====== 2009.12.04 - here come the cores ======

just a few days ago i've wrote, after [[wp>Herb Sutter]], that [[blog:2009.11.28|the free lunch is over]] and here it comes -- in response to AMD's 24-core computer shown on the beginning of the year, two days ago Intel shown [[http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=825|48-core processor]] (yes -- procesor, not computer!). this time it seems to be far more than a show off. processor includes 48 fully equipped IA cores, arranged in pair of dual-cores, interconnected via 2D mesh network (24 nodes). article does not mention that, but it seems pretty sure that this is [[wp>non-uniform memory access|NUMA]] architecture. interesting topic is also efficiency of [[docs:cache_usage_effects_on_modern_cpus:cache_usage_effects_on_modern_cpus|cache coherency]] protocol used there.

debate can be long, but in general the cutting edge technology trend is obvious.