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Figure 2.29
The DEC Alpha. This processor achieves 200 MHz with f = 0.75m and
3-layer CMOS. Chip area is 234 mm2. Photo courtesy of Digital
Equipment Corporation. |
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pumped across the water jacket on the top of the module. (See Figure 2.30.) |
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The total four-processor system with cache, memory, and I/O control fits on two large processor boards, each holding 20 modules (Figure 2.31.) |
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2.5 The Economics of a Processor Project: A Study |
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The following study should serve as background information for processor design students about the overall project economics of building computers. It is somewhat humbling to note the relatively small role of the processor in the system in terms of cost and development effort. Yet the processor is the engine that drives the rest of the systemthe part most visible to the customer, hence the part that ought to receive a great deal of attention. |
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Study 2.4 The $100 Million Project: Will It Make a Profit? |
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This is a study in the project economics of a modern processor system. For the moment, the technical details of the processor itself are relatively |
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