HyperTransport 3.0 Ratified

Hack Jandy writes "The HyperTransport consortium just released the 3.0 specification of HyperTransport. The new specification allows for external HyperTransport interconnects, basically meaning you might plug your next generation Opteron into the equivalent of a USB port at the back of your computer. Among other things, the new specification also includes hot swap, on-the-fly reconfigurable HT links and also a hefty increase in bandwidth."

External HyperTransport?

[DaHat]

I can only imagine what that could do to us cheap bastards who have small clusters of older PC's sitting in a second bedroom or closet.

"Hum... I can't quite afford a whole new system or even a motherboard and two new procs... I'll just add a new one to the back of an existing one"

At last! The day of easily being upgrade to a multi-proc system may soon be at hand! (assuming they also have some sort of... external hub device).

Re:f***

[jamieswith]

Somehow I doubt this will become available on hyper-transport 3...

I really can't see it being that kind of socket!

For now why dont you just stick with your 'Current Solution' and stop dreaming that you need all that extra 'Bandwidth'

A port?

[Anonymous Coward]

"you might plug your next generation Opteron into the equivalent of a USB port at the back of your computer"

Is this a serial connection?
Or will you need a foot wide port with 700 or so contacts on it?

I know serial connections are very fast nowadays, but I don't know if you can get the entire memory bandwidth of a cpu without spreading the bandwidth in parallel connections.

Re:f***

[eln]

I really can't see it being that kind of socket!

Oh I dunno, take it out to dinner, buy it a few drinks, you never know what could happen.

Re:So the CPU will still be waiting for RAM?

[robthebob]

Not to be pedantic, but while I might not want to dedicate a large chunk of ram to a specific processor in such a manor, I might want to live in that manor, and maybe have my serfs carry out the computations for me.

Thanks alot

[hurfy]

Now half my brain will be trying to design a 939 connector USB cable in the background....

hehe external CPU, someone got a better batch of something than i did.....

Re:So the CPU will still be waiting for RAM?

[Anonymous Coward]

I second that pedantry, and have aught but praise for the parent poster.

Re:NOT anything like USB at all.

[I Like Pudding]

External HT is used to link multiple chassis together to form a large SMP box. This is similar to infiniband, etc.

Oh, so it's like USB

So finally

[iminplaya]

We'll be able to go from New York to Tokyo in less than three hours?

Legos

[Slayback]

Just make all the components (memory, CPU, disks, interfaces) like Legos, and you'll be set. Need more RAM? Just add another block. Suzy needs some extra CPU for a big project, let her borrow your block for the day.

The bonus feature would be collecting enough hardware to make the Millenium Falcon out of your PC.

Re:Nice...

[ArbitraryConstant]

"Are you suggesting AMD buy SGI?"

Hell, I've got some change left over from lunch, I'm thinking of buying SGI.