Why not just design a single really powerful processor?
2007-03-12 07:55:08 · 5 answers · asked by Sweet 1 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Other - Hardware
Because it is cheaper that way. For ex: 1.8GHz costs $100, and 2GHz costs $200. If we buy 2 1.8GHz it costs $200 but run more power (faster) than 1 2GHz.
Why do human have two hands instead of 4, 6, 8 hands, so employers need to hire one person instead of 2 more people?
2007-03-12 08:01:30 · answer #1 · answered by Henry 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1. Price. The fastest processors have the greatest cost. Several cheaper, slower processors together can cost much less than a single processor and have greater speed.
2. Scalability. There are limits to just how powerful a single processor can be. There are only so many circuits that can fit on a chip. The solution is to add more chips.
2007-03-12 15:33:36 · answer #2 · answered by antirion 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The real answer, I think, is not in the price (money) but in the price (time). What is a "really powerful" processor? Technoogy keeps upgrading. You can't wait for the most powerful processor that will ever exist, to be made. In the meantime, it makes sense to use the most powerful processors available, in parallel. Price (money) also plays a small part. If it is really true that two 1.8 processors deliver nearly the same amount of computing power (say, 99%) as two 2.0 processors, and the 2.0's cost twice as much as the 1.8's well....
2007-03-12 15:17:53 · answer #3 · answered by Anpadh 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It has to do with packaging, load balancing and speed. With having multiple cores, each CPU can work at the same time and spread the work load equally so not one CPU works harder than the other ones. They can also be packaged in one unit so it saves space. And if 2 cores with hyperthreading work at the same time, it is like having 4 CPUs, so speed is enhanced. Also, chip manufacturers has reached the ceiling (limit) as far as enhancing single-cored CPUs.
2007-03-13 08:19:46 · answer #4 · answered by Reston 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
maybe the needs of a certain organization/company is not just for simple services so they need to "distribute" the workload for more complex computing needs.. y not just a single processor? systems must be reliable at all times, so y not arrange them into parallel so if one fails there would be a backup carrying its workload
2007-03-14 10:37:02 · answer #5 · answered by patpatin 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