Multi-core processors have improved efficiency and allow better multitasking compared to single-core processors. This blog describes multicore processors, their advantages over traditional processors, and recent developments in their field. The blog also presents the major players and their IP activities in the domain of multi-core microarchitectures.
In today’s busy world, most people use mobile devices, personal computers, laptops, and other electronic gadgets in homes, offices, data centers, etc., to do their everyday work in lesser time. These devices require great performance in multitasking (processing multiple applications parallel on a single device), power efficiency, security, productivity, data protection, low cost, gaming performance, reliability, longer battery life, and many other parameters. Over the past decades, many semiconductor industries have made remarkable progress in processors and their designs. With the emergence of multi-core processors, they have transformed the computing industry by providing an innovative approach to enhance processing power, efficiency, and reliability for better performance. Generally, a single-core-based processor has a specific frequency limit (restricted clock frequency to a few GHz) over which it starts overheating. Therefore, to increase the speed and performance, Multi-Core Processor was introduced.
Multi-core processors are designed to improve processing power and system efficiency using parallel processing. A multi-core microprocessor has multiple processing units or cores on a single chip. Each core can execute multiple instructions independently, enabling the processors to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
Benefits Offered by Multi-core Processors Over Traditional Single-core Processors
Multi-core Processor Architectures
Different types of multi-core processor architectures have been developed over the past few years. They may vary in terms of the following components:
Intel and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) are among the leading players in the Multi-core Processors market. Some of the latest processors and their comparisons (specifications) are discussed below:
INTEL
Intel Ice Lake Processor
Intel Ice Lake Processor refers to the 10th-generation Intel Core Mobile (having cores 2-4) and 3rd-generation Xeon Scalable server (having cores up to 40) and is fabricated using Intel’s 10nm process technology. This processor was launched in the Q3 of 2019 and is based on the Sunny Cove microarchitecture, which has several improvements over previous microarchitectures like improved branch prediction, large cache sizes, and support for new instruction sets, which allow faster processing of vector instructions. Ice Lake processors also have Intel Gen 11 graphics which increase the execution unit (each execution unit supports seven threads, i.e., this design has around 512 concurrent pipelines) to 64. With its improved performance, graphics capabilities, and power efficiency, it is well-suited for use in laptops and mobile computing devices.
Intel Tiger Lake Processor
Intel Tiger Lake processor refers to the 11th generation Intel Core mobile (having 2-8 cores) and is fabricated using Intel’s 10 nm SuperFin (10SF) technology. This processor was launched in the Q3 of 2020 and is based on the new Willow Cove Core microarchitecture, which replaces the Ice Lake family of mobile processors. Tiger Lake processors have Intel Xe-LP (Gen12) based GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) with up to 96 execution units and support Wi-Fi 6 and Thunderbolt 4, which provide faster and more reliable wireless connectivity and data transfer speeds. With all its features, it is widely used in laptops, mobile computing devices, and other hybrid devices.
Intel Alder Lake Processor
Alder Lake processors refer to the 12th generation Intel core processors (having up to 8 P-cores and up to 8 E-cores). They are fabricated using Intel 7 (previously referred to as 10 nm Enhanced SuperFin (10ESF)) process technology. This processor was launched in the Q4 of 2021 and used a hybrid architecture based on Golden Cove (for high performance) and Gracemont Core (for optimized power efficiency). This processor also supports the latest industry standards like Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi 6, and DDR5 memory. It has Intel Xe GPU (Gen 12.2) with up to 96 execution units (on Mobile) and up to 32 execution units (on desktop). Its hybrid architecture, graphics capability, improved performance, and power efficiency are used in high-performance desktops, laptops, and a wide range of computing devices.
