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rengo2011-06-22 10:22:22
Processors
rengo, 2011-06-22 10:22:22

Why are they trying to reduce the area of ​​processors, and not increase?

After a sleepless night, the question came to mind:
Why are they trying to reduce the area of ​​\u200b\u200bprocessors, and not increase it?
For example, the first i7s, Intel's flagship consumer processors, were 263 square meters. mm. Why so little? It would seem that double the sides - you cram 4 times more processor cores, and for servers it is generally possible to produce rack-mount processors, 19-inch))) Is the
problem here in marketing or in some kind of physical limitations?

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7 answer(s)
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holyorb2, 2011-06-22
@holyorb2

there are many reasons
1. Smaller workflow makes smaller parts inside the processor. Therefore, the structure and capabilities of the processor are growing, and the size has decreased
2. Less power consumption. Here the question is not so much “sorry for energy”, but the problem of removing such a huge amount of heat from a small piece of silicon
3. “Stuffing 4 times more cores” is not profitable from an economic point of view. When processors are stamped in batches, there is such an indicator as rejection. The more you cram inside, the less likely it is that at the end of the assembly line there will be at least half of the workers.
This is of course an explanation in your own words, if you need in detail and in detail, then Google will help

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CKOPOBAPKuH, 2011-06-22
@CKOPOBAPKuH

and yet, at a clock frequency of 3 GHz, light (and electromagnetic interaction) has time to propagate to a distance of 10 centimeters.
but since the interaction does not propagate through the processor directly, but along complex trajectories, the maximum allowable size of the processor will not be 70x70 mm, but smaller.
the size of, for example, the Xeon is 42.5mm x 45mm. it's in the body. the dimensions of the microcircuit itself are approximately 16x16mm. and that's pretty much the limit.

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Eugene, 2011-06-22
@immaculate

Even though the speed of light is great, it is finite. As far as I know, when the lengths of the conductors increase, problems arise in synchronizing the operation of various processor components.

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fStrange, 2011-06-22
@fStrange

The production of a crystal of high purity and ideal geometric characteristics is a difficult task. The larger the area, the more difficult and, accordingly, the higher the price.
And the second is speed. The larger the geometry, the more parasitic capacitances and inductances.
Third, warmth. The smaller the size of the element, the lower its resistance and the energy costs for its switching.

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ChemAli, 2011-06-22
@ChemAli

Each individual processor is grown on a plate, where there are many, many of them. The smaller the area of ​​a single crystal (processor), the more they fit on one plate and the greater the profit.

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Vladson, 2011-06-22
@Vladson

Actually everything is already said in the very first answer. Let me just explain that the decisive factor is the percentage of rejection. The more transistors, the more expensive the processor will cost.
And yet, no one is trying to specifically reduce the area, it just comes out by itself due to a decrease in the technical process. (and finishing off extra blocks just to catch up with the area to the “norm” is fraught with a large percentage of defects, and therefore a higher price.)

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N1GZ, 2015-11-20
@N1GZ

The problem is that the price of a crystal rises very quickly with an increase in area due to rejection. With this, at one time they ran into DSLRs. And now it's basically the same.
Well, and probably more physical limitations (the above).

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