Raza Acquires AMD's "Alchemy" MIPS-based Processors
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AMD's "Torrenza" is an open, x86 platform that leverages the Direct Connect Architecture and HyperTransport capabilities of the AMD64 architecture to enable other processor and hardware providers to innovate within a common ecosystem. AMD hopes "Torrenza" will enable a global innovation community to develop and deploy application-specific co-processors to work alongside AMD processors in multi-socket systems. The first phase of "Torrenza" enabled partner silicon chipsets. The next phase will entail licensing of coherent HyperTransport to members of a global ecosystem.
http://www.razamicroelectronics.com
http://www.amd.com
13-Jun-06
Innerestin'.
Cell processor for your computer.
It could also be an interesting in-between for dedicated-function and general-purpose supercomputing. Say you have a 5000-node system that mainly does nuclear simulation, but otherwise does other jobs. Have a chip designed and produced specifically for your type of calculations, and you could probably triple the speed of the supercomputer, but it wouldn't be entirely useless for other tasks either.
bttt