Intel Raptor Lake Processor
Raptor Lake processors refer to the 13th generation Intel core processors (having up to 8 P-cores and up to 16 E-cores). They are fabricated using Intel 7 (previously referred to as 10 nm Enhanced SuperFin (10ESF)) process technology. This processor was launched in the Q4 of 2022 and used a hybrid architecture based on Raptor Cove (high-performance) and Gracemont (optimized power efficiency) cores. It has integrated UHD Graphics 770 (32 execution units) and UHD Graphics 730 (24 execution units) GPU. With increased power efficiency and performance compared to Alder Lake processors, these processors are also used in a wide range of computing devices and high-performance desktops and laptops.
Intel Meteor Lake Processor
Meteor Lake processors are the upcoming Intel processors designed for the 14th generation and are supposed to be released in Q2 or Q3 of 2023. This processor is expected to be specifically designed for mobiles, laptops, and tablets. Additionally, the Meteor Lake processors may be fabricated using EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography) which is different from the current hybrid architecture. However, this processor is believed to use the new architecture, Redwood Cove. Also, there will be a combination of both Performance (P) and Efficiency (E) cores (for laptops- 6P and 8E cores). This new Chiplet design will allow processor components to be more easily combined, resulting in improved power efficiency and battery life. It is also believed that the new Integrated GPU (which might be an improved version of Iris-Xe) will deliver nearly double performance (increased clock speeds) compared to the current one. It is also believed that this processor includes the LGA 1700 platform, new LGA 2551 socket, DDR5 memory, and will have PCIe Gen 5 Support.
Intel’s latest processors
This table includes Intel’s latest processors with those mentioned above and additional features
AMD
AMD Zen 2 Processor
AMD Zen 2 processors are designed for Ryzen desktops and EPYC servers and fabricated using TSMC 7 nm and TSMC 6 nm process technology, giving higher performance and lower power consumption than previous AMD processors. This processor was launched in the Q3 of 2019 and supports up to 64 cores. Due to the abovementioned features, it is widely used in servers, desktops, mobiles, and workstations.
AMD Zen 3 Processor
AMD Zen 3 processors are designed for Ryzen desktops and EPYC servers and fabricated using TSMC 7 nm and TSMC 6 nm process technology. This processor was launched in the Q4 of the year 2020 and had various improvements over Zen 2 processors like increased Instruction Per Clock (IPC) cycle, increased branch prediction bandwidth, improved integer units with new instructions, and improved floating points, RDNA 2 graphics (in Ryzen 6000 series), therefore widely used in laptops, desktops, and servers.
AMD Zen 4 Processor
AMD Zen 4 processors are designed for high-end, thin, light mobiles and EPYC servers and fabricated using TSMC N5 (5 nm) process technology. This processor was launched in the Q3 of the year 2022. It is based on a new architecture design named “Chiplets,” in which the design can separate the CPU into smaller components and separately manufacture and combine them to create a large processor. This allows manufacturing and design flexibility, improving performance and power efficiency.
AMD Zen 5 Processor
Zen 5 processor is the latest processor from AMD and is believed to use TSMC 3 nm process technology. This processor is also believed to launch in 2024 and be used in desktops, high-end mobiles, and EPYC servers. It is further believed that Zen 5 processors use multi-cores that primarily focus on delivering performance and power efficiency. This time improved L1 and L2 cache and the new L3 cache will reduce the die size and improve latency.
The following table includes AMD’s latest processors with those mentioned above and additional features, which are as follows:
AMD’s latest Processors
This table includes AMD’s latest processors with those mentioned above and additional features.
Other Major Players
Apart from Intel Corporation and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), several other major players are active in multi-core microarchitectures.
Arm is also known for its microprocessor IP and designs. Its processors are widely used in applications like mobile devices, servers, and embedded systems. For example, ARM Cortex-A and Cortex-M processors are popular multi-core microprocessors known for low power consumption and delivering high performance.
Qualcomm is also one of the key players in the multi-core microprocessor market, which captures the market of smartphones, tablets, etc. For example, Qualcomm Snapdragon processors are equipped with multi-core CPUs known for their power efficiency and better performance.
