Patent ID: 8533503

Claim:
A method of managing power consumption, said method comprising: determining at least one thread allocated for execution by a first plurality of processor elements of a multi-core processor, wherein said first plurality of processor elements is operable to execute said at least one thread in a first power state; configuring a second plurality of processor elements of said multi-core processor to operate in a second power state, wherein a particular processor element operating in said second power state is operable to consume less power than said particular processor element operating in said first power state, and wherein said configuring said second plurality of processor elements further comprises performing a first operation to allow said second plurality of processor elements to maintain state data; and configuring at least one processor element of said second plurality of processor elements to operate in a third power state, wherein said at least one processor element operating in said third power state is operable to consume less power than said at least one processor element operating in said second power state, and wherein said configuring said at least one processor element further comprises performing a second operation to allow said at least one processor element to sacrifice said state data.