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Might be a dumb question, but what is the implication of adding FPGAs[1] right next to their CPUs?

• dsabanin 10y ago
  You could program any algorithm as a set of logic gates in hardware. Hardware can run completely in parallel so this allows insane performance gains for some tasks. FPGA are very close to ASIC (regular chips, like the CPU itself) in their performance, but are completely re-programmable. Some FPGAs I believe can be even re-programmed on the fly by the FPGA itself.
  • jrowley 10y ago
    ASICS often are faster than more general FPGAs, and FPGA's use a lot more energy than a comparable ASIC. But the reprogrammable nature of FPGAs is an incredible advantage. And there are even some phones that have FPGAs integrated now a days, so there are lower power options (altera) which would be appropriate for mobiles/laptops.
• fudged71 10y ago
  This is my understanding from CS. CPUs are designed to be general purpose which unfortunately also means that they are slower and less efficient than dedicated logic circuits. The implication of FPGAs is efficient and high speed hardware-coded algorithms which can be reprogrammed. It's almost like you're refactoring the hardware using software, giving you the ability to upgrade a chips capabilities over time.