And we thought Tegra 3 was overkill
Intel boffins are working on a 48-core chip for smartphones and tablets, but don’t expect to see it anytime soon. The development could take between five and ten years.
Anaylsts reckon the superchip could have a profound effect on our computing habits. Analyst Pat Moorhead said the chip could finally allow the industry to do things that take too much processing power today.
"This could really open up our concept of what is a computer... The phone would be smart enough to not just be a computer but it could be my computer," he said.
The trouble is coming up with the best way to utilize multiple cores on a single device. Intel researcher Tanausu Ramirez said the 48-chip should be able to use different cores to decode video at the same time, resulting in a more seamless video experience. Also, a multicore design could improve efficiency, as the chip could use a bunch of cores in parallel rather than one core running at high clocks.
"The chip also can take the energy and split it up and distribute it between different applications," he added.
Intel CTO Justin Rattner believes the new chip could be ready much sooner than the researchers think. Let’s hope he is right.
More here.
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