Intel Touts Core Multiplexing Technology

by Anton Shilov
06/27/2006 | 09:58 AM

Intel Corp. may have another trump in its sleeves, which has never been discussed before. Apparently, the company has a feature called central processing unit (CPU) Core Multiplexing Technology, which is already supported by its mainboards. Unfortunately, nobody knows for sure what does it do, but some believe that it actually boosts performance of single-threaded applications on multi-core processors.

The most recent release notes for version 1304 BIOS update for Intel Desktop Board B975XBX mainboard state that “CPU Core Multiplexing Technology BIOS setup option” has been removed from main page”, which should be a confirmation that either the technology that has never been discussed before is in development, is available in certain not introduced chips or has been abandoned from certain processors without being enabled.

Neither Intel, nor press have never talked about the CPU Core Multiplexing Technology, however, visitors of forums at XtremeSystems.org web-site dedicated to overclocking and tweaking believes that the technology was intended to boost performance in single-threaded applications on multi-core processors.

“We will support the disabling of one core in BIOS in a future BIOS rev.,” said Daniel Snyder, a spokesman for Intel Corp., when asked about the background of the technology. This means that once one core is disabled, the whole 2MB or 4MB cache reservoir on microprocessors that have shared level-two (L2) cache will be usable by one processing engine, which should boost performance in applications that cannot take advantage of two executing cores.

It is highly-likely that the feature will only work on the upcoming Core 2 processors code-named Conroe, which have shared L2 cache between its cores. It is also likely that the capability will allow quad-core chips to act like two dual-core processors in situations when four processing engines cannot be used efficiently.

It is uncertain how the CPU Core Multiplexing Technology correlates with Intel Advanced Smart Cache tech that allows one of two processing cores to use the entire memory reservoir if necessary while the other is idle and whether the two features carry different names while performing the same operation.

Recently it was reported that Intel’s arch-rival Advanced Micro Devices may introduce a feature that would increase performance of single-threaded applications on multi-core microprocessors.