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from the factory-is-probably-already-compromised-by-NSA dept.
The Moscow Center for SPARC Technologies has released a quad-core chip built on a 65 nm process:
Despite the company's own name, the chip is actually built on the proprietary "Elbrus" instruction set architecture and not on SPARC. The CPU cores are clocked only at 800 MHz each, and the chip is manufactured on a rather old 65 nm process. The chip has a TDP of 45 W, which isn't too bad considering its target market [of high-performance PCs and servers].
However, the performance may be lacking. Going by the MCST's own benchmarks (shown above and below), the CPU is only compared with older Atom chips that used to target netbooks or (also old) "Pentium-M" notebook processors. Even if the Elbrus-4C wins by a large margin in the floating point score, it does so against obsolete processors. When it is compared against the others for integer performance, the difference is much smaller.
The Register speculates that this chip may be the first effort to wean Russia off of "compromised" Intel and AMD processors.
The Elbrus 4c used in the PCs and servers is said to support two instruction sets: very long instruction word and SPARC. It's also said to be capable of x86 emulation, and to run Linux natively, after one performs binary translation.
The Elbrus ARM-401 PC is a minitower packing a version of Linux also called Elbrus and boasts four USB 2.0 ports, a PCI-express slot, gigabit ethernet and not much more. The CPU is apparently capable of running Doom 3, enabling Russian gamers to go fragging like it's 2004.
The Server Elbrus 4.4 is a four-socket affair and four of the machines fit into a 1U chassis. Gigabit ethernet, SATA and plenty of PCI slots connect it to other kit and the rest of the worlds.
MCST has announced the products are on sale, but don't expect an online configurator at which you can run up a rig and get a live price: the outfit offers just the sales@mcst.ru email address for would-be buyers.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Tuesday May 12 2015, @06:46AM
whenever a smaller process is introduced, a lot of phenomenally expensive fab equipment becomes obsolete. By using a 65 nm process, this chip can be manufactured by fabs that might otherwise be sitting idle.
ARM cores are that way too - they are designed in such a way that you can make them with yesterday's fabs.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 12 2015, @06:53AM
I'm using a 65 nm processor right now! Finally, I'm trendy again.
(Score: 3, Funny) by FatPhil on Tuesday May 12 2015, @12:31PM
Don't make me wave my 8" floppies around - I might take someone's eye out!
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 3, Interesting) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Tuesday May 12 2015, @07:28AM
Even if the circuit schematic were identical, the physical design of chips with smaller feature sizes are significantly different. Once a new process becomes available, it's a significant amount of work for the hardware designers to shrink their designs.
I studied analog and digital electronics at UCSC, but in a course taught by the physics department meant to enable us to design and build our own experimental apparatus. The analog professor, David Dorfan - and a rather outspoken fellow - pointed out that analog was not required for a EE degree. "I can see how they can design their circuits," he griped, "but I don't understand how they can get them to work."
I myself cured a Solaris server hang by replacing a whole bunch of serial cables, with cables that had lower capacitance per unit lengths, this because of capacitive coupling that led the login prompt to be regarded as the username. The detective work was quite cool but I don't have the headspace to explain it just now.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2) by CoolHand on Tuesday May 12 2015, @11:31AM
Did you mean he was your digital professor? That quote would make a lot more sense to me if so.. If not, then to whom does "they" refer in his quote? The digital people?
Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job-Douglas Adams
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 12 2015, @02:58PM
I guess the analog professor wondered how the digital people could get their circuits to work without having learned the analog stuff.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Wednesday May 13 2015, @12:06AM
he was griping about UCSC's Electrical Engineering department. One could obtain a EE degree without ever studying analog.
While electronics was an elective for Physics students, the physics department's analog course was a prerequisite for the physics department's digital course.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 3, Insightful) by gnuman on Tuesday May 12 2015, @03:43PM
By using a 65 nm process, this chip can be manufactured by fabs that might otherwise be sitting idle.
It is very unlikely these things sit idle. There are tons of "low speed" ICs that need to be manufactured.