Intel hypes Hyper-Threading

 

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Posted on 30 Aug 2001 at 12:50

Intel has been showing off its latest processor technology, Hyper-Threading, a design for handling parallel data instructions.

With promises of improving system performances by up to 30 per cent, the new processor design allows a single processing unit to handle data instructions as "threaded" parallel streams. The inevitable Web angle is provided by the claim that Hyper-Threading can significantly improve the number of Web transactions and users that Intel-based servers can handle at the same time. As you would expect, there are also expectations for improving the multitasking capabilities of PCs and workstations.

The new technology is likely to be first introduced in Xeon processors for servers, in 2002, and then appear in a variety of Intel products thereafter.

Hyper-Threading technology was demonstrated at Intel Developer Forum in a keynote by Paul Otellini, executive VP of Intel Architecture Group. The event also saw a demonstration of an Intel Pentium 4 processor operating at 3.5 GHz. Of course, Intel has just launched the 2GHz variety, but the company expects the Pentium 4 micro-architecture to scale to 10 GHz during its lifetime.

Author: Alun Williams