Intel shows the future 48-core processor

9th December, 2009 by Adina
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Intel has revealed the SCC (Single-chip Cloud Computer) it intends to use on long-term future. The chip is a version of an early 100-core project, actually a 48-core processor. It shares a unique network, each one of the x86 cores being able to communicate with each other at its full speed, where the cloud computing name comes from. The new chip is very efficient while using new energy management that makes it to consume less than 125W when fully loaded and 25W when all of the 48 cores are active.

The main difficulty is the optimization of the processor software, according to Intel, as most software is designed to work with a significantly smaller number of cores and needs redesign in order to be able to provide multitasking that efficiently uses the increased number of cores. Java-based Hadoop was used to achieve portability with cloud computing applications, but Intel intends to reach the home area with CPUs of this magnitude and that is why different software is fully needed. For example, the process consisting in rerouting of tasks to specific cores will be simplified by using Grand Central Dispatch in Apple’s Mac OS X Snow Leopard.

Some visionary applications that use parallelism to recognize the environment by using a camera and triggering interactions and overlays regardless of using input or not will be soon possible. This way, an accurate 3D image of the clothes that a customer wares in a store could be easily shown.

Some features of the SCC, not known yet, will show up when Intel’s processor line will be available in 2010. Intel has not said how soon production designs resembling closely to the prototype will be available. What is known is that six-core processors, such as Core i9 and Xeon will not be shipped until early 2010. Eight-core processors are likely to be ready later next year.


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