Method and apparatus for configurable thermal management

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor arranged to operate in a plurality of thermal modes including at least a first mode having a first thermal limit and a second mode having a second thermal limit different than the first thermal limit, the plurality of thermal modes comprising a plurality of different maximum temperature limits for the processor wherein each of the plurality of thermal modes comprises a set of pre-determined operating frequencies and power consumption level for the processor; and

thermal management logic operative to select a thermal mode based on one or more operating parameters.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein two or more of the plurality of thermal modes comprise one or more defined thermal, power and performance characteristics.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein two or more of the plurality of thermal modes have different sets of predetermined operating frequencies and power consumption level.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first mode comprises a thermal limit down mode having a lower temperature limit than the other modes.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second mode comprises a thermal limit up mode having a higher temperature limit than the other modes.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a third mode having a third thermal limit different than the first and second thermal limits, the third mode comprising a normal thermal limit mode having a higher temperature limit than the first mode and a lower temperature limit than the second mode.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:

one or more storage devices arranged to store configuration information for two or more of the plurality of thermal modes.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the configuration information for two or more of the plurality of thermal modes comprises a maximum temperature limit or an operating frequency that are accessible through one or more interfaces.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the one or more interfaces comprise one or more of a memory-mapped input/output (MMIO) or a platform environment control interface (PECI).

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thermal management logic is operative to select a thermal mode during a boot sequence of the processor.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thermal management logic is operative to dynamically select a thermal mode during operation of the processor.

12. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

selecting a thermal mode for a processor arranged to operate in a plurality of thermal modes including at least a first mode having a first thermal limit and a second mode having a second thermal limit different than the first thermal limit, the plurality of thermal modes comprising a plurality of different maximum temperature limits for the processor wherein each of the plurality of thermal modes comprises a set of pre-determined operating frequencies and power consumption level for the processor;

retrieving configuration information for the selected thermal mode from one or more storage devices; and

operating the processor in the selected thermal mode.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein the configuration information comprises a maximum temperature limit or set of operating frequencies for two or more of the thermal modes.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein the configuration information is retrieved using one or more interfaces.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein the one or more interfaces comprise one or more of a memory-mapped input/output (MMIO) or a platform environment control interface (PECI).

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , comprising:

selecting the first mode comprising a thermal limit down mode; and

operating the processor at a lower temperature limit than the other modes.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , comprising:

selecting the second mode comprising a thermal limit up mode; and

operating the processor at a higher temperature limit than the other modes.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , comprising:

selecting a third mode having a third thermal limit different than the first and second thermal limits, the third mode comprising a normal thermal limit mode; and

operating the processor at a higher temperature limit than a temperature limit for the first mode and a lower temperature limit than a temperature limit for the second mode.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , comprising:

selecting a thermal mode during a boot sequence of the processor.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , comprising:

dynamically selecting a thermal mode during operation of the processor.

21. An article comprising a computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that if executed by a processor enable a system to:

select a thermal mode for the processor arranged to operate in a plurality of thermal modes including at least a first mode having a first thermal limit and a second mode having a second thermal limit different than the first thermal limit, the plurality of thermal modes comprising a plurality of different maximum temperature limits for the processor wherein each of the plurality of thermal modes comprises a set of pre-determined operating frequencies and power consumption level for the processor;

retrieve configuration information for the selected thermal mode from one or more storage devices; and

operate the processor in the selected thermal mode.

22. The article of claim 21 , wherein the configuration information comprises a maximum temperature limit or set of operating frequencies for two or more of the thermal modes.

23. The article of claim 21 , wherein the configuration information is retrieved using one or more interfaces.

24. The article of claim 23 , wherein the one or more interfaces comprise one or more of a memory-mapped input/output (MMIO) or a platform environment control interface (PECI).

25. The article of claim 21 , comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to:

select the first thermal mode comprising a thermal limit down mode; and

operate the processor at a lower temperature limit than a temperature limit for the other modes.

26. The article of claim 21 , comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to

select the second mode comprising a thermal limit up mode; and

operate the processor at a higher temperature limit than a temperature limit for the other modes.

27. The article of claim 21 , comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to

select a third mode having a third thermal limit different than the first and second thermal limits, the third mode comprising a normal thermal limit mode; and

operate the processor at a higher temperature limit than a temperature limit for the first mode and a lower temperature limit than a temperature limit for the second mode.

28. The article of claim 21 , comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to

select a thermal mode during a boot sequence of the processor or dynamically select a thermal mode during operation of the processor.

29. A system, comprising:

a processor arranged to operate in a plurality of thermal modes comprising at least a first mode having a first thermal limit, a second mode having a second thermal limit and a third mode having a third thermal limit, wherein each of the thermal limits are different, the plurality of thermal modes comprising a plurality of different maximum temperature limits for the processor wherein each of the plurality of thermal modes comprises a set of pre-determined operating frequencies and power consumption level for the processor;

one or more storage devices coupled to the processor and arranged to store configuration information for the plurality of thermal modes;

thermal management logic operative to select a thermal mode based on one or more properties of the system.

30. The system of claim 29 , comprising:

a digital display.

31. The system of claim 29 , comprising:

one or more sensors operative to sense a temperature of the processor.

32. The system of claim 29 , wherein the thermal management logic is operative to:

select the first mode and operate the processor at a lower temperature limit than a temperature limit for the second and third modes;

select the second mode and operate the processor at a higher temperature limit than a temperature limit for the first and third modes; or

select the third mode and operate the processor at a higher temperature limit than a temperature limit for first mode and a lower temperature limit than a temperature limit for the second mode.