Download The gap between Pentium and Xeon generation 1. Introduction 2

The gap between Pentium and Xeon generation
Jorge Filipe Pereira da Cruz
Computer Science Specialization Course - University of Minho
4710 Braga
[email protected]
Abstract
The differences in the architecture of processors between
Pentium II to Pentium 4 and Xeon generation are describe are:
pipeline, memory hierarchy, clock speed and bandwidth.
1. Introduction
The architecture of Pentium II, Pentium II Xeon, Pentium III and
Pentium III Xeon is the microarchitecture P6. This architecture is the
successor of P5 and begin in Pentium Pro. This Pentium generation have a
10 stage pipeline more five than the previous generation Pentium.
Pentium 4 and Intel Xeon are development in new microarchitecture
NetBurst. This new generation have a 20 stage pipeline. More information
on the section Pentium 4 and Intel Xeon.
2. Pentium II and Pentium II Xeon
Pentium II was presented in May 1997. The principal characteristics
are:
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includes MMX (MultiMedia eXtensions) like Pentium MMX, for
accelerate the graphical operations and 3D.
Optimized for applications of 32 bits.
The cache L1 have 32KBytes (first level) distributed in 16KB for
date and others 16 to instructions.
The cache L2 (second level) is 512KB and works for half frequency
of processor.
Includes 7 million of transistors.
Technology of 0.35 microns, for the first versions, and 0.25
microns to the last.
Pentium II Xeon is the successor of Pentium Pro and was development
to be a server. This was the name give to Pentium II for SLOT2, a new
encapsulation big than the Pentium II, which was follower by news
chipset. It was presented in April 1998. Others characteristics are:
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Optimized for applications of 32 bits.
The cache L1 have 32KBytes distributed in 16KB for date and others
16 to instructions.
Technology of 0.25 microns.
It possess L2 cache in range 512 KB to 2MB and works at same
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frequency of processor.
The principal advantage to Pentium II is in Operating System
Networks (Windows NT e UNIX), especially when the system make
intensive use of the bus.
The differences between Pentium II and Pentium II Xeon, that
improve the performance, are:
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Pentium II Xeon advantage to Pentium II is in Operating System
Networks (Windows NT e UNIX), especially when the system make
intensive use of the bus;
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Cache L2 is 512KB, in Pentium II, and works half of the frequency
of the processor and in Pentium II Xeon is in range 512KB to 2MB
and works at same frequency of processor.
3. Pentium III and Pentium III Xeon
Pentium III and Pentium III Xeon have been development in 1999.
Pentium III is a dedicated processor for domestics users and
professionals. It is available to desktops and notebooks. The principal
characteristics are:
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In 3D graphics it was possible a great number the polygons, a
advanced effects of light and a surprising shadows and reflex in
real time.
Improve de performance of graphical software, obtain more speed of
frames, depth of colour and algorithms of processing images.
It allows the edition and codification the video in real time.
The cache L1 have 32KBytes distributed in 16KB for date and others
16 to instructions, like Pentium II.
The cache L2 is 512KB or 256KB the cache advanced transference.
The cache normal like the advanced transference cache includes a
Error Correction Code (ECC).
Beyond the instructions MMX, includes 70 news denominated Streaming
SIMD Extensions (SSE).
Introduction of Intel Processor Serial Number that allows better
income for networks. Simplify the identification of computers in
the network.
It continues to use de SLOT 1, like Pentium II, even so the Intel
lunched news chipsets, specials for this processor.
It can manager until 64 GB of memory.
The cache L2 of advanced transference, in full speed, is decisive
for better improve and maximum optimization of energy for notebook.
This memory of hight speed is between the processor and principal
memory.
Why use internal cache?
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The internal cache L2 of 256KB have half of size of external
cache 512KB of previous processors for notebooks, but allows a
better access 3 times more fast to processor. Therefore a
improvement income significant.
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The modernization of components allows a increase the number
of transistors, arriving to appear more than 28 millions of
transistors in Pentium III processor for 500MHz in notebooks.
A memory cache integrated reduce de number of connections, and
increase the reliability.
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Pentium III Xeon is the successor of Pentium II Xeon. It was
development to be full compatible with equipments base in Pentium II
Xeon. The principal characteristics are:
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Frequency of bus the 100MHz and 133MHz.
Support until 3.2 GB the memory RDRAM or SDRAM;
Slot PCI 64 bits at frequencies of 33 and 66 MHz.
Some versions have technology of 0.25 microns and 9.9 millions of
transistors and others have technology of 0.18 microns and 23
millions transistors.
Dynamic Independent Bus architecture split the bus of external
system for the bus of internal cache, that works at same frequency
of processor (only versions with cache advanced transference).
Multiples states of low consume – Power Management Capabilities.
Cache L2 normal – half of frequency of processor.
Cache advanced transference – same frequency of processor.
The differences between Pentium III and Pentium III Xeon, that
improve the performance, are the describe above for Pentium III Xeon and
also includes the characteristics of Pentium III.
