Inverse temperature dependence voltage margining

Abstract

A system for reducing power consumption in a computer processor core includes a plurality of hot and cold temperature sensors positioned within the processor core. A plurality of temperatures may be estimated from corresponding temperature sensors, and a plurality of voltage candidates may be determined from the estimated temperatures and a mapping of temperature to voltage margin, wherein the mapping includes both a direct temperature-to-voltage mapping for a first range of performance targets and an inverse temperature-to-voltage mapping for a second range of performance targets. A voltage supplied to the processor core may be controlled based on a maximum of the voltage candidates.

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