Intel Experimental Processor Runs On Solar Power 104
An anonymous reader writes "For the IDF keynote, Intel showed an experimental processor that is solar powered (incandescent light shining on a solar panel). The whole computer itself still runs on regular power; only the processor itself is solar. From the article: 'The concept processor, code-named Claremont, can run light workloads on solar power by dropping energy consumption to under 10 milliwatts, said Justin Rattner, chief technology officer at Intel, during a keynote address at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco. That is low enough to keep a chip running on a solar cell the size of a stamp.'"
Re:10mW chip running off 60W bulb (Score:1, Insightful)
60W incandescent bulb =
1.26watts light
58.74 watts heat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incandescent_light_bulb#Efficiency_and_environmental_impact [wikipedia.org]
Look a how much of the light is shining off the panel and the efficiency of the light->cpu is even better
And is the cpu using all the power available from the panel?
Re:What does it matter? (Score:4, Insightful)