4. Pentium 4 and Intel Xeon
Pentium 4 was the first processor to implement the new technology
NetBurst microarchitecture. It was development in 2000. The Intel Xeon
also implements this architecture and was development in 2001.
The NetBurst microarchitecture is based in:
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Hyper Pipelined Technology;
400MHz or 5333MHz Front Side BUS (FSB);
Advanced Dynamic Execution;
Rapid Execution Engine;
Execution Trace Cache;
Advanced Transfer Cache;
Streaming SIMD Extensions2 (SSE2) instructions;
Hyper-Threading Technology.
Hyper Pipelined Technology:
The advantage of 20 stage pipeline is in the increase of the clock
speed. This 20 stage pipeline reduce the IPC (Instruction Per Clock),
increased the penalty for mispredicts and forces more record keeping.
Front Side Bus of 400MHz or 533MHz:
In reality is not 400MHz or 533MHz but four times 100MHz or 133MHz.
The bandwidth for the bus of 400MHz is 3.2 GB/s and for the 533 MHz is
4.2 GB/s.
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This frequency improve the profit of professional and multimedia
applications.
Advanced Dynamic Execution:
The advance dynamic instructions engine keep the execution units
executes instructions. It is a out-of-order execution engine. It provides
a very larger window (in flight) of instructions, 126, and P6
architecture have a much smaller window, 42 instructions.
Reduce a mispredicts capability by implementing a 4 KB branch
target buffer and more advanced branch prediction algorithm.
Rapid Execution Engine:
The ALUs (two), Arithmetic Logic Units, run at twice of speed
clock. It is possible to execute basic integers instructions in half a
clock cycle, increasing performance on integer based-applications.
Execution Trace Cache:
An execution trace cache can keep 12K of decoded instructions in
the sequence of program. The execution trace cache turn more efficient L1
instruction cache result in higher performance.
Advanced Transfer Cache:
A cache L2, advanced transfer cache, is the 256 bits. It a
improvement in this technology since Pentium III. It is able to clock 256
bits of data into and out of cache on every clock cycle.
Streaming SIMD Extensions2 (SSE2) instructions:
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144 new instructions (includes 128 bit SIMD double precision
floating point and 128 bit SIMD integer);
SSE2 extends Intel MMX technology to 128 bits.
Hyper-Threading Technology:
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Allow different threads to operate in parallel;
Is a method to keep pipeline full.
The principals differences between Pentium 4 and Intel Xeon are:
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Intel Xeon includes the same features of Pentium 4;
Intel Xeon MP (Multiprocessor)/Pentium 4 uni-processor;
Intel Xeon 31 stage pipeline;
Intel Xeon third level on chip cache in selected server
products.
The Pentium 4, 3.8GHz core frequency, have Hyper-treading
technology, L1 cache 16KB data and 12KB instructions, L2 cache
2MB, 64 bit support and 800MHz FSB(bandwidth 6.4GB/s); Intel
Xeon, 3.8GHz, have the same characteristics, more the
differences above;
Intel Xeon, 3.3 GHz core frequency, L1 cache 8KB data and 12KB
instructions, L2 cache 1MB and L3 cache 8MB, 667MHz FSB
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(bandwidth 5.3GB/s). (version with L3 cache)
4. Conclusion
The Pentium Xeon and Intel Xeon are the top processors for each
generation. The improve of performance in P6 architecture was by the
improvement of L2 cache and the new features that have been development
(principally in Pentium III) referred above. The new microarchitecture
NetBurst break to the microarchitecture P6.
The IA-32 (32-bit Intel Architecture) ISA used in the Pentium 4 is
the same base ISA that was used by Intel in the first generation 80x86
processor, the 8086, in 1978. (Even though the 8086 was a 16-bit
architecture Intel uses the name IA-32 to refer to both 32- and 16-bit
architectures since they are compatible.) For compatibility with legacy
applications the ISA remains today. This means that any application
written for the 8086 over 20 years ago, will run on the Pentium 4 and all
80x86 IA-32 processors in-between [8].
Reference
[1] Hennessy, John L. & Patterson, Davis A., Computer Architecture – A
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[3] Microprocessor Quick Reference Year http://www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/quickrefyr.htm
[4] Microprocessor Quick Reference Family http://www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/quickreffam.htm
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[13] Intel® Xeon® Processor Family http://www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/quickreffam.htm#xeon
[14] Your Intel® Xeon® Processor Family Comparison Chart Page 5/6
http://indigo.intel.com/compare_cpu/showchart.aspx?mmID=869908,869906,869
893,866622,866620,857374,852935,857375,853010,857339,852934,848306,848307
,867326,872485,872490,874574,874575,867327,867330,867328,862920,859149,86
2919,859148,862918,859146,857444,862917,862916,859144,853884,853883,84839
9,852303,848397,849546,848401,847694,852300,852306,839571,843940,848396,8
58615,839580,850817,839575&familyID=5&culture=en-GB
[15] DELGADO, José & RIBEIRO, Carlos, Arquitectura de Computadores, FCA,
2007, ISBN 972-722-245-5
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