More Cores Equals More Heat
Poster: Aron Schatz
Posted on August 3, 2006 at 12:28:49 PM
This is a situation that is really overlooked. With the advent of multicore CPUs and the actual utilization of those cores, the heat output will increase. Not just a little, we may be on the verge of a meltdown (again).
Quote
Intel, fresh off the launch of its Core 2 Duo chips, has announced plans to accelerate the introduction of a quad-core processor called Kentsfield, now expected in the fourth quarter. Not to be outdone, AMD later this year will release a product called "4x4," which is two AMD processors connected together on a high-end motherboard. Both chipmakers' products will run hotter than the current processors, although it's unclear how much of a gap will exist. Intel hasn't released thermal specifications for Kentsfield yet, said Intel spokesman George Alfs. However, Kentsfield is essentially two Core 2 Duo processors bolted together onto a chip, so its thermal profile will certainly be higher than a single Core 2 Duo processor.