Future processors: Flexible and modular

Abstract

The ability to continue increasing processor frequency and single thread performance is being severely limited by exponential increases in leakage and active power. To continue to improve system performance, future designs will rely on increasing numbers of smaller, more power efficient cores and special purpose accelerators integrated on a chip. In this paper, we describe how these trends are leading to more modular, SoC-like designs for future processor chips, which can still achieve very high throughput performance while using simplified components and a cost efficient design methodology. Copyright 2005 ACM.