The Cell Processor Gets Previewed

Cell Processor Architecture under Investigation

by Yaroslav Lyssenko

[ 07/07/2005 | 09:35 PM ]

The Cell processor developed by IBM, Sony and Toshiba unveiled earlier this year is probably the first consumer-oriented chip that attracts a lot of interest, which Dev Hardware web-site has decided to address as in-depth as possible.

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The Cell processor is a yet another multi-core approach which should provide strong performance and while half a year after Cell’s release it is no longer unusual to hear about multi-core architecture, the Cell chip utilizes a bit different approach than AMD’s and Intel’s dual-core products which are available for purchase at the moment.

Early reviews showed that current software applications cannot benefit from additional core on a die, and since Cell processor was only demonstrated on E3 exhibition and never made its way to the hands of hardware editors, the question of Cell performance in real life applications is still open.

“IBM is trying to accelerate Cell’s development by lifting limitations and revealing its structure; in this way, talented programmers can better understand the processor and program for it more easily than otherwise. This might make it attractive for some companies that want great performance that the Cell delivers without extreme costs. IBM might also get some free hardware and software development from these opportunistic companies and from some helpful individuals. Open hardware could bring flexibility and usefulness to Cell systems that it couldn’t have reached before,” speculates Dev Hardware.

• Dev Hardware: Cell Inside, the Future of Processor Architecture.