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| Multicore GPU and Fusion |
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Hardware Upgrade: There are many rumors floating around hinting at a multicore GPU architecture. We are aware that GPUs are multicore architectures by nature, as they are composed of many simple parallel processing units that are extremely fast. Can you tell us what kind of evolutions the GPU will undergo as a result of the GPGPU market that will make the GPU not limited to only 3D rendering anymore? Where does Fusion come into play?
Giuseppe Amato: During an Analyst Meeting in 2006 we pointed out some of the future trends of our products, one of which was the use of parallel GPUs. In fact, there will be new architectures that use both a CPU and GPU. In this architecture, processes that are more suited to the GPU will be assigned to the GPU. A large error that has been made regarding Fusion is that people are thinking that this type of architecture will only be a single chip package architecture, meaning both the GPU and GPU are to be integrated on the same die.
With Fusion we’ll be able to offer single chip and multichip products, which will also make it possible to have parallel GPUs in the same architecture. So far AMD has not made a final decision solidifying the future of Fusion, but this is a possible route we might take. If we consider existing low consumption CPUs and GPUs, like our Radeon HD 2400 GPU that has a TDP of about 30 Watts, it is likely that some future Fusion products may eventually integrate a CPU and GPU, connected through Crossfire technology, and still have a total TDP within 120 Watts.
Hardware Upgrade: What kinds of technologies do you expect AMD to use in the manufacturing of complex architectures like Fusion, where the GPU and CPU are going to be integrated on the same die?
Giuseppe Amato: After developing a native quad-core processor, AMD now possesses all of the technologies it needs to develop Fusion architectures. Whether it is a native solution with serveral cores integrated in the same die, similar to what we are using for Barcelona, or a multi-die package (author’s note: the same architecture used by Intel for its Core 2 Quad chips) composed of two separate silicon die installed on the same package, AMD is open to all technological evolutions that the market requires.
Hardware Upgrade: What type of role will Hypertransport technology play in these future architectures?
Giuseppe Amato: Hypertransport is only one element that will guarantee remarkable flexibility in the composition of these architectures. Our plans of Fusion will allow us to integrate a specific number of GPU and CPU cores depending on the customer and the uses for which they will use the chip. CPUs and GPUs are common IP Blocks that we can integrate and install on the products depending on the customer's needs.
AMD's goal is to provide products that specifically suit the needs of its customers. This is the reason why AMD should not simply be regarded as a conventional processor manufacturer, but as a system company that is able to produce and supply products for its customers that are complete solutions.
Hardware Upgrade: GPU manufacturers have been talking a lot about how other corporations can use GPGPU, but not much of how they use it themselves. In which ways has AMD used GPGPU to increase productivity? Can you give us any specific examples of how AMD is or will be using GPUs in its factories?
Giuseppe Amato: An actual use will be in wafer image recognition, a process that is usually carried out in the clean rooms of internal foundries. Once a processor wafer has been manufactured, it undergoes a check that uses extremely expensive and complex probing machinery to perform a visual check of the wafer. The test tells exactly which dies are correctly working and which are not. In the future, it is likely that GPUs will be used for these kinds of operations, which are extremely demanding in terms of processing power. The increased processing power of the GPU will allow more wafers to be produced each day, thus helping to reduce the bottleneck in chip production.
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