NVIDIA Corporation is one of the key players in providing Graphics Processing Units (GPU) to the semiconductor industry. Its microarchitectures are used in various applications like gaming, scientific simulations, and Artificial Intelligence.
Apple Inc. is also known for its multi-core microprocessors like M1-series processors currently used in different MacBooks. These M1-series (like M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M1 Ultra) processors include a variety of CPU and GPU cores (high-performance cores for multiple tasks and high-efficient cores for power saving). For example – M1 processors have a combination of 8-core CPU (4-high performance and 4-high efficiency) and up to 8-core GPU. M1 Pro, compared to M1, has more processors and graphic cores (also faster than M1 GPU cores). M1 Pro also has a ProRes accelerator which speeds up the video processing. M1 Max, on the other hand, has the benefits of increased GPU cores (up to 32 cores for increased graphical performance) and has two ProRes accelerators (for faster video encoding) when compared with M1 Pro. M1 Ultra, by combining the two M1-Max chips using the UltraFusion architecture, offers a 20-cores CPU and up to 64-core GPU with increased media engine capabilities. Apple M2 Processors, coming to the market as Apple M1 successor, fabricated with TSMC’s N5P process “Enhanced 5-nanometer technology” having various improvements in CPU cores, GPU cores, memory system, Neural Engine, and media engine and used in Mac desktops, notebooks, and iPad Pro tablets. M2 Pro and M2 Max are the higher versions in Apple’s M2 processors family, with more CPU and GPU cores (more in M2 Max as compared with M2 Pro) with high memory bandwidths.
Many other companies such as MediaTek Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Texas Instruments Inc., Applied Micro Circuits, NXP Semiconductors, Broadcom, Cavium, and Spreadtrum Communication are actively working on microarchitectures that push the limits of multi-core microprocessors in the semiconductor domain.
IP Moats in Multi-core Microarchitectures in Semiconductor Industry
Intel Corporation is a dominant player in the market, with 71 patent families. State Grid Corp of China and Inspur Group Co. Ltd. are the domain’s second and third-largest patent holders.
Top Optimized Assignees
Other key players who have filed for patents in this technology are Qualcomm, Huawei Technology, NVIDIA Corp., Texas Instruments, etc.
Company-wise count of Patent Families
Country-wise Assignees
This diagram shows the companies that have built strong IPMoats in China, followed by the US, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan jurisdiction.
Outlook
Multi-core microprocessors have had a significant impact on the semiconductor industry. By utilizing different microarchitectures in more efficient ways, these multi-core microprocessors have several benefits, like improv ed processing power, optimized energy efficiency, improved reliability and robustness, and low power consumption. With ongoing research and development, the key players will continue to push the limits of multi-core microprocessors, driving innovation and advancements in the semiconductor industry.
Author
Mayank Gupta
Senior Associate Consultant at Lumenci
Mayank is a Senior Associate at Lumenci with 7+ years of experience in the semiconductor device and photomask fabrication. He has co-authored several research papers in the semiconductor domain. His work at Lumenci include delivering multiple services like Patent Infringement Analysis, Technical Analysis, and EoU/Claim Charts in Semiconductors, Telecommunication, Networking, and Digital Payments domains. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) degree in Electronics and Instrumentation from MITM Indore and a Master of Technology (MTech.) degree in Microelectronics and VLSI Design from Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT)
Nupur Pandey
Senior Associate Consultant at Lumenci
Nupur is a VLSI Design Expert at Lumenci. She has 2+ years of experience in Intellectual Property working on different service lines such as Patent Monetization, Patent Infringement Analysis, Apportionment Analysis, Prior Art Searches etc. She has a keen interest as well as experience with the latest technologies such as Semiconductor Technology, OTT, and Cloud Networking. Nupur holds a master’s degree in VLSI Design from IIT Dhanbad.
