{"id":345861,"date":"2021-09-29T14:00:38","date_gmt":"2021-09-29T11:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/what-is-a-5nm-chip-and-why-is-5nm-so-important\/"},"modified":"2021-09-29T14:00:38","modified_gmt":"2021-09-29T11:00:38","slug":"what-is-a-5nm-chip-and-why-is-5nm-so-important","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-a-5nm-chip-and-why-is-5nm-so-important\/","title":{"rendered":"#What Is a 5nm Chip, and Why Is 5nm So Important?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4084567f824\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4084567f824\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-a-5nm-chip-and-why-is-5nm-so-important\/#What_Does_a_New_Process_Node_Mean\" >What Does a New Process Node Mean?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-a-5nm-chip-and-why-is-5nm-so-important\/#So_What_Is_%E2%80%9Cnm%E2%80%9D_All_About\" >So What Is \u201cnm\u201d All About?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-a-5nm-chip-and-why-is-5nm-so-important\/#When_Will_We_See_5nm_Chips\" >When Will We See 5nm Chips?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-a-5nm-chip-and-why-is-5nm-so-important\/#5nm_The_Bottom_Line\" >5nm: The Bottom Line<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>&#8220;#What Is a 5nm Chip, and Why Is 5nm So Important?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage size-full wp-image-756077\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Iridescent_Silicon_Microchip_Computer_Wafer.jpg?width=398&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 400w, https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Iridescent_Silicon_Microchip_Computer_Wafer.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, 400w, 1200w\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Iridescent_Silicon_Microchip_Computer_Wafer.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Iridescent silicon microchips in production\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-illustration\/iridescent-silicon-microchip-computer-wafer-7nm-1919750255\">Quardia\/Shuttestock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There\u2019s a lot of talk about new manufacturing processes for CPUs. Not that long ago the talk was all about 10nm and 7nm. The latest \u201cnm\u201d to enter the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a> is 5nm, which is already in use in some devices and is heading to PCs in the near future.<\/p>\n<p>Newer 5nm designs, like other manufacturing processes before them, promise better power efficiency and faster performance and just <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>ly pushing CPU <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> forward. Before we get into all that, however, let\u2019s talk about what a new manufacturing process and moving to a new process node is all about.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Does_a_New_Process_Node_Mean\"><\/span>What Does a New Process Node Mean?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>At its heart changing to a new process means changing the way that a processor is manufactured. Typically, this means shrinking down the transistors allowing companies to pack more of them into a given area on the silicon. Transistor density is the name of the game for improving a processor. The more transistors you have, the more calculations a processor can do, and thus the more powerful it can be.<\/p>\n<p>This is what the famous Moore\u2019s Law is all about. While not a true scientific law, and more of an observation, Moore\u2019s Law predicted that the number of transistors in an integrated circuit doubles about every two years.<\/p>\n<p>To express the concept of an improved process node companies use the \u2018nm\u2019 nomenclature. Intel, for example, uses 14nm CPUs for its desktops and has done so since 2014. Instead of focusing on new process nodes for its desktop processors the company\u2019s been focused on making 14nm designs more efficient and powerful. That <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roach has since hit a wall, but for years it meant more cores with faster speeds by improving the CPU architecture instead of substantial changes to the manufacturing process.<\/p>\n<p>AMD, meanwhile, has been moving to new nodes for its Ryzen processors. Ryzen 1000 <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a> started at 14nm, four years later Ryzen 5000 series were on to an improved version of 7nm, with eyes on 5nm for a new generation in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>That difference is due to a number of factors, which are beyond the scope of this article. Briefly, however, Intel, manufactures its own CPUs and for years favored the \u201cmonolithic\u201d approach to CPU design and production. AMD designs its own non-monolithic processors, but it outsources the creation of new manufacturing processes and production to TSMC, a Taiwan-based company that also does manufacturing for companies such as Apple, Arm, Nvidia, and others.<\/p>\n<p>New processes and their respective \u2018nm\u2019 numbers, however, don\u2019t translate across companies. You cannot say, for example, that an Intel 10nm processor is going to be slower than an AMD 7nm processor. That\u2019s in part because \u2018nm\u2019 isn\u2019t a universal standard for which to compare competing processors.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"So_What_Is_%E2%80%9Cnm%E2%80%9D_All_About\"><\/span>So What Is \u201cnm\u201d All About?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-401965 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1-3.