Patent ID: 7836316

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: an interface, wherein the interface is to receive data units, a performance monitoring unit coupled to the interface, wherein the performance monitoring unit is to determine a load value on a programmable processing unit, and an energy saver unit coupled to the performance monitoring unit, wherein the energy saver unit is to conserve power by modifying one or more definition parameters of the programmable processing unit if the load value is less than a pre-determined value, wherein the definition parameters comprise a first value that represents an operating frequency at which the programmable processing unit is to be operated to satisfy the load value and a second value that represents a number of a micro-programmable units of the programmable processing unit that is to be maintained in an active state to meet the load value, wherein a present micro-programmable unit is to provide a signal to a subsequent micro-programmable unit after the present micro-programmable unit completes processing of a data unit, wherein modifying the one or more definition parameters is to reduce memory input-output commands issued by the micro-programmable units.