Performance Guidelines for AMD Athlon™ 64 and AMD Opteron™

40555 Rev. 3.00 June 2006

ccNUMA Multiprocessor Systems

 

2.3.2Labels Used

Each of the bars on the graph is labeled with the hop information for the thread.

2.3.3Y-Axis Display

For the one-thread test cases on the idle system, the graphs show the time taken by a single thread, normalized to the time taken by the fastest single-thread case—in this case the time it takes a read- only thread to do local accesses on an idle system.

In Figure 3 on page 17, the time taken by the 0.0.w.0 case is normalized to the time taken by 0.0.r.0 case. The reason for the different times recorded for these two cases is explained later.

For the two-thread test cases on an idle system, the graphs show the total time taken by both threads, normalized to the time taken by the fastest two-thread case—in this case the time it takes two read- only threads running on different nodes to do local accesses on an idle system.

These graphs are further enhanced by rerunning the two-thread cases with some background threads.

For the two-thread test cases with a background load, the graphs show the total time taken by the two test (foreground) threads normalized as before. The time taken by the background threads is not measured. Only the effect of background threads on the performance of test threads is evaluated by measuring the time taken by the test threads. The load imposed by the background threads is varied from low to very high and graphs are plotted for the individual load scenarios.

18

Experimental Setup

Chapter 2

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AMD 64 manual Labels Used
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64 specifications

AMD64 is a 64-bit architecture developed by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) as an extension of the x86 architecture. Introduced in the early 2000s, it aimed to offer enhanced performance and capabilities to powering modern computing systems. One of the main features of AMD64 is its ability to address a significantly larger amount of memory compared to its 32-bit predecessors. While the old x86 architecture was limited to 4 GB of RAM, AMD64 can theoretically support up to 16 exabytes of memory, making it ideal for applications requiring large datasets, such as scientific computing and complex simulations.

Another key characteristic of AMD64 is its support for backward compatibility. This means that it can run existing 32-bit applications seamlessly, allowing users to upgrade their hardware without losing access to their existing software libraries. This backward compatibility is achieved through a mode known as Compatibility Mode, enabling users to benefit from both newer 64-bit applications and older 32-bit applications.

AMD64 also incorporates several advanced technologies to optimize performance. One such technology is the support for multiple cores and simultaneous multithreading (SMT). This allows processors to handle multiple threads concurrently, improving overall performance, especially in multi-tasking and multi-threaded applications. With the rise of multi-core processors, AMD64 has gained traction in both consumer and enterprise markets, providing users with an efficient computing experience.

Additionally, AMD64 supports advanced vector extensions (AVX), which enhance the capability of processors to perform single instruction, multiple data (SIMD) operations. This is particularly beneficial for tasks such as video encoding, scientific simulations, and cryptography, allowing these processes to be executed much faster, thereby increasing overall throughput.

Security features are also integrated within AMD64 architecture. Technologies like AMD Secure Execution and Secure Memory Encryption help protect sensitive data and provide an enhanced security environment for virtualized systems.

In summary, AMD64 is a powerful and versatile architecture that extends the capabilities of x86, offering enhanced memory addressing, backward compatibility, multi-core processing, vector extensions, and robust security features. These innovations have positioned AMD as a strong competitor in the computing landscape, catering to the demands of modern users and applications. The continuous evolution of AMD64 technology demonstrates AMD's commitment to pushing the boundaries of computing performance and efficiency.
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