Intel unveils super-chip technology

Intel has touted a diminutive new microprocessor that it said could deliver "supercomputer-like" performance to home computers and handheld devices.

Intel said its unprecedented programmable processor was not much larger than a fingernail, used less power than a typical home appliance and could perform more than a trillion calculations per second -- a "teraflop."

Such "tera-scale computing" could make possible artificial intelligence, real-time speech recognition, realistic video games, instant online film viewing and other stuff from the realm of science fiction, according to Intel.

"Our researchers have achieved a wonderful and key milestone in terms of being able to drive multi-core and parallel computing performance forward," said Intel chief technology officer Justin Rattner.

"It points the way to the near future when teraflops-capable designs will be commonplace and reshape what we can all expect from our computers and the Internet at home and in the office."

The first computer to run at a teraflop speed was an Intel-built machine at Sandia National Laboratories in 1996.

That ASCI Red Supercomputer took up more than 2,000 square feet (185 square meters) and used 500 kilowatts of electricity.

Santa Clara, California-based Intel's "80-core" research chip attains teraflop performance using 62 watts.

Intel had no plans to market the new chip but said it would be used to develop compatible software and computer connections capable of handling fast-moving avalanches of data.
-- AFP