The Heat is on
- Posted:
- 12:45 29 Apr 2002
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Computing power and performance has doubled every 18 months to two years, while the cost and size of hardware has halved with the same frequency. Despite this rapid progress, our understanding of miniaturisation technology has progressed even faster, and the way is clear for Moore's Law to continue to rule for many more years.
However, a problem is threatening to derail the train. Electrical power consumption (and the consequent heat generation) has not fallen at the same rate as the physical dimensions. In fact, power consumption per square centimetre of chip surface is on an exponential increase. This very non-virtuous circle has to be broken. Graham Titterington looks at the many faceted approach that leading chip maker Intel is following in its research programme.
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