Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Ati Technologies Ulc

Stephen David Presant

Oleksandr Khodorkovsky

Greg Sadowski

Ali Ibrahim

Krishna Sitaraman

Alexander J Branover

John Wakefield Brothers

Brian D Emberling

Warren Fritz Kruger

Ljubisa Bajic

David Ij Glen

Jeffrey Herman

Ashwini Dwarakanath

Jeff Herman

Jia An Huang

Seth Hendrickson

A method and apparatus controls power management of a graphics processing core when multiple virtual machines are allocated to the graphics processing core on a much finer-grain level than conventional systems. In one example, the method and apparatus processes a plurality of virtual machine power control setting requests to determine a power control request for a power management unit of a graphics processing core. The method and apparatus then controls power levels of the graphics processing core with the power management unit based on the determined power control request.

Method and apparatus for power management of a graphics processing core in a virtual environment

A method and apparatus includes a multi-processor apparatus including a plurality of integrated circuit processors having a shared thermal platform. Each processor has at least one subsystem operable at a plurality of different power settings, at least one internal thermal parameter detector providing power data related to the processor, and a power management unit. The method and apparatus illustratively shares power data from the at least one internal thermal parameter detector of each processor between the power management units of the plurality of processors; compares the shared power data from the plurality of processors to a thermal design power limit for the shared thermal platform; and controls a power setting of the at least one subsystem of the plurality of processors within the shared thermal platform based on the comparison of the shared power data to the thermal design power limit for the shared thermal platform.

Apparatus and method for managing power among a plurality of processors sharing a thermal platform

A circuit includes memory retiling methods which distribute image information among a plurality of memory channels producing reconfigured image information distributed among a subset of the plurality of memory channels allowing memory channels outside of the subset to be placed into a power save mode to reduce power consumption. Additional methods are disclosed for further reductions in power consumption.

Static image retiling and power management method and circuit

A system and method for reducing power consumption of a video subsystem. A computer system includes multiple display devices supported by a graphics processor. A memory for storing video data for the multiple display devices utilizes multiple channels for higher bandwidth. A systems controller within the graphics processor determines a retraining condition, such as an idle power state, is satisfied for one or more channels of the multiple memory channels. The graphics processor divides each respective screen for the multiple display devices into multiple horizontal bars. For each one of the multiple horizontal bars, the corresponding data may be rearranged from being distributed across the multiple channels to being stored in a single one of the multiple channels. The systems controller determines a given channel is an upcoming free channel. This free channel is retrained while it is free. Retraining may include at least reducing its memory clock (MCLK) frequency.

Idle power control in multi-display systems

Briefly, a method and apparatus adjusts the power consumption level of an integrated circuit by dynamically scaling the clock frequency based on the real-time determined power consumption level. In one example, the method and apparatus changes an actual clock frequency of the integrated circuit to an effective clock frequency based on the maximum clock frequency and the difference between the threshold power consumption level and the actual power consumption level of the integrated circuit in the previous sampling interval. In one example, an effective clock frequency of the integrated circuit in the current sampling interval is determined. In one example, the difference between the maximum and effective clock frequencies in the current sampling interval is proportional to the difference between the threshold and actual power consumption levels in the previous sampling interval. The actual clock frequency of the integrated circuit is changed to the determined effective clock frequency.

Method and apparatus for adjusting power consumption level of an integrated circuit

A method and apparatus determines an activity history context for each of a plurality of virtual machines sharing use of a graphics processing core. Each activity history context provides information related to a power setting of at least one engine of the graphics processing core during at least one prior use of the graphics processing core by the corresponding virtual machine. The method and apparatus controls a power setting of the at least one engine of the graphics processing core based on the activity history context corresponding to an active virtual machine using the graphics processing core.

Method and apparatus for power management of a processor in a virtual environment

Methods and apparatuses are provided for power control in a processor. The apparatus comprises a plurality of operational units arranged as a group of operational units. A power consumption monitor determines when cumulative power consumption of the group of operational units exceeds a threshold (e.g., either or both of the cumulative power threshold and the cumulative power rate threshold) during a time interval, after which a filter for issuing instructions to the group of operational units suspends instruction issuance to the group of operational units for the remainder of the time interval. The method comprises monitoring cumulative power consumption by a group of operational units within a processor over a time interval. If the cumulative power consumption of the group of operational units exceeds the threshold, instruction issuance to the group of operational units is suspended for the remainder of the time interval.

Processor with power control via instruction issuance

Circuit and methods provide for adjustable power consumption using a plurality of memory controllers. In one example, a first memory controller has a first power consumption level. A second memory controller has a second power consumption level that differs from the first power consumption level. Memory controller bypass logic is connected to the first and second memory controllers and selects for a memory client at least one of the first and second memory controllers in response to a change in a power conservation condition.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Stephen David Presant