Is The GPU The Next CPU?

KingFish (KingFish) A recent technical paper from the University of Washington explores the computing power of a GPU (graphics processing unit) doing the chores of a cpu.

May 9, 2004 1:37 PM ET in News,

A recent technical paper from the University of Washington explores the computing power of a GPU (graphics processing unit) doing the chores of a cpu.

Graphics hardware similar to the hardware discussed in this paper is available in the majority of consumer oriented desktop PCs sold today, as well as in the Microsoft Xbox game console. This means that commodity hardware is being shipped with vector units capable of previously inconceivable—and largely untapped—computational power.

This is a dry technical paper but begins the ball rolling on some ideas in threads brought up in the folding forum previously. -KingFish

Source: Univ. of Washington

4 Comments:

  1. Thrax
    9 May '04, 6:14 pm

    For example, the Playstation 2 cluster that was recently assembled uses the GPU for its primary processing power, instead of the PS2's CPU.

    Though the PS2 is much different from our computer, or an XBoX, it raises a point. When the GPU isn't doing anything, could it work in tandem with the CPU to boost processing power?

  2. csimon
    10 May '04, 12:30 am

    I knew they'd have gpu's folding before the fat lady sings!

  3. mmonnin
    10 May '04, 1:38 am

    Im looking into that csimon. Be sure I am.

  4. Straight_Man
    10 May '04, 3:38 am
    Quoting KingFish

    A recent technical paper from the University of Washington explores the computing power of a GPU (graphics processing unit) doing the chores of a cpu.

    This is a dry technical paper but begins the ball rolling on some ideas in threads brought up in the folding forum previously. -KingFish

    Source: Univ. of Washington

    GPUs of most modern kind can use SOI tech and some specialized ones can use optronics methods. However, remember one thing-- they need REAL, REAL, fast RAM support to be fully efficient
    . Think of the price of 256 MB GRAM cards, and think three times that for a GIG of same speed in DIMMs, if the motherboard bus could support it without them having to be soldered on. But, agreed, we WILL have features from GPUs in CPUs. Intel is going to SOI and Optronics type things as fast as possible (announced offically by Intel at WinHEC). My guess is, AMD will also. Time frame, 2-3 years, outside.

Troll-free since 2003 ®