1. Accelerated Processing Units
COSC 480
Zack Whipkey

2. What is an APU?
An APU is a processing system that includes additional processing capability designed to accelerate one or more types of computations outside of a CPU.
Appeared publicly in 2006.

3. So what is it today? Commonly marketed/known as :
CPU and GPU on the same die/chip.
Combine components (cache, interfaces) on the same silicon.
FGPA (Field Programmable Gate Array)
Hardware designed to perform a function/feature.
Replaced ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits)
Re-programmable, allowing debugging and
prototyping

4. What’s the point? In the common APU (CPU+GPU)
Interfaces/resources are “combined” (on the same die), removing the bottleneck of having to travel the bus and Northbridge for GPU data. Also increases the throughput for Memory.
Additionally, the GPU can perform certain calculations that would normally be handled by the CPU.
This results in better performance , in addition to increased power efficiency.
These are key factors in Mobile computing.

5. AMD’s Llano APU (Desktop)

6. So who’s interested? AMD Intel IBM/Sony NVidia Fusion Platform
Sandy/Ivy Bridge series
IBM/Sony
Cell (PS3)
NVidia
Project Denver (ARM-based)

7. AMD Fusion
Released in 2011
Platforms : Brazos, Lynx, Virgo (May 15th), Brazos-T (future)
Brazos(Ultra-Portable ): Ontario processors have only TDP 9 W
Sabine(Mobile): Dual or Quadcore, 35-45w
Lynx (Desktop): Multicore, 2.5 GHZ – 3.0 Ghz, TDP W

8. Ontario C-60 in action (netbook)

9. Intel Sandy Bridge/Ivy Bridge (recently released)
Not quite as powerful graphically as AMD’s solution.
Faster in CPU Aspect.

10. Others Sony/IBM’s Cell NVidia’s Project Denver
Has many components not normally found on a traditional CPU die.
Multiple RISC processors called SPEs (Synergistic Processing Elements).
Features: Job management, self-multitasking of SPEs.
NVidia’s Project Denver
ARM-based.
On-chip NVIDIA GPU

11. When to use an APU Mobile Computing
Low Power-usage = Longer Battery Life
Affordable Casual Gaming solution, or Media workstation.
Computations that can be done by GPU
Allows both GPU and CPU to work together on one chip, without the need for a discrete graphics card.
Bitcoin, etc.
Budget Desktops (exception of higher model Intel APU’s)

12. When not to use a common APU
Hardcore Gaming/3D Modeling/Rendering
Does not perform as well as a more standard CPU and discrete graphics solution.
Heavy video transcoding
Same as above.
Desktops that have no need for a strong GPU (office workstations that deal only with data calculations)

13. I want one! AMD’s Desktop (Llano) : $60-$140
2.5 GHZ Dual-core
3.0 GHZ Quad-core (unlocked)
Intel’s Desktop (Ivy Bridge, new) : $200- ~$330
3.1 GHZ, 65 W Quad-core
3.5 GHZ, 77 W Quad-core
Mobile
AMD: C-60 Acer, $ A8-3550MX $
Intel: 2350M(2.3ghz) - $450 - ~$700

14. Where do we go from here?
AMD’s
Thoughts
Of the
Future

15. Questions?
References
explained/
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