Abstract: An approach for data bus power control. Data input sense amplifiers of a request agent are enabled prior to a data phase of a transaction according to a data bus power control signal. Once enabled, the data input sense amplifiers can capture data provided during the data phase of the read transaction. Accordingly, the data input sense amplifiers of the request agent are disabled according to the power control signal once the data phase of the read transaction is complete.

Abstract: A power aware front-end unit for a processor may include a UOP cache that disables other circuitry within the front-end unit. In an embodiment, a front-end unit may disable instruction synchronization circuitry, instruction decode circuitry and, optionally, instruction fetch circuitry while instruction look-ups are underway in both a block cache and an instruction cache. If the instruction look-up indicates a miss, the disabled circuitry thereafter may be enabled.

Abstract: For one embodiment, a computer system includes both high power and low power buses coupling a processor to a controller. When the processor is in a high power mode, its cache is snooped by the controller via the high power bus. When the processor is in a low power mode, its cache is snooped by the controller via the low power bus.

Abstract: A system is described that includes a microprocessor and a thermal control subsystem. The microprocessor includes execution resources to support processing of instructions and consumes power. The microprocessor also includes at least one throttling mechanism to reduce the amount of heat generated by the microprocessor. The thermal control subsystem is configured to estimate an amount of power used by the microprocessor and to control the throttling mechanism based on the estimated amount of current power usage to ensure that junction temperature will not exceed the maximum allowed temperature.

Abstract: Distribution of processing activity across processing hardware based on power consumption and/or thermal considerations. One embodiment includes a plurality of processing units and a monitor to obtain monitor (e.g., power consumption, or temperature or some combination thereof) values from the processing units. The monitor transfers a process from one processing unit to another in response to the monitor values from the processing units.

Abstract: A power aware front-end unit for a processor may include a UOP cache that disables other circuitry within the front-end unit. In an embodiment, a front-end unit may disable instruction synchronization circuitry, instruction decode circuitry and, optionally, instruction fetch circuitry while instruction look-ups are underway in both a block cache and an instruction cache. If the instruction look-up indicates a miss, the disabled circuitry thereafter may be enabled.

Abstract: A power aware front-end unit for a processor may include a UOP cache that disables other circuitry within the front-end unit. In an embodiment, a front-end unit may disable instruction synchronization circuitry, instruction decode circuitry and, optionally, instruction fetch circuitry while instruction look-ups are underway in both a block cache and an instruction cache. If the instruction look-up indicates a miss, the disabled circuitry thereafter may be enabled.

Abstract: Distribution of processing activity across processing hardware based on power consumption and/or thermal considerations. One embodiment includes a plurality of processing units and a monitor to obtain monitor (e.g., power consumption, or temperature or some combination thereof) values from the processing units. The monitor transfers a process from one processing unit to another in response to the monitor values from the processing units.

Abstract: Distribution of processing activity across processing hardware based on power consumption and/or thermal considerations. One embodiment includes a plurality of processing units and a monitor to obtain monitor (e.g., power consumption, or temperature or some combination thereof) values from the processing units. The monitor transfers a process from one processing unit to another in response to the monitor values from the processing units.

Abstract: A system and corresponding method use a PAUSE instruction as a low power hint in a single threaded or multithreaded environment using “processor slow mode.” One embodiment actually lowers the frequency of the processor clock. Another embodiment virtually lowers the frequency of the processor clock by gating M clock cycles out of every N clock cycles. When all threads have issued a PAUSE instruction, the processor enters slow mode and remains there for a while. After this while, the processor returns to normal mode. Alternatively, an event, such as an interrupt or an exception, can cause the processor to return to normal mode from slow mode.

Abstract: Various devices and methods are described. According to a first method performed by a processor having data sense amplifiers that receive data from a data bus portion of a front side bus: data sense amplifiers are enabled in response to an address strobe being asserted. The data sense amplifiers are then disabled at least in response to a queue being empty. The queue keeps track of transactions yet to be performed over the front side bus. According to a second method performed by a processor having data sense amplifiers that receive data from a data bus portion of a front side bus and address sense amplifiers that receive an address from an address bus portion of the front side bus: address sense amplifiers are enabled in response to a request indication being asserted. The data sense amplifiers are enabled in response to an address strobe being asserted. The address sense amplifiers are disabled in response to the request indication being de-asserted.

Abstract: An approach for data bus power control. Data input sense amplifiers of a request agent are enabled prior to a data phase of a transaction according to a data bus power control signal. Once enabled, the data input sense amplifiers can capture data provided during the data phase of the read transaction. Accordingly, the data input sense amplifiers of the request agent are disabled according to the power control signal once the data phase of the read transaction is complete.

Abstract: A bus agent is described having a controller to cause assertion of a power signal if an address is to be transferred to a receiving bus agent, the power signal to enable a set of input address sense amplifiers of the receiving agent, prior to the receiving bus agent receiving the address.

Abstract: A system and corresponding method use a PAUSE instruction as a low power hint in a single threaded or multithreaded environment using “processor slow mode.” One embodiment actually lowers the frequency of the processor clock. Another embodiment virtually lowers the frequency of the processor clock by gating M clock cycles out of every N clock cycles. When all threads have issued a PAUSE instruction, the processor enters slow mode and remains there for a while. After this while, the processor returns to normal mode. Alternatively, an event, such as an interrupt or an exception, can cause the processor to return to normal mode from slow mode.

Abstract: A system is described that includes a microprocessor and a thermal control subsystem. The microprocessor includes execution resources to support processing of instructions and consumes power. The microprocessor also includes at least one throttling mechanism to reduce the amount of heat generated by the microprocessor. The thermal control subsystem is configured to estimate an amount of power used by the microprocessor and to control the throttling mechanism based on the estimated amount of current power usage to ensure that junction temperature will not exceed the maximum allowed temperature.

Abstract: For one embodiment, a computer system includes both high power and low power buses coupling a processor to a controller. When the processor is in a high power mode, its cache is snooped by the controller via the high power bus. When the processor is in a low power mode, its cache is snooped by the controller via the low power bus.

Abstract: Distribution of processing activity across processing hardware based on power consumption and/or thermal considerations. One embodiment includes a plurality of processing units and a monitor to obtain monitor (e.g., power consumption, or temperature or some combination thereof) values from the processing units. The monitor transfers a process from one processing unit to another in response to the monitor values from the processing units.

Abstract: A power aware front-end unit for a processor may include a UOP cache that disables other circuitry within the front-end unit. In an embodiment, a front-end unit may disable instruction synchronization circuitry, instruction decode circuitry and, optionally, instruction fetch circuitry while instruction look-ups are underway in both a block cache and an instruction cache. If the instruction look-up indicates a miss, the disabled circuitry thereafter may be enabled.