AMD Announces "Torrenza" Technology (possible motherboard PPU)

[ACESHIGH]

AMD Announces "Torrenza" Technology
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=2642

The new platform, says AMD, will utilize next-generation multi-core 64-bit processor that have the capability to work alongside specialized co-processors.

With Torrenza, AMD has designed what it calls an open architecture, based on the next wave of Opteron processors, which allow what AMD calls "Accelerators." Using the add-in accelerators, a system will be capable of peforming specialized calculations similar in fashion to the way we use GPUs today.

Because of its flexibility, the HyperTransport protocol allows a multitude of co-processor designs that are already compatible with systems on other platforms. For example, with Torrenza, specialized co-processors are able to sit directly into an Opteron socket, and communicate directly with the entire system. During the conference, Cray Inc. noted that it had worked with AMD to design a system where a system can contain even up to three different co-processors, all dedicated to specialized tasks

These could be used to add a Physics Processor i would imagine.

 

[kmistry]

Good article, and hopefully a PPU would be brilliant...

 

[Messiah Khan]

Well if Cray have been working with AMD, im expecting something decent.

 

[FrankJH]

Whether it works or not ( and I really hope it does - with Cray attached it should be good) I really amd for going a totally different route to Intel

I wonder whether they would be add in parts like a cpu - or something like onboard sound which are pre-mounted. I would personally prefer the former as it would make the initial payout cheaper - but then I guess the ppu or other co-processor would be more expensive (due to needing to be more robust etc), I guess t doesnt amtter that much

 

[PinkFloyd]

Sounds interesting

 

[BubbySoup]

Ahhh reminds me of the Amiga days with those snazzy plug-in accelerator cards with the faster cpu/fpu's on them.

 

[poltergeist666]

Ahhh reminds me of the Amiga days with those snazzy plug-in accelerator cards with the faster cpu/fpu's on them.

And Acorn, with the BBC and it's tube interface, where you could plug Z80 & 6502 processors into your system

 

[Sin_Chase]

This was announced some time ago, and it is more of a server advancement than a desktop one - There is a startup company which is producing low-cost 3rd party addin cards which exploit the open HT technology for specific processes, thier name escapes me.

We can all but hope this migrates too the desktop enviroment and the PPU is ported to support such an add-in card