Revolutionary CPU design (transparent threading)

• http://wccftech.com/amd-invest-cpu-i...soft-machines/
• http://semiaccurate.com/2014/10/23/s...-architecture/
• http://www.kitguru.net/components/cp...e-improvement/
• http://techreport.com/news/27259/cpu...c-architecture

VISC stands for Virtualized Instruction Set Computing and utilizes a new type of front bus which shuttles instructions in groups ("threads") to virtual cores which can be beefed up or down depending on workload. A virtual core can apportion resources from multiple real cores.

A startup company by the name of Soft Machines has just exited its “stealth” phase and gone public for the first time at the Linley Processor Conference. Which many startups go through to ensure that their ideas are protected and their principal goals are met before they go public.

“The VISC architecture achieves 3-4 times more instructions per cycle (IPC), resulting in 2-4 times higher performance per watt on single- and multi-threaded applications. Moreover, VISC uses a light-weight “virtual software layer” that makes VISC architecture applicable to existing as well as new software ecosystems.” The company claimed in its press release.

Here is what the ex-Intel head honcho has to say:

CPU scaling was declared dead when the power wall forced CISC- and RISC-based designs into multi-core implementations that require unrealistically complex multi-threading of sequential applications. The VISC architecture solves this problem ‘under the hood’ by running virtual hardware threads on virtual cores that far exceed the efficiency of software multi-threading.

Here's some more analysis:

The technology works by allowing multiple CPU cores to work on a single software thread. Something that was previously thought impossible. The company didn’t go into the specifics of how this is achieved but they state that it’s compatible with any ISA (Instruction Set Architecture). Meaning we could very well see this technology adopted by Samsung and AMD in ARM and x86 CPU architectures.

This is obviously important because it enables performance gains in single threaded applications when using multi-core CPUs. We no longer have to be as reliant on the software to be smart enough to fully utilize a multi-core CPU. And that’s indeed an exciting prospect to ponder upon if only briefly.

Ok and?

Massive performance boost on applications that only use one thread?

nice idea but i doubt it works properly. if it did intel would have already done it

interesting. itll be interesting to see what kind of overhead it introduces and, of course, if it actually works.

but, from a software development standpoint, if developers only had to deal with "the processor" rather than the intricate dance of effective milti threaded development then that would be nice for certain applications. if existing applications can also benefit then all the better.

Yeah I read it too, a couple of days ago, but since its far from being a consumer product I didn't posted it.

The idea is nice. Its the opposite of HT.

Imagine that instead of using lets say 1 core for 2 threads, its using 2 cores in one thread :).

This will make the devs lazy again so they will not have to build a game for multiple threads :D.

Oh wait, they are already lazy...

the sad realization.....

Kinda pointless, they need to focus on an easy way to split applications over 2+ cores without the devs having to do anything, that'll be impressive.

If there is a way to force this feature on older programs that are only single threaded then it be great

That is exactly what this technology is trying to do (devs only have to program for one thread like the old times, well some lazy devs are still doing it today LOL), so yeah if they succeed will be impressive!

As I understood it, it's about effective thread utilization in general. Not just the opposite of Hyperthreading but better threading.

Lazy devs?

I'm assuming none of you have actually developed multi-threaded software have you?

It's kind of like what the i7 cores do but more effective.

Also grabbed this interesting part of the article... I don't see Intel buying into this.

"Soft Machines has no plans to produce VISC processors itself, but it intends to license technology to those, who can use it.

Soft Machines was established around 2007 and since then has got $125 million from various companies and organizations, including AMD, GlobalFoundries, Samsung as well as govern-ment investment funds from Abu Dhabi (Mubadala), Russia (Rusnano and RVC), and Saudi Arabia (KACST and Taqnia). Sanjay Jha, chief executive officer of GlobalFoundries, is the chairman of Soft Machines. At present Soft Machines has more than 250 employees and 75+ issued patents."

I doubt they've done anything reasonably difficult much less something as complicated as software/video game development. The only people who can say crap like that with a straight face are either children or know-nothing-do-nothing mouth breathers.

If they succeed no doubt that we are going to see cpu's at 1GHz with 50-100 cores, and at the same time all applications will only require to be single threaded like the old times in order to utilize the cpu 100%.