Researchers create first true 3D processor, turns chips into cubes
By Donald Melanson 
posted September 16th 2008 4:34PM
posted September 16th 2008 4:34PM
While others have touted 3D processors in the past, a group of researchers from the University of Rochester are now claiming that they've developed the first true 3D processor (with a little help from MIT), and they've got it running at a decent 1.4GHz, no less. Dubbed the "Rochester Cube," the processor was apparently designed from the ground up to optimize all key processing functions vertically, unlike other 3D processors which simply stack a bunch of regular processors on top of one another. Among other things, the researchers say that allows the processors to be shrunk to as much as a tenth their size of their traditional counterparts, while also increasing their speed tenfold. Unsurprisingly, they aren't making any promises as to when such a magical processor might find its way into some actual products, but whenever it does, it'll no doubt be facing some stiff competition from some other purported processor breakthroughs.
[Via DailyTech, image courtesy 3DStereo.com]
[Via DailyTech, image courtesy 3DStereo.com]
20GHz processor? Oh, yeah.
Clock frequency is a meaningless metric except when comparing two chips of the same layout.
o mio.
how i HATE explaining that to n00bs. its SO difficult! "wait. you mean the 2.3Ghz AMD might me faster than the 3.0 ghz intel chip?!" "YES!!"
Hey it's not just the noobs! I was looking at a computer game in the store 2 days ago. On the box under system requirements it said: "2.0ghz processor or equivalent". My first thought was: A 2ghz WHAT?
LIFE-LIKE ACTION and EXCITEMENT!
this could make for interestingly shaped heatsinks.
Water cooled seems to be the only way at the minute according to IBM
Water cooling like this, to be exact:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7439406.stm
Built in watercooling. Woot? I bet if they ever take this idea up then AMD/Intel watercoolers will be just as dull as their standard air coolers.
Now put in a few billion low clock speed cores, each one connected to a few other million, and you've got a silicon brain.
They will probably just drop them in a vat of vegetable oil.
"Now put in a few billion low clock speed cores, each one connected to a few other million, and you've got a silicon brain"
or a Borg cube...
[sigh] should have read the next post before trying to be funny......
mmmmmmm..... Potato Cubes.....
Core meltdown.
we are Borg
Where have you been You're very own phanbouy has been having an hissy fit.
too many stalkers too little time
I'm the only one that matters though right phan?
well, you and Anonymoose but that joker's never around anymore
yes he's back, thank god please tell us about how bloated silverlight is! i forgot!
let's get this party started, right!
*headdesk*
@phanbouy fan fan
Let's get drunk and freaky fly
Great. Now the same amount of heat energy has to dissipate through an even smaller surface.
How do they plan to solve this cooling problem?
I'd assume pumping coolant straight into it.
My above comment goes to you too. IBM have been watercooling by pumping ice cold water through small canals in the middle of the cube.
liquid nitrogen ?
no worries, this chip will also has a built in gps and wont work unless you are at the earths poles
I imagine that 3D motherboards will soon follow, shaped like a bunch of cardboard cutouts with notches jammed together.
The next loical step would be the 4D CPU. Imagine, a processor that can harness the entire computational power of a modern CPU over the life of a few years...
Of course, it would probably be impractical, because as power increases, life shortens...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cm_rLXFivM&feature=related
I've been waiting for this to happen 3D cube means shorter distances
Autobots, Roll Out!
Xbox720 FTW!!
Core meltdown.
I love playing Wii and being British be play soccer games a lot - though resident evil 4 rocks too! Anyway here is a parody for the advert. :-)
http://www.on365.co.uk/video.html
mmmm...sugar cube!
Can it play Crysis... in 3D?
Am I the only one that noticed TFA says everything twice?