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."

x86 processors

[bioglaze]

So, x86 processors are finally getting on par with other processors from, like, 15 years ago?

Hmmmm.

[ultramk]

I can see an interesting situation where you could have a traditional CPU, to which you could plug in additional external processor modules as your needs expand. (assuming the OS could handle sharing out multithreaded apps over a variety of different multi-CPU configurations.)

Dave has a processor intensive project this week? He gets the big stack plugged into his machine until someone else in the office needs it.

Server getting bogged down? Add another couple modules to the system.

I like the idea.

m-

NOT anything like USB at all.

[Visaris]

Whoever subimtted the article doesn't understand what the external HT links are for. They are _NOT_ a replacement for USB or any other similar technology. External HT is used to link multiple chassis together to form a large SMP box. This is similar to infiniband, etc. This is NOT designed to be a way to just plug in a CPU to an external port. Read the pdf:

http://www.hypertransport.org/docs/tech/ht30pres.p df [hypertransport.org]

Re:External HyperTransport?

[merreborn]

"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" ...Except you'd need a hypertransport 3.0 motherboard to begin with, and enough appropriately clocked RAM to make use of the processor. The whole "External CPU" idea was just speculation anyway; it's not mentioned anywhere in the article.

Point being, you'll never be able to plug a new opteron into _anything_ that's sitting in your closet right now.

Re:x86 processors

[Andrzej Sawicki]

OMG Ponies?

But seriously, you got it wrong. It's puke green, of course.

Re:Hmmmm.

[masklinn]

My dual core 3800+ at home is quite loud...

No it isn't you dummy, your cooling system is, now just get a knowledgeable friend to slap a Thermalright HR-01 and a Nexus 120mm fan (undervolted to 9V) on it and it'll be whisper-quiet.

Said before and said again...

[zaguar]

I've said it before and I'll say it again - Open standards lead to better products. Case in point - Hypertransport. That story about the possibilities of fluid simulations/path finding in the oil industry opened up by co-processors slotting into HTT links is just a case in point.

Hey Intel, hows the FSB? And, for that matter, how's that DRM-soaked Viiv product going?

Re:NOT anything like USB at all.

[cyngus]

The similarity they were referring to is the plug-and-play nature of USB. The external link capability combined with 3.0's hot swapping would allow you this same kind of flexibility. You completely missed the point of the analogy.

Re:x86 processors

[jacksonj04]

Okay, let me explain about the difference between hardware and software. Processors and HyperTransport, and thus the subject of this discussion, are hardware related. Windows and Unix are software. Blabbering on about how Windows is the scourge of the world and we should all use vi/emacs/insert_editor_here when the parent was clearly talking about hardware with no association other than your own (Extremely weak, see other replys) point seems a bit... oh I don't know. OS Zealous?

Re:Nice...

[civilizedINTENSITY]

Are you suggesting AMD buy SGI?