Cylinder shrinkage, a term that is not too unfamiliar to modern users.
Especially for Intel users, before the microcode update, the shrinkage issue was concentrated in the 13th and 14th generation processors.
The term "processor shrinkage" refers to a situation where, due to various reasons, the processor's circuitry ages faster than expected.
This leads to the entire processor becoming unstable and unreliable.
A typical manifestation of this is that a much higher voltage is required to reach full frequency.
Originally, a voltage of 1.2V was sufficient to achieve full operation, but after cylinder reduction, it requires extremely low voltages of 1.4V or even 1.5V to 1.6V to reach full operation.
Don't underestimate the seemingly small voltage change of a fraction of a volt; for high-density, high-precision products like modern processors, it's a significant difference.
Even such a small voltage shift is dangerous enough.
The more advanced the manufacturing process, the smaller the transistors and the smaller the gate, and the lower the voltage required.
Whether the breakdown is caused by leakage or high voltage, it will cause irreversible damage to the transistor.
Of course, for modern processors, a little damage is actually not a big deal.
What's truly alarming is the change in the transistor's threshold voltage. Even a tiny voltage shift can cause a slight decrease in the transistor's operating speed.
This could lead to the entire instruction failing to complete on time, resulting in unstable frequency or even program crash.
You don't need to actually burn a processor to break it.
In fact, by simply slowing down some of its transistors by just a tiny bit, this culmination of sophisticated human semiconductor technology can become unreliable due to the butterfly effect.
Cylinder shrinkage is not a phenomenon unique to modern CPUs.
It's just that the advancement of modern technology has made this phenomenon more and more obvious, and also more and more dangerous.
The situation is slightly different for this ATHENA-II.
"The damage is concentrated in Arizona and New Mexico; no similar reports have been received from other areas so far."
I guessed so.
Lin Lixin nodded.
Both states have typical desert climates with extreme temperature differences between day and night, and are hot and dry.
In addition, due to the underdeveloped infrastructure in remote areas and the lack of cooling methods, some arcades are probably like ovens, with a large number of machines crammed together.
This wouldn't be a problem for older 8-bit and 16-bit machines.
They don't generate much heat to begin with, and their working environment is military-grade, so a little high temperature has no impact at all.
However, the situation is quite different for 32-bit systems, especially the upgraded 32-bit systems.
"We've pushed performance to its limits."
Vivian frowned slightly.
Based on the results of the inspection, the answer clearly points to transistor aging.
"It's not your fault. I was so focused on optimizing the software for Mirror's Edge that I forgot about this."
Lin Lixin sighed helplessly.
It's only because this thing is an arcade machine.
If this is thrown directly onto the next-generation console without passing large-scale deployment testing, then it'll be a new era's "Red Ring of Death" incident.
Search "" on Bing to see the latest updated chapters of this book! It will be impossible for GAMENOVA not to bleed heavily by then.
As long as a solution is found quickly and this batch is recalled and returned to the factory, there shouldn't be any major problems.
"The problem lies in the frequency. Processors typically reserve a small amount of frequency redundancy, locking it at a relatively low frequency, rather than letting it run at full speed."
Seeing the puzzled look on Sam's face, Lin Lixin patiently explained it to him.
Vivian was an expert in this field, so there was no need for further explanation; she had already figured out what was going on.
"But Mirror's Edge has very high hardware requirements. In order to achieve the highest possible performance, we forced ourselves to squeeze out all the redundant features."
This specially tuned processor was pushed to its absolute limit, making it extremely vulnerable to damage.
While it resulted in impressive performance, it did encounter some minor stability issues.
Modern processors have Turbo Boost and various advanced BIOS voltage management features, so there are already mature solutions for this.
It was precisely because of this that Lin Lixin accidentally fell into the trap.
"So what do we do now? We can't just design one from scratch and then recall all the ones that have already been sold, can we?"
After hearing their explanation, Sam was immediately overwhelmed with bad luck. This was truly the worst luck imaginable; both the buyer and they were incredibly unlucky.
"The solution... is quite simple."
Lin Lixin patted Sam on the shoulder.
This matter is simple in some ways and complex in others.
If the goal is simply to solve the current problem, addressing the heat dissipation issue would be sufficient.
The real challenge is redesigning the processor for fifth-generation consoles.
The trouble with 32-bit compared to the old 8-bit and 16-bit systems lies precisely in this.
It's too complex and too massive; changing one thing can have far-reaching consequences.
The original ATHENA has performed well in Genesis to this day due to its sufficient safety margin.
Unexpectedly, the iteration of the process caused problems.
