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IBM beats Intel to 7nm

Big Blue has shown off a working 7nm processor that has four times as many transistors packed onto its die as ones manufactured using Intel’s current 14nm process, according to The Next WebThe chip is still in the research phase so no commercialised version is yet available, but it’s at least been demonstrated to be possible.

Intel, on the other hand, is reportedly struggling to bring its manufacturing process down below the 14nm level (via Geek.com).

To really appreciate IBM’s achievement, it must be understood that it’s creating on a mind-bogglingly small scale. To put it into context, a nanometre is a measurement of distance that’s one millionth of a millimetre, so it’s pretty small.

For comparison’s sake, some quick Googling reveals that a human hair is on average between 100 000 and 250 000 nanometres thick and a single strand of DNA is just 2.5 nanometres wide. That IBM is working at the 7nm level is just insane.

The primary benefits of the 7nm manufacturing process are processors that use less electricity and generate less heat while running at higher clock speeds than previous generations. Smartphone, tablet, PC and laptop manufacturers take advantage of this to make smaller, more efficient yet faster products every year that end up doing more while using less power.

The Register has a great in-depth breakdown of IBM’s astounding engineering achievement, which I highly recommend casting an eye over if you’re at all interested in this sort of thing.

[Source – The Next Web, Geek.com, Image – Wikimedia Commons]

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