IBM zEnterpriseTM energy efficient 5.2Ghz processor chip

The IBM zEnterprise z196 processor chip is an energy efficient high-frequency, high-performance design that implements 4 processor cores optimized for maximum single-thread performance. Chip energy efficiency is improved by 25% compared to the previous 65nm design, which enables the processor chip to run at product frequency of 5.2 GHz, providing a significant performance boost for the z196 system. This paper discusses the enablement of a high frequency and high performance design with a focus on energy consumption challenges and solutions. Design tradeoffs for processor speed, performance and energy consumption were optimized during project concept phase and practiced through detailed implementation stages on all aspects of the processor design. Various high speed circuit techniques were deployed to achieve the high frequency goal and improve overall energy efficiency. A comprehensive power methodology was developed to calculate leakage and dynamic power dissipation at various workloads. Sustained thermal power as well as instantaneous peak power was analyzed and worked on throughout the entire design process. The final design stays within the system power constraints and achieves a 5.2Ghz product frequency.