.

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