Over the past two decades, the rapid development of computing technology has brought significant social and economic benefits across various sectors, including business, education, research, and healthcare. As a result, the energy consumption and environmental impact of computing have also grown substantially. For example, the world's 3 billion personal computers consume more than 1% of global electricity annually, while the 30 million servers worldwide add another 1.5%, costing around $14 to $18 billion each year.
With the rise in internet users globally, it is expected that by 2018, the footprint of data centers will grow from 1.5 billion square feet in 2013 to nearly 2 billion square feet. These centers not only connect to PCs, smartphones, and tablets but also to a growing number of smart devices and IoT systems. It is estimated that by 2020, there will be approximately 26 billion connected devices, including wearables and industrial sensors, leading to a massive increase in internet traffic—from 245 EB in 2010 to over 1,000 EB by 2015.
The demand for energy-efficient performance is also on the rise. Smartphones, tablets, and gaming consoles are increasingly used for power-intensive tasks like high-quality video streaming, immersive games, and augmented reality. Meanwhile, laptops and desktops are being pushed to handle complex functions such as video editing, voice and gesture recognition, and biometric-based security. These trends are driving innovation in processors that deliver higher performance with lower power consumption.
Energy efficiency has been a key driver in the mobile computing revolution. Since the 1940s, computing power has increased dramatically, enabling mobile devices to operate for hours on a single charge. However, battery technology has not advanced at the same pace, so manufacturers have had to rely on multiple technologies to extend battery life, such as sleep modes and optimized power management.
ENERGY STAR-certified computers in the U.S. alone save about $1 billion annually and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15 billion pounds—equivalent to the annual emissions of 1.4 million cars. This highlights the importance of energy efficiency in reducing both costs and environmental impact.
Microprocessor design has long benefited from Dennard scaling, which allowed for smaller transistors and better energy efficiency. But as transistors approach physical limits, this trend has slowed. Smaller transistors lead to higher leakage and increased power consumption, making cooling and power management more critical. This has forced semiconductor companies to look beyond traditional process improvements and explore new technologies to maintain efficiency growth.
In response to these challenges, AMD launched the "25x20" initiative in 2014, aiming to improve the energy efficiency of its Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) by 25 times by 2020. This goal requires dramatic improvements in how typical applications use energy, going beyond historical trends set by Moore’s Law. By 2020, AMD aimed to make computers five times faster while using less than one-fifth the power, similar to upgrading a 100-horsepower car into a 500-horsepower one with five times the fuel efficiency.
To achieve this, AMD focused on architectural innovations, such as integrating CPUs and GPUs into a single chip. This allows for shared memory and improved parallel processing, enhancing performance while reducing power usage. One key advancement is the Heterogeneous Unified Memory Access (hUMA) technology, which enables the CPU and GPU to share the same memory space, simplifying programming and improving efficiency.
Additionally, AMD developed voltage tracking circuits to optimize power usage in real time. These circuits adjust voltage dynamically, reducing unnecessary power loss without compromising performance. This feature, introduced in the Carrizo APU, helps maintain efficiency even under fluctuating workloads.
Overall, the push for energy efficiency in computing is reshaping the industry, driving innovation in hardware design, software optimization, and sustainable practices. As the demand for powerful yet efficient devices continues to grow, companies like AMD are leading the way in delivering smarter, greener computing solutions for the future.
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