Overview
ABSTRACT
This article gives an overview of the evolution of computer architecture, specifying the place and role of each individual "hardware" item. It goes on to show the relationships between semiconductor technology, architectural concepts and the needs of large classes of applications that use these computers, either visible (PCs or servers) or embedded (onboard and mobile systems). Increased clock frequency enabled by successive generations of CMOS technology was the key factor in performance gains until the early 2000s. Now the "heat wall", prohibiting frequencies above 4 GHz, has caused a shift towards parallel architectures (multi-cores, GPU, hardware accelerators) to continue enhancing performance
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Daniel ETIEMBLE : Engineer from INSA Lyon - Professor Emeritus, Université Paris Sud
INTRODUCTION
This article has two main objectives. The first is to give an overview of the evolution of computer architecture. This will help clarify the place and role of each of the individual articles in the "Hardware" section of this treatise. The second is to show the link between semiconductor technology, architectural concepts and the needs of the major classes of applications that use these computers, whether visible (PCs and servers) or invisible (embedded and mobile systems). While the increase in clock frequencies linked to successive generations of CMOS technology was the key factor in increasing performance until the early 2000s, the "wall of heat" prohibiting frequencies above 4 GHz triggered a shift towards parallel architectures (multi-core, GPUs, hardware gas pedals) to be able to continue increasing performance.
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KEYWORDS
CPU | multi-core | GPU | CMOS technology | heat wall | memory wall
Evolution of computer architecture
Drivers of evolution
Bibliography
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