: Why are computer CPUs the size they are? Wouldn’t making them bigger give way to more processing power without needing better technology?

Question

Edit : My first post to blow up. Crazy.

In: Technology

Answer 1

Cost. To build a computer chip you start with a circular flat piece of metal called a wafer. The wafer is a fixed cost, say $1000, and a fixed size, say 12″ diameter.

Therefore, the cost of the chip is directly related to the size. If you can fit 10 chips on your wafer, then your chips would cost $100 each to make. But if you fit 100 chips on your wafer, then your chips would cost $10 each to make.