I often hear about a new, smaller microprocessor that is, for example 5nm instead of 7nm.
In: Engineering
When talking about nm when it comes to microprocessors, it can mean two things.
The most common one that likely everyone has heard is in reference to the fabrication process name. For example TSMC’s 7nm, in the context of the first 7nm CPU in the world.
That meaning is nothing, it is just a marketing term. 20 to 30 years ago, the process name had meaning behind it, related to the second meaning I’m talking about. It used to relate to the physical size or distance of something on the actual CPU.
Smaller is better because it allows less distance to move elections between components. This means it can be faster and more energy efficient. Smaller also means you can fit more in the same amount of space.
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