"We added heat sink fins and a fan to the base plate, and then wrapped it with a thick aluminum plate."
Lin Lixin stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and then offered a solution. "Huh? Why wrap it with aluminum plates? Wouldn't that trap all the hot air inside?"
Sam was taken aback.
Adding fans and fins is understandable; it increases the heat dissipation area and accelerates air convection.
Adding fans is a common optimization technique for some high-performance arcade game boards.
Just like the high-performance motherboards that Namco initially developed, they all came standard with cooling fans.
For the substrates of this era, this thing was equivalent to a symbol of performance.
But aluminum plates?
I didn't understand, but I was deeply shocked.
"Indeed, or perhaps we could try adding a big copper lump?"
Regardless of Sam's doubts, Vivian and Lin Lixin were having a lively discussion.
"That would be a bit daunting in terms of cost... But don't worry, the weather has been pretty good lately, giving us plenty of time to test which option is more reliable."
After saying this, Lin Lixin looked at Sam in front of him and said, "The most terrifying thing about the desert isn't the high temperature, Sam, but the temperature difference."
In places like New Mexico, the temperature difference between day and night can sometimes reach nearly 50 degrees Celsius.
For arcades, which are places with a high density of people and machines, the upper limit of the ambient temperature can be even higher.
Drastic temperature differences can cause various forms of damage to fragile semiconductor components.
Even slight thermal expansion and contraction, condensation, and other factors can pose potential hazards.
A metal lump can effectively increase the heat capacity of the entire substrate.
In other words, it means... heat storage.
During the day, some of the heat generated by the processor is stored, and then slowly released at night.
It's certainly not used to keep the machine warm; it's simply used to slow down the cooling process.
When the temperature change curve is flat enough, the temperature difference is no longer so unacceptable.
With the active cooling provided by the fan and fins, the overall temperature control of the processor will be greatly improved.
... The problem of arcade machine repairs has at least been resolved.
But for Lin Lixin, there's no time to relax right now.
This incident has exposed many problems.
The immaturity of Micro-Nova Semiconductor in the testing process and GAMENOVA's overly extreme pursuit of performance were both laid bare this time.
"Perhaps this is a problem inherent in large companies..."
In order to maintain a release of a technically stunning game every year, Gamenova often needs to squeeze every last bit of hardware power out of its devices to achieve unparalleled game performance.
As the saying goes, if you walk by the river long enough, you're bound to get your shoes wet.
He needs to find a reliable way quickly.
As processors become more advanced, their current arcade-style thinking, or rather, their green-skinned thinking, will become increasingly unreliable.
The hardware architecture, which originated from a small workshop, urgently needs a modern upgrade.
To solve this problem, he doesn't need to find companies that make processors or various semiconductor chips.
" Sam, I'm planning a small investment in an overseas business." "Is it to solve the processor problem?"
"Hmm... sort of. Strictly speaking, it's a PC company, in East Asia."
" Acer?"
Sam asked tentatively.
Several major Japan semiconductor manufacturers are locked in a fierce battle with Micron, making it unlikely that they will reach a healthy cooperation agreement with Gamenova.
Lin Lixin was clearly aware of this, so he was probably referring to Acer, a leading PC manufacturer in East Asia.
This company, which was founded in the 1970s, has a complete team of microprocessor engineers and its own 8-bit and 16-bit machine production lines. From technology to design to manufacturing to global sales, Acer has a fully integrated upstream and downstream supply chain.
In addition, it successfully completed its IPO in 1988 and now has a team with very healthy cash flow and very reliable technology.
If you're looking for a collaboration, they might actually be a reliable option.
" Acer... that's a good idea, but the answer is no. What I'm looking for is... ASUS."
"Who?"
Sam was slightly taken aback, because he genuinely had never heard of that name before.
This is either because he is ignorant, or because this "ASUS" is really just an unknown small factory.
"It's normal that you don't know; it's a new company that was just established last year."
Lin Lixin waved his hand and pulled out the other party's information.
ASUS, while not a processor manufacturer, is undoubtedly the most Legend motherboard maker.
Starting its business in 1990, the company officially established a partnership with Intel in 1992 and launched the Pentium motherboard in 1993.
In just five years, it became the world's largest motherboard manufacturer.
Asus at this moment is a ASUS, eagerly seeking investment and ready to make a big splash.
It's the perfect time to board!
More importantly, ASUS's founding team consisted of a group of top engineers who had left Acer.
With both experience and capability, ASUS has the courage to stand on the world stage and face the new era.
Right now, all it really lacks is time and money. " Sam, have Satoshi and the others send letters and make phone calls to ask if they'd be interested in coming to California for a Christmas vacation?"