Abstract: In one embodiment, a processor includes: at least one core to execute instructions; a power controller to control power consumption of the processor; and a storage to store a plurality of entries to associate a dynamic capacitance with a time duration for which a current spike is to be exposed to a power delivery component. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a processor includes: a first storage to store a set of common performance state request settings; a second storage to store a set of thread performance state request settings; and a controller to control a performance state of a first core based on a combination of at least one of the set of common performance state request settings and at least one of the set of thread performance state request settings. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a processor includes a plurality of cores and a power controller. This power controller in turn may include a voltage ramp logic to pre-empt a voltage ramp of a voltage regulator from a first voltage to a second voltage, responsive to a request for a second core to exit a low power state. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a multicore processor having a power controller with logic to dynamically switch a power management policy from a power biased policy to a performance biased policy when a utilization of the processor exceeds a threshold level. Thus at low utilizations, reduced power consumption can be realized, while at higher utilizations, greater performance can be realized. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, an integrated circuit device comprises one or more processor cores and a control unit coupled to the processor core(s). The control unit is adapted to control an operating frequency of at least one processor core based on an estimated activity level in lieu of a power level. The estimated activity level differing from an estimated power level by being independent of leakage power and voltage characteristics particular to that integrated circuit device.

Abstract: Techniques and mechanisms for configuring an integrated circuit (IC) chip to implement a protocol stack. In an embodiment, a transaction layer of the IC chip is operable to exchange with a link layer of the IC chip transaction layer packets (TLPs) having a format compatible with one defined in a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express™ (PCIe™) specification. Configuration circuitry of the IC chip provides for configuration of a first protocol stack including the transaction layer, circuitry of the link layer and a first physical layer of the IC chip. The configuration circuitry further provides for an alternative configuration of a second protocol stack including the transaction layer, circuitry of the link layer and a second physical layer of the IC chip. In another embodiment, the first protocol stack supports single-ended signaling to communicate TLP information, whereas the second protocol stack supports differential signaling to communicate TLP information.

Abstract: One embodiment of an apparatus includes a semiconductor chip having a processor and an on-die non-volatile storage resource. The on-die non-volatile storage may store different, appropriate performance related information for different configurations and usage cases of the processor for a same performance state of the processor.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a multicore processor with a power controller to control a frequency at which the processor operates. More specifically, the power controller can limit a maximum operating frequency of the processor to less than a configured maximum operating frequency to enable a reduction in a number of frequency transitions occurring responsive to power state events, thus avoiding the overhead of operations performed in handling such transitions. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a processor having multiple domains including at least a core domain and a non-core domain that is transparent to an operating system (OS). The non-core domain can be controlled by a driver. In turn, the processor further includes a memory interconnect to interconnect the core domain and the non-core domain to a memory coupled to the processor. Still further, a power controller, which may be within the processor, can control a frequency of the memory interconnect based on memory boundedness of a workload being executed on the non-core domain. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Dynamic runtime calibration of a processor with respect to a specific voltage regulator that powers the processor or a memory subsystem coupled to the processor can reduce or eliminate the need for guardbands in power management computations. The processor receives a current measurement from the voltage regulator and computes a calibration factor based on the measured value and a stored expected value. The calibration factor can be used in making power management decisions instead of adding the guardband to power readings. A manufacturer or distributor of the processor can compute the stored values with a controlled voltage supply that has a higher precision than typical commercial power supplies used in computing systems. The computed, stored values indicate the expected value, which can be used to determine a calibration factor relative to a voltage regulator of an active system.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a processor having a core and a power controller to control power management features of the processor. The power controller can receive an energy performance bias (EPB) value from the core and access a power-performance tuning table based on the value. Using information from the table, at least one setting of a power management feature can be updated. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a processor includes a first logic to calculate a scalability value for a processor domain based at least in part on an active state residency, a stall duration, and a memory bandwidth of the domain, and to determine an operating frequency update for the domain based at least in part on a current operating frequency of the domain and the scalability value. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a processor having a plurality of cores and a cache memory coupled to the cores and including a plurality of partitions. The processor can further include a logic to dynamically vary a size of the cache memory based on a memory boundedness of a workload executed on at least one of the cores. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a processor having a core and a power controller to control power management features of the processor. The power controller can receive an energy performance bias (EPB) value from the core and access a power-performance tuning table based on the value. Using information from the table, at least one setting of a power management feature can be updated. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A scalability algorithm causes a processor to initialize a performance indicator counter, operate at an initial frequency of the first clock signal for a first duration, and determine, based on the performance indicator counter, an initial performance of the first processing core. The algorithm may then cause the processor to operate at a second frequency of the first clock signal for a second duration and determine, based on the performance indicator counter, a second performance of the first processing core. A performance scalability of the first processing core may be determined based on the initial performance and the second performance and an operational parameter, such as one or more clock frequencies and/or supply voltage(s), may be changed based on the determined scalability.

Abstract: A processor may include a cause agnostic frequency dither filter (FD filter), which may cause reduction in the frequency transitions while maintaining the performance levels. The FD Filter may minimize the performance loss, which may otherwise accrue from these frequency transitions, while trying to maximize the peak frequency of the processor. The FD filter may determine a minimum and maximum limit, which may be used by a power management unit (PMU) to restrict the number of frequency transitions to be within a specified threshold. The FD filter may determine the maximum and minimum limits based on transition data stored in internal tables captured during one or more time windows (or observation windows). Based on an average system behavior, the PMU may either apply the minimum or the maximum limit over the subsequent time window.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a processor having multiple domains including at least a core domain and a non-core domain that is transparent to an operating system (OS). The non-core domain can be controlled by a driver. In turn, the processor further includes a memory interconnect to interconnect the core domain and the non-core domain to a memory coupled to the processor. Still further, a power controller, which may be within the processor, can control a frequency of the memory interconnect based on memory boundedness of a workload being executed on the non-core domain. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a processor having a plurality of cores and a cache memory coupled to the cores and including a plurality of partitions. The processor can further include a logic to dynamically vary a size of the cache memory based on a memory boundedness of a workload executed on at least one of the cores. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a multicore processor having a power controller with logic to dynamically switch a power management policy from a power biased policy to a performance biased policy when a utilization of the processor exceeds a threshold level. Thus at low utilizations, reduced power consumption can be realized, while at higher utilizations, greater performance can be realized. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: One embodiment of an apparatus includes a semiconductor chip having a processor and an on-die non-volatile storage resource. The on-die non-volatile storage may store different, appropriate performance related information for different configurations and usage cases of the processor for a same performance state of the processor.