Uncore

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

"Uncore" is a term used by Intel to describe the functions of a microprocessor that are not in the core, but which must be closely connected to the core to achieve high performance.[1] It has been called "system agent" since the release of the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture.[2]

Details

Typical processor cores contains the components of the processor involved in executing instructions, including the

SPI and LPC are part of the chipset.[4]

The Intel uncore design stems from its origin as the northbridge. The design of the Intel uncore reorganizes the functions critical to the core, making them physically closer to the core on-die, thereby reducing their access latency.

Specifically, the

last level cache (LLC) and is responsible for managing cache coherency. Multiple internal and external QPI links are managed by physical-layer units, referred to as PBox. Connections between the PBox, CBox, and one or more iMCs (MBox) are managed by the system configuration controller (UBox) and a router (RBox).[5]

Removal of serial bus controllers from the Intel uncore further enables increased performance by allowing the uncore clock (UCLK) to run at a base of 2.66 GHz, with overclocking limits in excess of 3.44 GHz.[6] This increased clock rate allows the core to access critical functions (such as the iMC) with significantly less latency, typically reducing core access times to DRAM by 10 ns or more.

References

  1. ^ "Ultrabook, SmartPhone, Laptop, Desktop, Server, & Embedded– Intel". Intel.com. Retrieved 2014-01-21.
  2. ^ Anand Lal Shimpi (September 14, 2010). "Intel's Sandy Bridge Architecture Exposed". AnandTech. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  3. ^ "Thunderbolt™ Technology for Developers". Intel.com. 2014-01-13. Retrieved 2014-01-21.
  4. ^ "Nehalem: The Unwritten Chapters". AnandTech. Retrieved 2014-01-21.
  5. ^ "Intel(R) Xeon(R) Processor 7500 Series Uncore Programming Guide" (PDF). Retrieved 2014-01-30.
  6. ^ Yus, Carlos (2011-01-27). "HighPerformanceSystems: Intel Sandy Bridge out of specification 4.0, 4.4 and 4.6 GHz. Updated – HighPerformanceSystems". Highperformancesystems.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2014-01-21.

External links

This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article: Uncore. Articles is available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license; additional terms may apply.Privacy Policy