They are found in various devices such as smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles, and embedded systems.
They are found in various devices such as smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles, and embedded systems.
The question asks about the status of 128-bit processors in current technology.
Advancements would come from enhanced performance and efficiency in processing complex tasks. Existing technologies like AVX already accommodate larger bit sizes, indicating compatibility and ongoing benefits.
Currently, 128-bit CPUs aren't available since 64 bits are sufficient for present needs
No, it doesn't work that way. The main gains from shifting from 32-bit to 64-bit came from a larger address space and more CPU registers being accessible. However, 64-bit processors can handle more memory than we typically need, so switching to 128-bit wouldn't offer further benefits and you could boost register count without upgrading to a 128-bit chip. Moreover, adding more registers only helps when the current count is limiting performance, not universally. Also, SIMD instructions already support operations on as much as 512 bits.
Know at least one was designed back in the 90's or early 00's. Don't think it was ever put in silicon. Generally speaking the only reason you'd need a physical 128bit system is, if you're processing numbers above 9,223,372,036,854,775,807 often enough that the conversion to 64bit is detrimental. There is no inherent speed bonus, in fact in theory there is a performance penalty.
RAM plays a crucial role in this discussion. Early 16-bit computers were restricted to 16MB of memory. As personal computers approached that capacity, we transitioned to 32-bit architectures offering up to 4GB. The shift to 64-bit systems became necessary around the early 2000s because they could practically accommodate over 17 billion GB of RAM. Beyond that point, we anticipate moving into 128-bit configurations. Although theoretically possible, most processors utilize only a fraction of their full potential—typically 40 to 52 bits—constraining them between 1TB and 4PB of memory. Nonetheless, it's unlikely a typical desktop will reach such levels within the coming decade.