A Computer That is Too Fast

Computers today are now running up to 4.0 GHz (Pentium 4), but what happens when we crank 10, 15, or even 20 GHz out of them? The answer to this comes from a simple chart:

ois.unomaha.edu...

That shows the cycles/second (hertz or Hz) for each main catagory of the spectrum.

If we were to go to, say, 36.5 GHz with our processors, the processor would be, theoretically, producing microwave radiation (according to this chart).

But, pushing the limits, if we produced a 1.0 QAHz (quadrillion hertz; 1 plus 15 zeros) processor, it would be producing visible light as it worked.

Yes, I'm thinking that we will never produce anything of that speed, but 10 GHz is possible within the next 4 or 5 years.

What's the current record holder for speed? I think it's the Pentium 4: 4.0 GHz, but I could be wrong.

We could type a light show! How cool would that be!? I'd settle fine for 10 GHz! Zzzzzzzzzzooooooooom

I think that there are people that can and do overclock their computer chips to speeds up to 6 and 7 gigahertz, as I have read on the 'net.

I think that the computer cpu's will be replaced using dna, I think, if I remember correctly. DNA PC's

If they could solve complex problems in 1994 using DNA, why did 10 years pass and nothing happen? People are only prone to do the research when there's govornment funding to be had. I hate those people, unless it's their primary source of income, I hate them so much....

Originally posted by diehard_democrat

If we were to go to, say, 36.5 GHz with our processors, the processor would be, theoretically, producing microwave radiation (according to this chart).

But, pushing the limits, if we produced a 1.0 QAHz (quadrillion hertz; 1 plus 15 zeros) processor, it would be producing visible light as it worked.

Yes, I'm thinking that we will never produce anything of that speed, but 10 GHz is possible within the next 4 or 5 years.

Or even faster, our processors would be producing X-Rays or Gamma rays, now that's something to think about

I'm welcome to corrections if I'm wrong, but can't a silicon-based chip only go so fast? It has to have some limit and then we would have to find another material to build microprocessors out of.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but what you posted was a radio wave frequency range chart.

I thought computer speed (hertz) was a completely different measurement?

Best explanation I could find is here:

searchnetworking.techtarget.com...

Well, I'm correcting you because you're wrong, computer speed measurements are the same. Here is how it works:

1 hertz is one cycle per second.

A data bit enters the processor (32 bits, for most processors today) and then leaves the processor one second later. That processor can process at a rate of 1 hertz. A 1 MHz, or million hertz, processor can process 1 million data bits per second. Today's computers usually go about 2 GHz, and handle 32 bits per cycle. 32 x 2,000,000,000 = how many data bits your CPU can do in one second. I'm to lazy to figure out the answer to that.

But a radio wave chart? I really don't know, I just typed wavelength chart or something into Google and it's what popped up, so if it's inaccurate, don't blame me .

If I understood what I read in that link, clock speed measurements and the measurements on the chart that was posted by diehard are in fact the same

If I have time after I'm done with my homework, I'll search for more info (unless someone else posts it first )

Would be interesing it if truthfully could produce light then it would in fact be producing energy. Could this energy somehow be tapped so that it would feed itself? Would be almost like fusion or something. And produing radiation I would assume processors would have to have a protective barrier around it. Might it be like have micro nukes in your computer Just thinking about the potential of those speeds arouses too many questions.

IMMORTAL
I think that there are people that can and do overclock their computer chips to speeds up to 6 and 7 gigahertz, as I have read on the 'net.

You can overclock to a point, but no where hear 6 gigahertz.

I have a 3.0 ghz and its overclocked at 3.4, I could probably put it to 3.6 or so, but then I would need to turn my fans up, since it would produce more heat. The more you clock it up, the more unstable your system gets.

So what you guys are telling me is if I crank up a frequency generator to that of visible light then it will start to act like a light bulb? No it wont. Frequency can come in two forms, photons and electrons. Photons produce light. Electrons (electricity) from a computer produce wave patterns in a totally different way that dont even look the same on a scope. One is a square wave and the other is a sine wave not to mention one produces light where the other doesn't. Am I missing something here?

A though t about going for speed, firstly intel have stated that they will not being going for anything faster than 4.0 ghz, and will most likely cease production of those chips shortly. Main reasons being, well AMD athlon 64 for a start. As pointed out most home pc chips are 32 bit and around 2ghz, but if you move upto a 64 bit processor, you suddenly open up a mass of doors for new proccessing power, without having to do any speed increases.

With that in mind, and the fact that more speed means more voltage and cooling needed, I think it's far more likely to see chips increasing the amount of bits they can process, so maybe 3-4 years and we'll be seeing 128 bit chips.

We are running into issues with speed-at room temps. If you will notice, bith AMD and Intel are going to dual core chips rather than faster chips.

The reason is both heat-too much to deal with and energy leakage at those speeds-issue with size and material used for transistors in computer chips.

Also overclocking has several limiting factors-heat or lack of it and type of chip.
Those who crank up the speeds past 4 gig-are probably using cooling systems-basicly a freezer for the cips and other componets.
When you overclock a chip-you produce much more heat than normal and if you want it to be stable, you must cool the cip down. It gets to a point where the only way to remove enough heat is that kind of cooling.

[edit on 10/24/2004 by mrmonsoon]

I hear that. The Dell catolog states they are not rating chips based on clock speed anymore after this generation expires. When I saw the article on the living rat brain in the dish controling the flight simulator at sciencedaily to fly a plane it makes me wonder just how much more complicated computers will be in ten years not withstanding the old 2 times increase every 18 months rule. I think it will be much much different in ten years.

The rate of how fast the CPU's can advance [for PC usage] also depend on the rest of the hardware of a PC. RAM, HDD, Mobo, everything has to adapt to be able to produce/support as much info as the CPU is capable of processing.

IE: Running a car with a V8 motor, but the rest of the drive-train being that of a golf cart. It will still only go as fast as the golf cart originally would.

Misfit

[edit on 24-10-2004 by Misfit]

Yep. I learned how to rebuild my first transmission that way

i know of a government computer that have 5.25 GHz but thats the fastest i heard of atm. then again, that was early last year so it may be faster.

Originally posted by feygan

I think it's far more likely to see chips increasing the amount of bits they can process, so maybe 3-4 years and we'll be seeing 128 bit chips.

You hit the nail on the head. More density better design etc.

My first PC was 8Mhz & 16bit & that was in turbo mode. When I purchased my 386 running at 20Mhz they were talking about going 50, 60, or 70 Mhz someday in all the PC rags. What amazes me is we've been running 32bit since the 386.

Originally posted by Murcielago

IMMORTAL
I think that there are people that can and do overclock their computer chips to speeds up to 6 and 7 gigahertz, as I have read on the 'net.

You can overclock to a point, but no where hear 6 gigahertz.

I have a 3.0 ghz and its overclocked at 3.4, I could probably put it to 3.6 or so, but then I would need to turn my fans up, since it would produce more heat. The more you clock it up, the more unstable your system gets.

Murc you are wrong and here is the proof!



The cooling is LN2 ie Liquid Nitrogen.



[edit on 25-10-2004 by sardion2000]