News Intel shows solar-powered CPU

Intel showed an experimental prototype CPU by powering it with a small solar panel and one lamp.

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2011/09/13/intel-shows-solar-powered-cpu/1

 

:-O

 

That's awsome, would love to see a video of how fast windows runs.

 

Impressive, a nice step forwards

 

Why has my post been deleted?

 

No specs or details on the CPU they used in this demo? Which version of Windows? Unusually thin on the ground for BT I must say...

 

Yes awesome, but can it run off of a potato battery?

 

As said in the article, it was an experimental prototype CPU - Intel didn't say any more than that. I'd guess it was Medfield (next-gen Atom) but that's a pure guess.

From what I can remember, it looked like Windows 7, but can't remember if it was running Aero or not.

Tbh though, all of this is beside the point - the demo was of an x86 CPU running a full desktop OS and a couple of apps on a few watts of power at most, possibly less.

Because I deleted Snips' trolling, banned him for a few days to reflect on how silly he'd been and tried to tidy the threads of all the reactions to said trolling to avoid confusion with new posters. It was no reflection on your posting which I seem to remember was perfectly reasonable.

 

6th paragraph, 2nd sentence: "We sould point out...."

thats an impressive piece of tech. wish there was a video or at least a zoomed-out pic of the rig.

 

would be handy for the zombie apocalypse

 

Intel have so much money they can properly do research - we never hear this from AMD, who perhaps just don't have the capacity to experiment at this level.

From what I hear, Bulldozer is an just lots of athlon XP's on the same die...

 

Soon we can make Wall-e for realzies! yaaaaay

 

The current atoms problem isn't the cpu power draw any way, its the north bridge so while this is very cool i'll be more impressed when they are running the full system of a solar panel the size of a standard netbooks lid.

 

What burn my phone battery is the screen not the CPU.
I don't think it's that easy to cut down screen energy consumption.

It would be much better if they tried to improve battery as much as they are trying to improve energy consumption.

Recently there are so many articles about lowering the power usage of hand held devices but i don't remember any article about any new type of battery that improve battery capacity and life time

 

Even if some other components dont have improved power consumption, the fact that the CPU will should at least help the situation. The less components in a device that demand high power then the more power is available overall. Well, thats my guess anyway.

 

Hmm can u OC that chip. What about if u need 2 go to internet in desert or some plase like that there can be sun over 80+ some times i think it not that good solarcell on the ship. My ide is make better solarcell and no problem whit low lotage chips.

 

Satellites have been doing this for years.

Lowering CPU power draw yet further is no bad thing though.

 

A postage stamp sized solar cell is about 1inx1in, or for you metric folks out there 25.4x25.4mm. That clocks in at around .58w of power assuming noon daylight and a clear day out in the sun and 100% efficiency. Using a table lamp, unless particularly strong, and typical solar cell efficencies you are probably looking more at around .02-05w of power (around 20-30% efficient and light flux probably about 10% of that of noon daylight).

We are talking a staggeringly tiny amount of power to run that CPU.

 

ooo looks like intel has been busy of late

 

I would like to see more use of solar cells in laptops and other devices. Even if they aren't always in sufficient light, what time they are exposed can help extend the overall runtime of the device between charges. Power efficiency coupled with the solar tech could really make the big difference. I hope Intel is serious about this research and not just using it as a promo gimick.