| IBM launches dual-core PowerPC 970 chip |
Jul. 08, 2005
IBM has launched a dual-core version of its 64-bit PowerPC 970 (G5) chip at a "Power Everywhere" event in Tokyo. The dual-core 970MP has 1MB of L2 cache for each core, and clocks from 1.4 to 2.5 GHz. IBM additionally announced improved power management for the 970FX.
IBM's "Power Everywhere" events are part of its effort to cultivate an open-source like ecosystem around the Power architecture. The inaugural Power Everywhere event took place on April Fools Day, 2004, where open-source-like licensing terms for the architecture were first revealed.
970MP
IBM describes its PowerPC 970MP as a dual-core version of the 970FX or "G5" chip used in current Apple Macintosh desktop and server systems. It says the dual-core, 64-bit, SMP-capable chip offers low-cost, high-performance, and a small package. The 970MP will be available at clock speeds from 1.4 to 2.5GHz, and will target entry-level servers and embedded applications such as HPC (high-performance computing) clusters, high-density computing, storage, SBCs (single-board computers) and high-performance networking applications.
According to IBM, each of the 970MP's cores has 1MB of dedicated L2 cache, said to result in performance that more than doubles that of the 970FX. The new chip supports frequency and voltage scaling of both cores, and the second core can be placed in a doze state or completely powered down if desired.
An eWEEK story last month said Apple will adopt the 970MP in future Power Macintosh computers, pending its transition to the Intel architecture.
970FX low-power extensions
The 970FX is built on 90nm process technology, and was previously considered the fastest available PowerPC chip. Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced last month that Apple would switch to Intel, citing Intel's stronger processor roadmap and processing power-per-Watt. However, embedded Linux vendors were quick to line up behind the 970FX when it began sampling last fall. Vendors supporting the chip include TimeSys, LynuxWorks, and Wind River.
At its Power Everywhere event in Tokyo this week, IBM announced new low-power extensions to the PowerPC 970FX, targeting clients who want an SMP-capable 64-bit chip with a sub-20 Watt power envelope. Power draw for a 1.4GHz part is claimed to be 13W, while a 1.6GHz part draws 16W under typical workloads. The chips target imaging and networking, among other embedded applications.
The 970FX is available at clock speeds up to 2.7GHz. It has a 512KB L2 cache, native 64-bit and 32-bit application compatibility, and a high bandwidth processor bus capable of delivering a claimed 7.1 GB/s to keep the processor core and the SIMD/Vector engine fed with data.
IBM says the 970FX's processor core can dispatch five instructions per cycle, and issue one instruction per cycle to each of its ten execution units, including two fixed point, two floating point, two load store, two vector and two system units. The L1 instruction cache holds 64 KB, the L1 data cache holds 32 KB.
New Power.org members
At its Power Everywhere event in Tokyo, IBM also announced new Power.org members that include:- Denali Software -- An EDA and IP product vendor for design, integration and verification of standard interfaces
- HCL Technologies -- A global IT and engineering services provider
- Xilinx -- A vendor of advanced integrated circuits, software design tools, and intellectual property
Additional details about the Power ecosystem can be found at the Open Power Project website, where developers can sign up for shell accounts on IBM PowerPC servers.
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