[Beowulf] Clusters just got more important - AMD's roadmap

[Eugen Leitl]

On Wed, Feb 08, 2012 at 02:13:49PM +0100, Peter Kjellström wrote:

>  * Memory bandwidth to all those FPUs

Memory stacking via TSV is coming. APUs with their very apparent
memory bottlenecks will accelerate it.

>  * Power (CPUs in servers today max out around 120W with GPUs at >250W)

I don't see why you can't integrate APU+memory+heatsink in a
watercooled module that is plugged into the backplane which
contains the switched signalling fabric.
 
> Either way we're in for an interesting future (as usual) :-)

I don't see how x86 should make it to exascale. It's too
bad MRAM/FeRAM/whatever isn't ready for SoC yet. Also, Moore
should end by around 2020 or earlier, and architecture only
pushes you one or two generations further at most. Don't see
how 3D integration should be ready by then, and 2.5 D only
buys you another one or two doublings at best. (TSV stacking
is obviously off-Moore).