Each of the leading microprocessor manufacturers has announced the availability of one or more 64-bit desktop processors, but differences exist in architectural design, fabrication, support, and intended use of each processor. This article looks at the critical issues in a few of IBM’s 64-bit POWER designs, covering 32-bit compatibility, power management, processor bus design, and the manufacturing process.
It’s going to take more than a few articles for Corporates/homeusers to switch to PowerPC. Are there any RFC’s or detailed white papers for PowerPC 970 architecture
You can download the books from the Freescale website.
Freescale (Motorola) even sends out the PPC manuals
(paper books) for free.
Cheers
Gunnar
The POWER design is one of the best 64-bit processor designs. However, I fear that POWER needs more companies producing the cheap like how SPARC has multiple companies producing it, and how x86-64 has multiple companies… ARM has multiple.. etc.. etc.. I know there is motorola but they are more significant in earlier powerPC designs and care mostly about the embedded market…
“The POWER design is one of the best 64-bit processor designs.”
I don’t think the Power design is anywhere close to what Alpha did years ago, or even Ultra Sparc. Where do you get your information from? Are you basing this off the PowerPC or the Power4,5?
I don’t think the Power design is anywhere close to what Alpha did years ago, or even Ultra Sparc. Where do you get your information from? Are you basing this off the PowerPC or the Power4,5?
I would assume that the original author was basing his assessment on the benchmarks an so forth – he would be correct in assuming that POWER has the performance lead NOW, however, having had a look at the next version of UltraSPARC IV+ which will be clocked at around 2Ghz, dual core, it should be an interesting situation.
The POWER CPU is a great CPU, but I doubt IBM would be so willing to set up a stand along, openstandards body like SPARC and allow people royalty free access to the ISA.
that would be interesting 🙂
Very cool article!!