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'Pruned' Microchips Twice As Fast and Efficient

Posted by timothy on from the use-the-tiny-tin-snips dept.

Zothecula writes "If you had to use a commuting bicycle in a race, you would probably set about removing the kickstand, fenders, racks and lights to make the thing as fast and efficient as possible. When engineers at Houston's Rice University are developing small, fast, energy-efficient chips for use in devices like hearing aids, it turns out they do pretty much the same thing. The removal of portions of circuits that aren't essential to the task at hand is known as 'probabilistic pruning,' and it results in chips that are twice as fast, use half the power, and are half the size of conventional chips."

4 of 127 comments (clear)

  1. Training wheels by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'll be removing the training wheels off my Harley this afternoon... thanks to this article I can be badass and efficient

  2. Now my computer won't start up! by ClaraBow · · Score: 4, Funny

    I was trying to make it more efficient by getting rid of some of the unused cores, so I got a pair of scissors and pruned off a couple of those cores. I put the pruned, aero dynamic chip back in my machine and now it won't start up! On the plus side, the power savings are noticeable :)

  3. Re:Hm by Chelloveck · · Score: 5, Funny

    For example, Chip $foo has functions A B C D E & F. E is used on average once every gigaflop, so using the CPU/other functions, they implement E and cut out all parts for E.

    The best part is that this can be applied iteratively. Once E is eliminated there's a new "least used" function which can be eliminated. By extension, any CPU can ultimately be pruned down to a single NOP instruction, with the entire rest of the instruction set emulated in software.

    --
    Chelloveck
    I give up on debugging. From now on, SIGSEGV is a feature.
  4. Re:Hm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    "By extension, any CPU can ultimately be pruned down to a single NOP instruction, with the entire rest of the instruction set emulated in software."

    Replace the CPU with a solar cell.

    Not only can it perform NOPs at the same rate as any pruned CPU, but it also runs at a negative current draw when you open the lid (or if you have enough illuminated 'bling' fans installed).