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Magnified view of transistors on a processor\" width=\"650\" height=\"300\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/macro-silicon-wafers-low-dof-713206981\" data-credittext=\"fotografos\/Shutterstock\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/macro-silicon-wafers-low-dof-713206981\">fotografos\/Shutterstock<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The term \u201cnm\u201d stands for nanometer, a tiny measurement that is one-billionth of a meter. It\u2019s <em>tiny<\/em>, and there was a time when process nodes were truly measured in actual nanometers. It usually defined the size of a transistor\u2019s gate length and metal half-pitch (half the distance between the beginning of one metal interconnect and the next on a chip), which were both the same size. That reality stopped in the 90s, however, and ever since then, the \u2018nm\u2019 measurement has been nothing more than a marketing term.<\/p>\n<p>A new \u2018nm\u2019 size does indicate that there\u2019s been a significant improvement in the manufacturing technology, but it has nothing to do with a specific measurement you could carry out on the processor itself.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why, for example, many critics say that Intel\u2019s 10nm node, which it currently uses in laptops for CPU families such as Tiger Lake and Ice Lake, is comparable to TSMC\u2019s 7nm node.<\/p>\n<p>So why is \u2018nm\u2019 still used? Basically, inertia. It\u2019s what tech companies have always done so they keep doing it.<\/p>\n<p>There are other ideas out there for different naming conventions, as reported by <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/spectrum.ieee.org\/a-better-way-to-measure-progress-in-semiconductors\">IEEE Spectrum<\/a>. One approach is to switch to something called the LMC metric that expresses the density of logic, memory, and interconnects in a given processor. Then there\u2019s the idea to use a GMT (gate pitch, metal pitch, tiers) number, which would get back to basic CPU measurements like gate and metal pitch (not half-pitch), as well as indicating how many layers a CPU has\u2014future CPUs may commonly use <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.anandtech.com\/show\/15877\/intel-hybrid-cpu-lakefield-all-you-need-to-know\/2\">stacking technology<\/a> to improve performance.<\/p>\n<p>Despite pushes to change naming conventions, however, chip makers are all about the \u2018nm\u2019 naming scheme for now.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_Will_We_See_5nm_Chips\"><\/span>When Will We See 5nm Chips?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-736054 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/best-iphones-iphone-12-pro-max-2.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"400\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/iphone-12-pro-max-gold-color-1856158990\" data-credittext=\"NYC Russ\/Shutterstock\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/iphone-12-pro-max-gold-color-1856158990\">NYC Russ\/Shutterstock<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you have an iPhone 12 then you\u2019ve already seen 5nm processors, and the same goes for the iPhone 13 family. Qualcomm also has a number of 5nm processors including the Snapdragon 780G and the Snapdragon 888. The latter processor is used in the OnePlus 9, and others. Samsung\u2019s Galaxy S21 family of phones also uses a 5nm processor, the Samsung Exynos 2100.<\/p>\n<p>As for PCs, AMD is slated to use the 5nm process from TSMC for a new generation of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/hothardware.com\/news\/amd-zen-4-cpus-rdna-3-gpus-2022-5nm\">Ryzen desktop processors in 2022<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Intel 5nm processors are coming too, but it\u2019s expected to take a while. The company\u2019s desktop processors are expected to come off 14nm and move to 10nm with Alder Lake in late 2021 or early 2022. After that, a 7nm process is expected in late 2022 or 2023, and then in <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.anandtech.com\/show\/16823\/intel-accelerated-offensive-process-roadmap-updates-to-10nm-7nm-4nm-3nm-20a-18a-packaging-foundry-emib-foveros\">2024 there could be an Intel 5nm processor<\/a>. This timetable could change, but right now that\u2019s more or less what Intel watchers are expecting to see.<\/p>\n<p>Interestingly, based on what Intel is saying, its 5nm CPUs should be the first to drop the notion of \u2018nm\u2019 opting for 20A (A as in <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Angstrom\">Angstrom<\/a>) instead. Just like \u2018nm,\u2019 however, Intel\u2019s Angstrom era is also about marketing terminology and not a reference to actual measurements.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5nm_The_Bottom_Line\"><\/span>5nm: The Bottom Line<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>While 5nm processors are already here in mobile form and heading to PCs soon, don\u2019t put too much stock in the term beyond differentiating improvement in one manufacturing process from another within a given company.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. 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Not that long ago the talk was all about 10nm and 7nm. The latest \u201cnm\u201d to enter the game is 5nm, which is already in use in some devices and is heading&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":345862,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Iridescent_Silicon_Microchip_Computer_Wafer.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-345861","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/345861","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=345861"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/345861\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/345862"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=345861"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=345861"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=345861"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}