Tribalwar

Kernel-memory-leaking Intel processor design flaw forces Linux, Windows redesign | Pe

Submitted by: SINep @ 08:23 PM | Wednesday, January 3, 2018 | (url: https://www.there...)

A fundamental design flaw in Intel's processor chips has forced a significant redesign of the Linux and Windows kernels to defang the chip-level security bug.

Programmers are scrambling to overhaul the open-source Linux kernel's virtual memory system. Meanwhile, Microsoft is expected to publicly introduce the necessary changes to its Windows operating system in an upcoming Patch Tuesday: these changes were seeded to beta testers running fast-ring Windows Insider builds in November and December.

Crucially, these updates to both Linux and Windows will incur a performance hit on Intel products. The effects are still being benchmarked, however we're looking at a ballpark figure of five to 30 per cent slow down, depending on the task and the processor model. More recent Intel chips have features such as PCID to reduce the performance hit. Your mileage may vary.

Best case: 17% slowdown
Worst case: 23% slowdown
The Register (@TheRegister) January 2, 2018

Similar operating systems, such as Apple's 64-bit macOS, will also need to be updated the flaw is in the Intel x86-64 hardware, and it appears a microcode update can't address it. It has to be fixed in software at the OS level, or go buy a new processor without the design blunder.

Details of the vulnerability within Intel's silicon are under wraps: an embargo on the specifics is due to lift early this month, perhaps in time for Microsoft's Patch Tuesday next week. Indeed, patches for the Linux kernel are available for all to see but comments in the source code have been redacted to obfuscate the issue.

However, some details of the flaw have surfaced, and so this is what we know.


More:
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/01/02/intel_cpu_design_flaw/

Intel Core i7-965 Extreme Edition Processor

Submitted by: Das Capitolin @ 08:03 PM | Sunday, November 16, 2008 | (url: http://benchmarkr...)

In this article Benchmark Reviews covers the Intel Core i7-965 Extreme Edition (XE). We have now had sufficient time to spend with Core i7 series and our knowledge base on these processors and their supporting components has grown exponentially. In our first article, Intel Core i7 CPU & DX58SO X58 Platform we covered most of the available information regarding both the Nehalem Technology and the architecture used with the Intel Core i7 Processor family.

Overclockers push 8-core Skulltrail to 6 GHz: Dual-socket overclocking confirmed

Submitted by: Fox k @ 01:47 PM | Thursday, April 17, 2008 | (url: http://www.tgdail...)

Las Vegas (NV) When Intel released its Skulltrail platform, the main focus of this extreme computing platform was on overclocking capabilities. Dual-socket motherboards traditionally have not been a prime target for overclocking anyway, so this was an interesting proposition from Intel anyway. Now we know that Skulltrail has lots of headroom.

Overclocking with advanced air-cooling can take Skulltrail from 3.2 GHz to 4 GHz. 4.5 GHz is reportedly manageable with a modest water-cooling system. Not surprisingly, there is a lot more capability in this platform if take an extreme Skulltrail a bit more extreme

IBM Unleashes 4.7 GHz POWER6 Microprocessor

Submitted by: DudeofDeath @ 09:25 PM | Wednesday, May 23, 2007 | (url: http://www.dailyt...)

IBM just launched the dual-core 64-bit POWER6 processor running at 4.7 GHz, which doubles the speed of the previous generation POWER5 while using nearly the same amount of electricity to run and cool it.

AMD price cuts effective today

Submitted by: Got Haggis? @ 10:51 AM | Monday, April 9, 2007 | (url: http://techreport...)

All AMD 64 x2 processors are now under $200, with the exception of the 6000, which is going for $241. I'm glad I held off upgrading for awhile.