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AaronEvil
The GuitarVillain



Registered: 09/27/04
Posts: 1,706
Loc: California
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Cell Processor question
#7690667 - 11/28/07 01:52 PM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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Ive been reading about this technology for a while since it is used in the PS3. I have never read anything about it literally being 8 cores per processor just that there are 8 SPE's which act as allocated memory to enhance the performance of the CPU. Am I right about this or are the SPE's infact a core?
My understanding is that the SPE's acted like L1 cache except you can allocate it however you want where as L1 cache is automated.
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There is not a lot of difference between a fox hole and a grave; but knowing that you dug your ditch and climbed in anyway.
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Seuss
Error: divide byzero



Registered: 04/27/01
Posts: 23,480
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Re: Cell Processor question [Re: AaronEvil]
#7691117 - 11/28/07 03:42 PM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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> Am I right about this or are the SPE's infact a core?
Almost a core. The SPEs have a turing complete architecture, but they cannot function without the PPE to configure them first. It would be inaccurate to think of SPEs as memory, the majority of the computing power from the cell comes from the work that the SPEs perform. Better to think of SPEs as dedicated coprocessors that are tightly coupled.
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AaronEvil
The GuitarVillain



Registered: 09/27/04
Posts: 1,706
Loc: California
Last seen: 12 years, 8 months
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Re: Cell Processor question [Re: Seuss]
#7691208 - 11/28/07 04:09 PM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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Ah I see.
So would this technology be used in anything other than a console gaming system? It doesnt seem like it would be able to handle the full functions of a computer.
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There is not a lot of difference between a fox hole and a grave; but knowing that you dug your ditch and climbed in anyway.
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RuNE
bomberman


Registered: 09/23/00
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Re: Cell Processor question [Re: AaronEvil]
#7691390 - 11/28/07 04:48 PM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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Could try and cure cancer. 
http://www.shroomery.org/6285/Join-the-Shroomerys-Folding-Home-Team

The PS3 *owns* most regular PC's in folding, even the dual cores.
-------------------- ~Happy sailing~
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Seuss
Error: divide byzero



Registered: 04/27/01
Posts: 23,480
Loc: Caribbean
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Re: Cell Processor question [Re: AaronEvil]
#7691855 - 11/28/07 06:12 PM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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> So would this technology be used in anything other than a console gaming system?
The system is very good at computational problems. The downside is that the chip is very difficult to program. You really have to be good to keep all eight SPEs busy without having to wait on one another for information or resources.
-------------------- Just another spore in the wind.
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AaronEvil
The GuitarVillain



Registered: 09/27/04
Posts: 1,706
Loc: California
Last seen: 12 years, 8 months
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Re: Cell Processor question [Re: RuNE]
#7693185 - 11/28/07 11:19 PM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
RuNE said: The PS3 *owns* most regular PC's in folding, even the dual cores.
It doesnt own my PC but I always have to have the best.
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There is not a lot of difference between a fox hole and a grave; but knowing that you dug your ditch and climbed in anyway.
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Seuss
Error: divide byzero



Registered: 04/27/01
Posts: 23,480
Loc: Caribbean
Last seen: 2 months, 20 days
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Re: Cell Processor question [Re: AaronEvil]
#7693610 - 11/29/07 03:21 AM (16 years, 2 months ago) |
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> It doesnt own my PC but I always have to have the best.
Depends upon the metric. I suspect that if you measured throughput versus watts of energy consumed, your PC would lose terribly. Very low power was one of the original design considerations on the cell chip and was kept as a high priority throughout the design process.
-------------------- Just another spore in the wind.
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