Intel publishes new patent for “software defined super cores”

Intel is exploring a new approach to boosting single-threaded performance, according to a newly published patent. The patent, EP4579444A1, describes a technology called “software defined super cores” (SDCs), which could allow a CPU to dynamically fuse multiple smaller physical cores to work together on a single thread, effectively creating a temporary, more powerful virtual core.

According to the patent first shared on Reddit (via VideoCardz), the core idea is to overcome the diminishing returns of simply making individual cores bigger and faster with each generation. Instead, when a demanding single-threaded task is detected, the SDC system could assign it to a cluster of several smaller cores. These cores would then work in concert to execute the instructions of that single thread. At the same time, the OS and the application remain unaware of what's happening, seeing it only as one big and fast core.

Image credit: Intel patent

This differs from standard multi-threading, as it's specifically designed to accelerate a single, indivisible process, potentially aggregating the IPC of the fused cores without requiring an increase in frequency or voltage. The patent details how the system would divide the instructions and use mechanisms like a “Shadow Store Buffer” to ensure the program's instructions are executed in the correct order. However, achieving near-instant, low-latency communication between the fused cores is complex, as is determining how an OS would efficiently schedule tasks for the SDCs.

As with all patents, this is not a product announcement, and there's no guarantee that this technology will ever be used in a consumer chip. However, it offers a glimpse into how Intel is thinking about the future of CPU architecture. As the benefits of shrinking process nodes and simply increasing clock speeds become increasingly challenging, software-defined solutions like this could be the key to the next significant leap in single-core performance.

KitGuru says: Do you think we'll ever see Intel implementing the capabilities to create SDCs in its consumer processors? If so, when do you expect to see the first CPUs using them?

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