Constructing giant monolithic many-core CPUs is extraordinarily arduous even for famend chip designers. For Chinese language CPU builders, a lot of whom wouldn’t have entry to modern manufacturing nodes, the one strategy to construct a processor with excessive core depend is to undertake a chiplet design. Because it seems, that is precisely what Chinese language CPU maker Loongson does with its 32-core 3D5000 processor, Sina reviews.
Earlier this yr Loongson started to ship its 3C5000 processor that depends on 16 LA464 cores that includes the corporate’s LoongArch microarchitecture, as much as 64MB of cache, and 4 64-bit DDR4-3200 reminiscence interfaces with ECC assist. The Loongson 3D5000 takes two 3C5000 CPUs and locations it on a single piece of substrate to construct a 32-core processor with eight reminiscence channels. The 32-core processor helps as much as 4-way simultaneous multiprocessor configurations and due to this fact it’s doable to construct a server with as much as 128 cores.
Loongson lately accomplished verification of its 3D5000 processor, the report says. The CPU reportedly consumes 130W at 2.0 GHz in addition to 170W at 2.20 GHz. Loongson’s 3D5000 CPU is available in an LGA-4129 packaging.
Whereas constructing a 32-core CPU based mostly on a proprietary microarchitecture is an achievement, it needs to be famous that product is a strategy to take a look at capacity to construct a chiplet-based design. Whereas China-based SMIC — which produces processors for Loongson — slowly adopts extra superior nodes, it’s considerably behind market chief TSMC. Due to this fact, firms like Loongson can’t provide merchandise which might be corresponding to these from AMD and Intel.
Chiplets symbolize an actual alternative for Loongson to construct quite critical processors and servers platforms with important variety of cores and proprietary microarchitecture enhanced for servers and supercomputers. In the meantime, we do not know whether or not different CPU builders from China will comply with the go well with.
In relation to efficiency, Loongson says that its 32-core 3D5000 CPU scores 400 factors within the SPEC CPU2006 base take a look at, whereas the results of a 2-way 32-core 3D5000-based machine exceeded 800 factors within the SPEC CPU2006 base benchmark. The CPU designer believes {that a} 4-way machine will hit 1600 factors.
Loongson is gearing as much as ship samples of its 32-core processors within the first half of 2023, whereas business variations will probably be shipped later.